Gosh darn, I love Venice! It is the most enjoyable place to discover new bits. All the hustle and bustle of a big city but no traffic, no noise, great food….the list goes on. I could be there a month and not do everything I want….this time it was a week with the girls. Our apartment was fabulous – I totally recommend Views on Venice!
BEST DRINK OF THE MOMENT
Years of my life spent drinking Bellinis (they were fun though) and never knowing that the real Venetian bibita is the Aperol Spritz:
2 parts Aperol
3 parts Prosecco
splash of soda or seltzer
Ice, half a slice of orange
one olive (optional)
BEST SHOPPING BITS
RIFLESSI VENEZIANI DI DANIELA LONGIN
1867 Calle del Tentor angolo Salizada S. Stae, S. Croce
Tele: 041 524 0564
I am a lover of anything beaded – so when we stumbled upon this shop in the Santa Croce district of Venice – the girls went crazy. She sells jewelry, masks, flowers and the beads themselves. The prices are insanely low!
CASHMEANDGO
Salizada Malipiero 3190, San Samuele, Tele: 041 8943086
Orsola Foscari had opened this store three weeks before we found it. She has great Birkin style bags made from canvas, fab shoes handmade in Capri and delicious cashmeres.
SEGUSISSIMO JEWELRY
Archimede Seguso: Saint Mark’s Square & Venice Airport
The story on the street is that A.S.’s granddaughters are now making jewelry – well, whoever is making it – it is GORGEOUS. Being made of glass, they look great in candlelight.
PIED A TERRE
Rialto/S. Polo 60, Tel: 041-5285513
The sweetest velvet, cotton and linen slippers made in the Renaissance Venetian style.
GIOELLI DI MURANO
Dorsoduro 879 – between the Guggenheim and the Accademia
Nancy also found this fab jewelry store with fun coral earrings and necklaces. Have no photos so you will have to check it out yourself.
BEST FOOD BITS
LA CANTINA
Strada Nova, Cannaregio 3689, Tel: 041 522 8258
Russ Norman of Polpo and Polpetto fame here in London thinks this is one of the best places for cicchetti in Venice and let me tell you the little bits we had were. The chef creates the menu with what he found at the market that day, so if you come everyday there is always something new!
VIZIOVIRTÙ
S. Polo 2898/A, Ph. and Fax +39.041.2750149
(San Tomà in Calle del Campaniel, also known as Givran or Grimani)
SUSO: LA GELATOTECA ARTIGINALE
Calle della Bissa, San Marco 5453
Two great new (to me) ice cream places….Vizio has been around Venice for a few years. Although they make delicious chocolates, I had no idea their ice cream was so good. I had Passion Fruit sorbet with chocolates bits – to die for.
Taking a short cut from the Rialto to San Marco through the little alleyway of Calle della Bissa and I walked straight into Suso….amazingly sophisticated flavors mixed in with old favorites..it was the best mint I had. The best part was they give you a loyalty card buy 9 and you get 1 free.
