SESTRIERE –
SAN POLO

The Rialto Market: Not to be missed under any circumstances! Go in the morning before 7 am to witness the spectacle of the boats unloading their goods. The Rialto Market is open from 7 am to 1 pm except Sundays and Mondays. It is a unique spot looking over the Grand Canal: on one side are two ancient open market halls housing the pescheria (the fishmongers), and on the other side is the open-air fruit and vegetable market. For fish, visit the stall of Marco Bergamasco (1) in the main aisle of the market. He supplies the best restaurants in Venice. This fishmonger specialises in fish from the Adriatic. First come first served! Opposite the fish market is the Pronto Pesce (2) seafood delicatessen. This is a delicatessen-style eatery where you can eat in or take away traditional or inventive dishes according to the chef’s whim. On Saturday mornings, you can often enjoy raw fish and oysters there. Next door on the right, in the Campo Beccarie on the corner with the Ruga del Spezier, stop in at Pietro’s Bar Fiamma (3) for a coffee, an orzo or a pallina (100 ml/3¹/₂ fl oz) of wine. You can hear the stallholders from the market talk to each other in the Venetian dialect in this little bar. If you ever happen to ask them for information, they will immediately fill you in … on everything!

From Campo Beccarie, leaving the fish market, take the tiny calle that leads off straight ahead. Turn left into the Calle ai do Mori. Immediately on your left you will find il bàcaro I Do Mori (4). The counter is always full of cicheti! I Do Mori is open non-stop from early morning until early evening. On your right you will find my favourite bàcaro: All’Arco (5), open from 8 am to 3 pm. Have a Venetian-style breakfast here with specialities from the lagoon. I love its family atmosphere. Try the different baccalà and the sardines in saor made by Signora Mary, the mother of Mr Pinto, the owner, who serves his spritz with a smile. Signora Mary has taught her grandson Matteo the secrets of her traditional recipes. In addition to these, Matteo invents new cicheti every day using the finest cured meats, cheeses and vegetables from the lagoon. Outside tables are rare and seized immediately, but the cicheti are just as delicious eaten standing up. Not far away in the Calle do Spade is the Cantina Do Spade (6) with its comfortable inside tables, rare enough to deserve special mention. Cantina Do Spade has a cicheti counter and offers a small menu, not to mention the risotto served at 1 pm. If you would like to eat in a lovely little restaurant serving traditional and refined Venetian cooking, book a table at Antiche Carampane (7). It’s hidden away, far from the crowds. Take Calle dei Botteri and turn right into Rio Terà delle Carampane. You will be enchanted by the charm of the place, a few quiet tables outside and family hospitality. Try the spaghetti cassiopipa.

Not far from the Rialto is the Cà Pesaro Museum, a magnificent palace overlooking the Grand Canal. This is a modern art museum that has a large collection of oriental art as well as the famous Salomé (Judith II) by Klimt. Have a seat in the cafeteria which has a view of the Grand Canal! Admire the beautiful San Giacomo dell’Orio church nearby.

FOR FOOD SHOPPING

After the fish and vegetable market, head to the Campo Bella Vienna where you will find the Casa del Parmigiano (8) for all the local specialities: cheeses, cured meats and other fine food items (see the gourmet shopping notes). Sample the fresh cheeses that don’t travel well on the spot, such as casatella, a soft creamy cheese that looks like stracchino, the very creamy local ricottaand the fresh mascarpone sold in bulk (except in summer). All the gourmet food stores are here. Just next door, on the same Campo Bella Vienna, is the tiny wine bar Al Marcà (9). It offers a wide and delicious variety of piccoli panini and an excellent local wine, ideal for a quick snack. You will not find anywhere to sit down, but space to chat in the open air, which is rare in Venice. A glass in one hand, a panino in the other, it’s a Venetian meeting place. Continue your Ruga del Spezier shopping at Mascari (10) for its spices and dried fruits, condiments and biscuits. Close by, take a look at the Laguna Carni (11) butcher shop, with its tripe, musetti and castrà (mutton), which are used to make traditional dishes.

Coffee break. In Ruga Vecchia San Giovanni, take the Calle dei Cinque and have your coffee at the Caffè del Doge (12) (7 am to 7 pm), which offers a wide selection of quality coffees. Try the Doge rosso or Doge nero. The Caffè del Doge also has a wide selection of fresh fruit juices. Next door, in the same Ruga Vecchia San Giovanni, is Aliani (13), with its 1970s décor and a deli counter. Try the sardines in saor and the baccalà prepared in multiple ways. Head down Ruga Vecchia San Giovanni and stop in Campiello dei Meloni at Rizzardini (14). Linger under the spell of this old pasticceria where you can enjoy your order at the counter: caffè, orzo macchiato or cioccolata calda served with Venetian biscuits or una pastina.

Lunch break. Between the Campo Bella Vienna and the Campo San Giacomo at the foot of the Rialto Bridge, walk through the so-called Banco Giro walkway. Among the old shops of the Erbaria market you will find bàcari such as the Osteria Bancogiro (15) with its large terrace overlooking the Grand Canal. Everything here is original and good: eggplant–lardo–octopus tramezzini, home-made bigoli in salsa served with a cardoon puré. There are tables inside.