Sadley, it was my last day in Venice, the week had flown by. I was still working through the itinerary and thoroughly loving a complex mixture of art, architecture, history, culture and the odd bite to eat. Tonight was the pinnacle of the week from a food perspective, but there were still things to see and do.

Like ‘The Fisherman’ an amazing overbearing structure shown in the middle picture above. The artist, Tom Herck is Belgian and has produced some mind blowing, but unconventional public art installations all over the world. This one was really impressive.

Navigating the Grand Canal, watching Venice’s pace of life was intoxicating, the Fish Market, The terrace of the restaurant ‘Bancogiro’ that I had previously eaten in and ‘Chiesa Di San Stae’, my water bus stop for the next point of interest, the church was closed on Fridays!

The museum of the ‘Palazzo Moncenigo’ was absolutely fascinating. A study centre for Textiles, Costumes and Perfumes it is currently showing the very costumes used in the Epic Film Marco Polo, celebrating the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo’s death, on 8 January 1324.

Stunning paintings adorned the walls, they were everywhere, from British royalty to battle scenes the artwork was stunning. The Perfume section gave an insight into the techniques used in producing the various oils and distillates used in the production of early ‘smells’, a large table laden with vessels and bowls provided the chance to sniff some of the ingredients used, very intoxicating.

Cabinets were full of perfume phials, ornate and precious in their own right, they would have been used for dispensing the various eau de cologne onto the wrist or neck.

Some were unbelievable intricate and obviously made by artists with exceptional skills, the perfume section actually made you think how they managed to produce such wonderful ‘works of art’.

There was a largish flat screen tv showing the RAI produced epic, Marco Polo in the main hall. In adjacent rooms, manikins adorned with the most intricate costumes were on display, the work of Enrico Sabbatini, an extremely talented costume designer, born in 1932 he is associated with a significant number of famous films, the costumes were astounding.

Squero Casal dei Servi is a hidden gem, if you manage to get a visit arranged, It’s more of a preservation project, Gondolers, and well hidden, I managed to find it and unfortunately no one was in! Another brilliant project is Row Venice, the website says “Row Venice is a non-profit organization of passionate women and expert vogatrici, Venetian by birth and by choice. We are dedicated to the preservation of the traditional Venetian cultura acquea and at its center, the voga alla veneta, the Venetian style of rowing: standing up, facing forward, native to Venice and made iconic by the gondoliers. Many of us are also athletes and regatanti, racing all season long and devoted to this Venetian sport that’s as old as the city itself.” Your can see them top right, I noticed several showing people how to ‘row the boats’, their HQ was near to my next stop.

Maybe you guessed it, back to see that church with Tintoretto paintings, wow wow wow, they were magnificent. The architecture was stunning, the paintings had so much power, reverence they took my breath away, it was worth coming back to see the resting place of an amazing artist and his works, and it was empty, no people!

Campo dei Mori, with its almost triangular shape is the location of the Statues of the Moors. It is thought these 3 silk merchants came to Venice in 1112 and built the Palazzo Mastelli. There is a fourth statue on the front left of Tintoretto’s house on Rio Della Sense, take a look back at post no.6 and click on the picture to expand it, and you will see the turban headed statue. Time for a bite to eat!

Yet another very carefully chosen restaurant was Ostaria Da Rioba, just around the corner from the Church and Statues, carefully planned for its perfect location next to the canal, I ate inside!

I managed to capture the chefs in their natural habitat, at a table eating their own food before service. This is another one of those ‘gems’ worth travelling to, the food was simple and damn delicious. The home made reginette pasta, the long usually too thick with crinkled edges one, was slightly less rugged, more delicate and definitely home made, the pasta was bathed in a delightful Guinea Fowl Ragu with dried Plums, It was glorious and rich.

Being a fish person mostly, the Tuna was too tempting, done Tataki style with Black Sesame Seeds it was the days special, the Rialto Fish Market was obviously doing its thing, providing the best fresh produce with the restaurants taking advantage, I am glad they did, it was wowzer.

As I have previously said, ALL the restaurants I ate in during my epic visit to Venice where chosen for a reason, they were all outstanding irrespective of cost and rating, they all delivered on value, service, quality of food, menu choices, I had reserved the icing on the cake for the last night, The 2 Michelin star Restaurant GLAM nestled inside the Palazzo Venart Luxury Hotel.

I have been fortunate to eat in another 2* Restaurant, La Table de Franck Putelat in Carcassonne whilst attending The French House Party Cookery School in South West France, twice in fact so I had a benchmark to compare against.

