RECORD has asked contributors to the 2008 Venice Biennale, which runs through November 23rd, and members of our staff to recommend places to go—beautiful squares, forgotten buildings, beloved eateries—while in town for the exhibition.

For a genuine “slice of Venetian life,” Nigel Coates suggests visiting the Via Garibaldi, once a canal but now one of the few places in Venice not “overrun with the trappings and mentality of tourism.” He has two suggestions for spots to dine on the street: The Trattoria il Giorgione “for a straightforward meal swilled down with a bottle of Tokai,” or Il Nuovo Galeon “for something special.” With its “inventive fish dishes and great wine list,” Coates considers Il Nuovo Galeon one of the top restaurants in Venice.