Avanspettacolo tickets: how to book

What the dinner show booking includes

The booking is for the Cabaret Dinner Show at Avanspettacolo Venezia, a theatre restaurant on the Venice mainland. It covers a live performance of the Grand Show Magic, a welcome aperitif in the foyer, and a multi-course gala dinner of starter, first course, main course, dessert and coffee. Mineral water and half a bottle of selected wine per person come with the dinner. The whole evening runs about three and a half hours. The meeting point is the venue itself, on Via della Fisica, so nobody collects you.

• Cloakroom and private parking are complimentary
• A birthday or anniversary dedication from the artists, on request
• Not included: transfers and any other extras

Which nights it runs

The regular dinner show runs every Saturday evening. In November and December the venue also opens on Fridays. Outside those two months, a Friday is not a regular show night. Special galas follow their own programmes: the venue's events page lists past Carnival and Valentine's Day galas and a New Year's Eve gala, and the New Year's Eve page sets out a separate timetable. Check the booking calendar for the dates that are actually open, and don't assume the regular dinner show covers a gala night.

• Saturdays: all year
• Fridays: November and December only
• Galas: Valentine's Day, Carnival and New Year's Eve have had separate programmes

Booking here or booking direct

Booking here reserves the dinner show through the GetYourGuide calendar, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before and the option to reserve now and pay later. The venue also takes reservations on its own website, where the form offers two packages, Dinner Show and After Dinner, plus a box for questions. Booking direct makes sense if you want the After Dinner package, need to ask about a child or a dietary need, or want a transfer arranged. Cancellation and payment terms on a direct booking are the venue's own, so ask before you pay.

The After Dinner option

The venue's site also sells an After Dinner package: a drink and dessert while singers, musicians, dancers, acrobats and contortionists perform in a musical-style show it describes as suitable for all ages. It takes place in the Theatre Hall, which the venue describes as Baroque-adorned, and it starts later in the evening than the dinner show. The booking here is for the dinner show. If a lighter, later night is what you want, ask the venue about After Dinner directly. If you want dinner, book the dinner show.

Choosing a menu

You choose one of three set menus when you book: Land (meat), Seafood or Vegetarian. Each follows the same shape, from a starter through to dessert and coffee. We don't list dishes here, because dishes can change and the venue's own menu page is the place to check them. If you have an allergy or a strict dietary need, contact the venue before the night. Its website lists an email address and a phone number for reservations.

How the evening runs

The evening opens in the foyer with a welcome aperitif, where performers in stage costume are already among the guests. You then move into the Theatre Hall for the gala dinner, and the curtain rises on the Grand Show Magic as each course is presented. The booking description adds a lively after-show with music once the main show ends. The order of acts isn't published, so don't plan around a particular number landing at a particular course. For times, rely on your confirmation, because the start time shown there depends on the date you choose.

Dinner show or a plain dinner out?

A dinner theatre combines a restaurant meal with a staged show, and in the nightclub style the show is the main attraction and the meal is second. Here you choose one of three set menus when you book, and the dinner is served as the show unfolds. That suits you if you want a set evening with the entertainment built in. If you'd rather linger over a menu of your own choosing, or eat early and be in bed by an hour you pick, an ordinary Venice restaurant is the better fit.

On the mainland, not the lagoon

The theatre restaurant is on Via della Fisica, on the Venice mainland. The venue puts it at a 10-minute drive from Piazzale Roma, Venezia Mestre and Santa Lucia. It isn't on a lagoon island, so there is no boat to catch. The Ponte della Libertà, a road and rail bridge, links the mainland to Venice proper, and Piazzale Roma is where the road traffic ends. The booking doesn't include transfers. The venue lists a round-trip transfer from Piazzale Roma as an extra, to request by email. Private parking is included if you drive.

Groups, birthdays and special occasions

A birthday or anniversary dedication from the artists is on the includes list, on request. The venue also hosts corporate events, private parties, weddings and birthday celebrations, and says the show can be customised on request. A large group or a private event is therefore a conversation with the venue, not a job for the booking calendar. For a normal group dinner, check the calendar for your date first and pick a menu for each guest.

Read next: The dinner and the drinks at Avanspettacolo Venezia

Children, pets and access

The show is billed as suitable for all ages. On its own reservation page the venue lists reduced rates for children under 12. The booking calendar here shows an adult option by default, so if you are bringing young children, ask the venue how to book them. The venue's pages state no age limit and describe the show as cabaret and musical-style, so the elegant dress code is the main rule to plan for. The booking is listed as wheelchair-accessible, and pets are listed as allowed. If either matters to you, confirm the details with the venue before you pay.

Who this isn't for

Skip it if you want a short night, because the evening runs about three and a half hours in all. Skip it if you'd rather spend the evening among Venice's canals and palazzi, because this is a mainland theatre restaurant and the ride in and out is part of the plan. It also isn't for anyone who wants a quiet dinner, or who can't dress elegantly. It is also a poor pick if you need to get back by public transport on a fixed timetable, because this guide can't promise a route home, so ask the venue about its transfer first. And if you only want to understand the word before you book, our guide to what avanspettacolo is covers it.

Read next: What is avanspettacolo? The show