Let’s say it WAS an experience, an epic experience, one that I had not felt before. Don’t go and have the full tasting menu you have eaten lunch, that’s all I can say, there is a LOT of awesome food to tackle.

The dining room is delightful, overlooking a beautiful garden, the restaurant seats a maximum of 30 people, it was very serene with background music at an appropriate level. Sharp dressed staff performed an amazing act all evening, timing the delivery of dishes to each table like a well rehearsed theatre, ensuring everyone had the experience of a lifetime.

It would take me too long to describe each dish, The use of local flowers and herbs, delicate but punchy favours, perfectly matched by the sommeliers wine, beer and tea choice, service was impeccable as you would expect, the ‘experience’ lasted nearly 4 1/2 hours and I could not manage dessert!

Each picture should expand if you select it with your mouse, so you should get a close in view, the artistry was just off the planet, it was truly brilliant.

That was it, job done, I had Eaten Venice and managed to stay clear of crowds, the experience had been mind blowing. Everything had been perfect, planning worked, food, well you have seen the pictures. The Tribute To Music Residenza had been the perfect base, the various trips to museums, churches, important sights had been delightful.

……………………. Until Next Time ………….. L8ers ………………….

In the Cannaregio Sestiere there sits an ancient and historic settlement dating back to 1513. The jury is still out over the origin of the word “ghetto”. It is spelled in various different ways in old documents – ghèto, getto, ghetto, geto – but often indicates the place in which Jews were enclosed, first in the Ghetto Nuovo and then in the Ghetto Vecchio, in Venice.

The “tract of land called the getto or the ghetto was the seat of the public foundries where bombards were cast (gettate in Italian)” and so “the place was called el getto because it contained over 12 foundries and bronze was cast there”. The word Ghetto thus appears to come from the name of the island on which the old foundries were situated.

Todays adventure was to start at the Arsenale Water Bus Stop, taking the No.1 to S.Marcuola – Casino, and then a short stroll to the ‘Ghetto” but a detour was included to see a unique bridge, the ‘Ponte Dei Tre Arche’, the only three arch bridge in Venice which was 5 minutes from Campo Di Ghetto Nuovo.

I have to admit the bridge was strangely impressive, I managed to hide the considerable repair work being done behind the structure along the canal, lots of bright orange barriers and netting spoiling the view.

It was very considerate for a ‘working barge’ to be travelling in the right direction, old and new, historic and modern, well the modern was also an interpretation of history, carrying goods the old fashion way with the assistance of an engine! The detour was worth it.

Wandering around I noticed Gam Gam, it was signposted on my home made itinerary, next door to the famous local Italian Jewish restaurant was a well known baker, producing traditional fare, the pastries looked amazing but today I had to be careful as there were two more restaurants booked, more of that later! The bakers is cash only, been family run for years and everything is animal fat free.

I had decided very early on that I loved Venice, much as I love the other places I have visited it has its own unique charm, lots of history and great food (and coffee). The next item on the itinerary was a visit to Madonna dell’Orto via the house of Tintoretto, a very famous Venetian artist who I had never heard of, the story was fascinating as was the history of religion and its various unusual, and unique orders.

The Church of the Madonna dell’Orto is certainly one of the most important monuments of Venice, among the unmissable of the Cannaregio district. The sanctuary was built around 1350 at the behest of the Humiliati congregation, led at the time by friar Tiberio da Parma: the new building was dedicated to God, to the Blessed Virgin and to Saint Christopher, protector of traveler’s.

It’s got quite a few Tintoretto paintings, he is buried there, the paintings are stunning. Ah yes, you read it correctly, the Humiliati, I had to double check that when I read it the first time. An interesting religious order. Approaching the church a lady beckoned, there was a funeral taking place, I left for lunch with plans to return.

The bridge in the top left above is the Ponte Chiodo another unique structure as it’s the entrance to a B&B, £610 for 4 nights in September, canal view with a great breakfast, prices as of June 2024, nice. You will notice the lack of parapet, the only bridge of this type in Venice, the rooms look extremely nice. Walking to the lunchtime venue was a delight as it took me via the Rialto Market, fresh fish galore, and fruit and vegetables looking so vibrant and appealing.

It was interesting to see Grey Mullet (picture next to the blue crabs above), they are a bottom feeder and considered a ‘muddy’ fish, very rarely seen on British menus I believe, the swordfish was sadly majestic, the Monkfish tails separated from their ugly and grimacing heads. I adore fish so despite some carnage, it was so nice to see local fish on sale, fresh as fresh and likely to be cooked and eaten within 24 hours maximum.

