City break, Venice, Italy

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Very Venice

Think Venice and you’ll automatically think theatrical costumes and masked balls. There’s no fee for turning up in town during Carnival time, but you must buy tickets to attend any given party – certainly for the best events. Tragicomica on Calle dei Nomboli (+39 041 721102) is one of the best traditional mascareri (mask makers) and costumiers, and also the organisation behind the Mascheranda ball. Antonia Sautter, another highly respected costume designer, organises the opulent Ballo del Doge. Tickets are expensive, (from €300, up to €600 or thereabouts for the Ballo del Doge), but if you are going to go to the ball, it’s best to go all out.

Don't go home without

… having a coffee in Piazza San Marco. The price will get your heart racing faster than a ristretto will, but there’s a reason why the tourists flock here – it’s spectacular. If you’re lucky, you’ll even have an orchestral soundtrack. Il Caffè Florian is legendary (www.caffeflorian.com).

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Eating, drinking and dancing

We've tracked down the best cafés for people-watching, the bars with the coolest cocktails, the most accomplished restaurants and the liveliest local nightlife in Venice.

Restaurants

Ristorante Cantina Canaletto


For a cosy, wine-bottles-along-the-wall kind of osteria, try this restaurant at Castello 5490.

(+39 041 521 2661)

Trattoria alle Testiere

This excellent trattoria on Calle del Mondo Novo specialises in fish.

(+39 041 522 7220)


Bancogiro

Ask for a window seat at this popular restaurant on Campo San Giacometto.

(+39 041 523 2061)


Trattoria do Forni

This trattoria on Calle Specchieri is very classical; book dinner in the Orient Express room.

(+39 041 523 2148)


Ristorante da Fiore

This restaurant on Calle del Scaleter is one of the best places in town; book a month in advance.

(+39 041 721 308)


Poste Vecie

This place on Rialto Pescheria is Venice’s oldest restaurant, reached by a private bridge.

(+39 041 721 822)


Il Refolo

This is a great pizzeria near the Museum of Modern Art, though not open all year round.

(+39 041 524 0016)


Anice Stellato

This restaurant on Fondamenta della Sensa, Cannaregio does fabulous fish with subtle spicing.

(+39 041 720 744)


Locanda Montin

This pretty place on Fondamenta di Borgo serves great antipasti on a vine-covered terrace.

(+39 041 522 7151)


Ai Gondolieri

Close to the Guggenheim and a comfy amble away from Ca Maria Adele, Ai Gondolieri is popular with local and visiting carnivores for its meaty Veneto dishes of game and pork, with gnocchi and polenta featuring on the menu. There's a decent wine list, too. Closed Tuesdays.

366 Dorsoduro, 30123 Venice
(+39 041 528 6396)


Cantinone Storico

A good local eatery for seafood, with an impressive wine cellar. Definitely try to get a seat by the canal in summer – or by the window in winter. Ask the waiter to tell you about the specials, and then trust his recommendations.

San Vio Square, Fondamenta Bragadin, 660–661 Dorsoduro, Venice
(+39 041 523 9577)


Ristorante Riviera

Stroll past all the touristy restaurants on your way towards Zattere and you'll find this little Sunday-lunch gem on the banks of the canal. Owner-manager Luca also waits tables, so good service is pretty much a foregone conclusion. Order the seafood and courgette risotto or the tagliatelle with scallops, and wash it down with plenty of the house white. Closed Mondays.

1473 Dorsoduro, 30123 Venice
(+39 041 522 7621)


Ristorante Acqua Pazza

Large, slick and spread out across a piazza, this Neapolitan restaurant is a favourite with well-to-do Venetians and Italian visitors. Ingredients are sourced from Campania and the Amalfi Coast, and the buffalo mozarella is fresh as fresh can be. Pizzas are tasty but enormous, so you might want to share one with a salad if you're not terribly hungry. Closed Mondays.

Campo Sant'Angelo, 3808–10 San Marco, 30124 Venice
(+39 041 277 0688)


Bars and clubs

Al Marca


This little café-bar is good for a pre-dinner drink or a quick wine-enhanced lunchtime snack if you’re north of Ponte Rialto or checking out the fish market in the San Polo District (or staying at nearby Palazzo Barbarigo).

213 Sestiere San Polo, Venice 30125