Pizzeria al Profeta

Pizzeria al Profeta is on Calle Lunga San Barnaba in the Dorsoduro sestiere of Venice, in Italy's Veneto region, on a side street a short walk from the Ca' Rezzonico museum and Campo Santa Margherita. It is a casual pizzeria with a garden courtyard out back, which is unusual for central Venice and makes it popular with students from the nearby university. The pizzas are Neapolitan-style, cooked hot and fast, and the listing describes them as some of the best in Venice and popular with locals. Signature choices include the Margherita DOC, the quattro formaggi and the calzone, and the menu also runs to grilled meats for those who do not want pizza. The best-known feature is the back garden rather than the indoor room, and eating there when the weather allows is what many regulars choose. The atmosphere is lively and informal, busy with a young local crowd in the evenings, and the noise level rises as the tables fill. Dress is casual. The pizzeria opens Wednesday to Monday for lunch (12PM-3PM) and dinner (7PM-11PM) and is closed on Tuesday. Reservations are recommended, as evenings are busy, and the item record does not list a phone number, so visitors should inquire locally or arrive early. Prices are at the budget level ($), well below the cost of a seafood restaurant in the centre, which suits families and groups. Going early for dinner improves the chance of a garden table. The location on the Calle Lunga San Barnaba, a street lined with bars and cafés, makes it a good base for an evening in Dorsoduro, and the mix of student and local diners gives a different feel from the tourist-heavy areas around Rialto and San Marco.