Trattoria ‘Antiche Carampane’ is another one of the ‘must do’ restaurants. Every morning, Francesco and Adriano shop the Rialto market for the freshest ingredients. They only serve seasonal offerings from the Venetian lagoon and its surrounds, I sat outside, it was going to be a wonderful lunch. The restaurant has been cooking up a storm since 1983 and is definitely one to book, I did so on the 1st March to guarantee a table.

The fish was the freshest I have ever eaten, the raw platter served with some proper Wasabi with a serious punch, and a Yoghurt and herb ‘dip’, stunning fresh langoustine, prawn, tuna it was all glistening and so so ‘alive’.

The main course was another local fish, cooked perfectly with some vegetables, like a ratatouille. For wine, I ventured to Austria and a Pinot Blanc from Andreas Gsellmann which matched beautiful. The restaurant has a cookery book, I now have a signed cookery book and eaten another smashing meal. Thank-you to everyone at Antiche Carampane for such a delightful and pleasant experience I shall never forget.

The trip back to the hotel for the obligatory relax during the late afternoon enabled some more sights and scenes to be captured, like the fish market building, St. Marks from the Lagoon, that definitely leaning tower and some musicians enticing patrons to part with a significant amount of cash to relax, listen and drink simultaneously.

It was soon time to venture out to the evenings extravaganza at GIO’s, situated in the St.Regis Hotel to the west of St Marks square. I had booked quite a late seating, 21:00, but the advantage of the best table in the house was well worth it, wow.

The tasting menu was beckoning me, with wine flight, let’s see what this chef is capable of.

Oh yes, what a chef. The tasters at the top were Flak and Sunflower Seeds Chips, seriously, they were ridiculously tasty, the fried artichoke was crispy and full of flavour, Raw and Marinated ‘Otregano’ on a fish bone shaped cracker, another tasty morsel.

Dish after dish, the chefs skill was obvious like sweet & sour pheasant in ravioli, a meat take on sardines en saor I had eaten earlier in the week, Charcoal Grilled Octopus, tender and delish, Guinea Fowl Terrine, every plate of food was as good as the previous, the wine pairings equally wonderful.

I can be a restaurants worst nightmare, insomuch as I sometimes ask for details of the menu to be written down, those ‘chefs tasters’ that are never on the menu so I can remember them later. GIO’s were wonderful and so accommodating, adding the wine choices and also getting the signature of the Chef, Sommelier etc. such a lovely personal touch.

Like all the restaurants I had eaten in so far GIO’s had delivered in its own unique way, service was delightful, food was stunning, wine pairings perfectly matched the food.

Wandering back past St Marks Square I took the chance to enjoy the peace, lack of people and stunning architecture. I think Venice shows its true beauty at night.

…………….. Until Next Time …………. L8ers ………………

I had one of those queue busting tickets for the Palazzo Ducale, the Doge’s Palace, I had visited before a few years back, a distant memory it rained that day but for some reason it hadn’t stuck in my mind like other memories do.

The legend of sotoportego dei Preti is worth spending a few minutes trying to Iocate, its story romantic and haunting. I read the story, wandered and found the famous ‘stone’.

Wednesday fulfilled some of the wishes that Tuesday did not deliver. Wandering though the streets and alleyways the planning was working well, the first major stop was to be The Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paulo, where 25 of Venices Doges are buried.

But before that, a small sojourn to another famous, and food related destination, Cafe Rosa Salva, in existence since 1879 and 4 different locations to choose from, the one I had a snack stop at was right next to the Basilica, perfecto.

Delicious coffee and delightfully patisserie the coffee did its stuff and the cake was a delicious energy booster, as usual, the pigeons and seagulls were in full swing, eying their targets with precision, the customer behind me lost his croissant in seconds, it was sadly amusing.

The Basilica is nothing short of stunning, I was really taken aback by the atmosphere, reverence and majesty of what is an absolutely massive structure. By the way, Venice does have quite a few public toilets and freshwater fountains where you can fill you water bottles safely, for free, The toilets have a small charge. Download the app WC Venice and you will never be caught short.

It was around 10:00, the Basilica was open and very empty, just how I prefer things. I spent at least 45 minutes to 1 hour wandering around, looking at the paintings, architecture and finally, an original and old, Doges chair. It was a memorable visit, I managed to get lots of pictures and the website linked above in the text will take you to the official site with lots more information available, the Basilica is also on Instagram!

Wandering through the streets opened the eyes to such wonderful, and eye catching views, the villa above left, 3 sides surrounded by water, also the location of a famous film scene. Gondoliers were carrying partners, loved ones and those who were maybe to ask that special question, whilst gently navigating the canals of such a romantic and legendary city.

Who needs a crowded and fully booked DFS department store when you can have Scala Contarini
del Bovolo, quiet, and with some magnificent views over the city, all for €8 and booking is not required if you pick a quiet time to visit, I was there at 11:45. It was stunning, the architecture interesting, I was starting to notice strengthening bars on many of the buildings to help stabilise them, like in the middle picture above.

It was that time again, lunchtime and a special treat was in store. Enoteca Al Volto has been serving traditional Venetian food for years, since 1936, local dishes some might consider challenging due to their simple, and unusual flavours and textures. Cicchetti (small snacks on bread) and Ombre (small glasses of wine) feature heavily as well as traditional dishes such as Sarde in Saor with Polenta, my chosen starter and a must have, Spaghetti Vongole (clams), served simply with some bread, both dishes were delicious, a ‘must do’ stop to experience a tradition going back for years.

After a later than usual lunch, back to the hotel for some rest before the next food experience after a short trip down the Granda Canal. There are many palaces lining the canal, the one above is most catching, with mosaics of Murano glass applied in 1886. Palazzo Barbarigo has some interesting history, the hyperlink will help you learn more.

Osteria Bancogiro was going to prove to be another brilliant choice, located close to the Rialto Bridge and market it has a terrace overlooking the Grand Canal, which, when the weather is not too windy, or its not tipping with rain is a perfect spot for some excellent food. It was windy so I was led to an upstairs cavernous dinning area, which soon filled to the brim, obviously popular.

Osteria Bancogiro has a great selection of wines, I opted for a Dalle Ore Chardonnay, which was just delicious, reading their website “In order to retain the specific features of the land, which makes all of these wines unique, no chemical fertilizers, herbicides or insecticides (which can damage the micro flora and the aquifers and indiscriminately eliminate beneficial insects) are used.” It’s a RAW wine, biodynamic, organic and damn tasty.

The dishes I went for were the Seared Scallops in Rhubarb Cevice, and Bigoli in lobster sauce with black fish eggs and zucchini sauce. Bigoli is a thicker kind of spaghetti shaped pasta, I had eaten this before last year in Sienna and really enjoyed its slightly chewy texture.

The meal was awesome, staff engaging, polite and not over fussy it was a beautiful and lovely end to the day. Chefs Jacopo Capponi, Jacopo Zamboni and Andrea Masutti and all the team back of house did a brilliant job with the food, the owners Davide, Gianluca and Mauro are running a great place to have some Venetian inspired delights with a twist, fresh and delicious. Graci Mille.

The trip back to the hotel was as usual delightful, the weather was warm, but not hot, the lights sparkled on the Grand Canal, the Palazzo’s lit up in glorious splendour. The hotel welcomed me back to enjoy a comfortable nights sleep.

I didn’t visit the Doges Palace, it was way too busy!

……………………… Until Next Time ……………… L8ers ………………..

Monday was manic, so I decided to rearrange a couple of days, the itinerary allowed for it, Mrs R had reminded me ‘I was on holiday’, whilst checking everything was ok back at home, and I should not overdo things. When I woke up early it was raining, during breakfast the weather cleared, it was going to be a nice day.

So things re-ordered I set out for the lunchtime destination via a variety of shops, trying to get into the Venetian way of life, the fruit and veg shops were beautifully presented as were the bakers and patisserie.

Two restaurants were booked for Tuesday, lunch at Osteria Alle Testiere and dinner at Osteria Anice Stellato. You would not believe (well, probably my close friends would), how much time and effort went into choosing and booking the restaurants, there was only one failure, I sent them a polite email and got no response, disappointing, but there were plenty of others to choose from!

As mentioned in my first blog post, the routing and visits were anchored to restaurant locations, the restaurants were a mixture, top end, local and old, I wanted to taste Venice in as many ways as possible, no tourist menus, Pizza, or anything that did not feel Venetian. My 2nd requirement was to try and keep away from busy areas, apparently an impossible task, but, as I was staying in Venice, I could get going before the bulk of the day visitors turned up, to swarm around St. Marks Square and the tourist hotspots.

The exception was probably the most famous bookshop in Venice pictured above, apparently it was quieter than usual! I did buy a book.

The map above shows some of the early planning , red around restaurants and yellow water bus stops, something that was to be an adventure in its own way, they are great fun, but you do need to allow more time than you think as the Central Canal can get extremely busy. The restaurant on Tuesday evening was to the far north of the city, and was another useful test of the water bus for later in the week.

Tuesday was now more relaxing as there were less planned places to visit. I had taken Thursday afternoon and some of Friday, which were also more relaxed and moved Tuesdays itinerary and split between Thursday and Friday, if that makes sense. It enabled a ‘window shopping’ approach to the day, looking at artisan shops and menus!! Passing the lunch date, I nosied through the window and saw the fresh vegetables on the corner table and quickly checked to menu to see what was on offer, I was getting hungry.

I had hoped to get to the viewing platform of a well know shopping centre, DFS! Unfortunately, I had missed the fact that it obviously needed to be booked, and I had not, no spaces for over 2 weeks, but I had other plans! Whilst mooching around I saw a familiar logo 1605 Giusti Modena, Balsamic Vinegar. I had just finished my bottle purchased whilst on a trip to Florence many years ago, I soon had myself a new bottle and one that was even better than the previous excellent one, perfecto.

Next stop lunch, and I was excited, I had seen and heard great things about this small restaurant, and I was not going to be let down.

The restaurant only has 6 – 7 tables, it’s very popular, it’s extremely good, in fact awesome. Some amazing chefs have eaten here, like Angela Hartnett OBE, Stanley Tucci, my inspiration for the trip the late Russell Norman, Rick Stein the list goes on. They let me in the kitchen for a couple of pictures, petit, spotless, and organised I was struggling to think such as small space could produce plates of such wonderment and delight.

The food was knockout, I mean Pilgrim Scallops with Lemon and Peppermint, what a plate of deliciousness, cooked to perfection, the Lemon and Peppermint were obvious but so so subtle, I have never eaten a dish like it, just stunning and yet, simple in its complexity. WOW, WOW, WOW.

Yes, there was wine, it would be rude not too. Luca, picture above left is a professional sommelier, and picked a delightful Ua D’Oro, made from the historic DORONA grape, beloved of the Venetian Doges, known as ‘The Gold of the Doges’ due to the golden hued grapes used in its production, boy it was really really good, what an absolute pleasure.

For the mains I went for Prawns with Fresh Coriander and Lime, with vegetables from their garden, another stunning plate of food perfectly paired with the wine, it went down a treat. Whilst eating, several people popped in to check for availability, sorry, no, fully booked. Get the message, this is an awesome local Osteria, one for your list of must eats if you visit Venice, but book well in advance, I booked in March for a June sitting!!

Whilst in the famous bookshop I picked up a bargain cookbook for €14 to add to the library, and inside, well well, what a find. Dessert was tempting but knowing there was another meal to eat in the evening I politely declined, but what a lunchtime treat.

After the required rest, change etc. the Vaporetto was to be my saviour. Rather than walk the 35 minutes or so to the evenings destination, the No.1 water bus from Arsenale allowed a more leisurely 10 minute walk, through canal ridden thoroughfares, buzzing with people enjoying the sun blessed evening, it was delightful.

Osteria Anice Stellato is in the northern Cannaregio sestiere, another restaurant I booked in March, I was watching all my targets for availability and booked as soon as the systems allowed!

A delightful restaurant by a canal named rio della sensa, a short walk from the water bus stop S.Marcuola -Casino it serves inventive Venetian cuisine and some really very good local wines. The story behind Fataman Vino Blanco is brilliant and right up my street, handmade (picked) artisan wine using old, deep-rooted vines, numerous varieties and local to the Veneto area.

The fermentation process is ‘in it’s own skins’ for 5-6 days without any temperature control, then matured for 18 months, only 1500 bottles are produced. Drink young…..yumm, that it was, very delicious, and recommended by the waitress who service skills were polite, friendly and charming.

By the way, the label was designed by the owners daughter, a lovely touch.

How about the food, yep, delicious again, the Mackerel was perfecto, cooked just enough with the accompanying peas, mint and apricot the flavours were surprisingly well matched with the oily fish.

For mains it had to be the Octopus ravioli with coconut cream and sumac, delightful the pasta just chewy enough to give way to the delicious and perfectly cooked Octopus.

I forgot to mention the surprise taster at the beginning, a Tomato Gazpacho, with from memory, a cod cream, but I might be wrong, either way, it was also very tasty.

As I made my way back to the hotel it was late evening, about 23:17! and the streets were quiet, I was thinking about the day, the wonderful sights, the stunning food and amazing memories. St Marks Square was quiet, I ‘snagged’ a picture of the ‘Bridge of Sighs’, no people nudging and bustling me, it was calm… I was happy, but really missing the family.

…………………. Until Next Time ………….. L8ers ……………………………