The best advice we read as we were preparing for our trip to
Venice was to go
#offthetipsypath and “just let yourself get lost” So we did! And what we found in the maze of alleys and
plazas (or campos) were
lovely neighborhoods full of shops, restaurants, and of course wine and
cocktail bars.
We learned new terms like “aperitivo”
and “cicchetti.” The first is a term that means “pre-meal drink,”
kind of like a happy hour (which we love) but in Italy, it’s an entire
experience of getting ready for a meal. It usually includes small appetizers
and wine or spritz – sparkling prosecco mixed with an aperitif liquor. In
Venice, the appetizers are called cicchetti, and we made more than one entire
meal out of them!
We also learned pretty quickly how to tell a tourist from a
local in Venice just by looking at what they were drinking. One of our tour
guides pointed out that the orange drinks were mostly Aperol Spritz, which is
said to be the “official” drink of Venice. However, she also pointed to the
darker red drinks, noting that most locals drink Select Spritz. So from then on, that was our aperitivo
of choice in Venice. The difference is that Aperol is sweeter, while Select is
a little more bitter, which pairs well with the prosecco. Both are garnished
with olives. You can’t get much more Italian than that!
On our recent visit, we stayed in the Cannaregio neighborhood,
which is north of the Grand Canal. It was a great home base to explore the
entire city but also get away from the highly tourist areas. We found several
spots that we kept coming back to for their food, drinks and service. That
includes a great little kiosk selling snacks, wine and spritzes into the wee
hours called Chioschetto
TiroVino. And yes, that means you can get drinks to go on the street!
Our favorite place was also closest to our hotel. El Sbarlefo bills itself as a cicchetteria
featuring great wine, food and music. We agree! This was a perfect example of a
neighborhood spot with a wide variety of cicchetti and fantastic local wine.
(Hint: we always ordered a “house” red or white or sparkling wine –
inexpensive, local and delicious every time) The staff was welcoming and
friendly – and patient with us! Definitely a #tipsypick!
It's safe to say that wine is everywhere in Italy, but a
good wine bar can elevate the experience, especially if they have good
cocktails too! That’s why we fell in love with Retro Wine Bar – the drinks (a fantastic
Manhattan among them), the wine, the décor and the jazz soundtrack combined to
make this a fantastic experience each time we went. They also had a menu of
small bites to complete a date night. A #tipsypick for sure!
It’s hard to beat the experience of sipping wine next to one
of the famous canals in Venice. That’s what Vino
Vero offers – along with a knowledgeable staff who can help you navigate
all their selections by the drink or by the bottle. This is definitely a
locals’ spot, but we found some fellow Americans hanging around each time as
well. They also have some cicchetti to complete the experience. We could have
spent a few more evenings here!
And just across the canal, the #tipsyhubs got his fill of
good craft beer at Il Santo
Bevitore, a craft beer bar that was also definitely a locals’ hangout. If
we lived here, we would be regulars too! A #tipsypick if you want a break from
wine during your visit to Venice.
There are some “must do” cocktail spots in Venice, with Harry’s on the top of the list. This classic restaurant and cocktail bar just off St. Mark’s Square is in fact where the bellini was invented, and they still crank out hundreds of these tasty peach drinks every day. If you just show up, you may have to stand at or around the small bar area. It was good enough for the likes of Hemingway and Hepburn. We still managed to get two seats at the bar the night we went, and it was totally worth it.
Another one on the “must try” list is Il Mercante. It’s a bit of a walk
from where we stayed, but the reward was fantastic classic cocktails at a bar
that’s been around since 1870. We sat on the upstairs mezzanine at the
suggestion of the host. Maybe we were missing a taste of home, but we tried a
pulled pork old fashioned that turned out to be delicious. The cicchetti was
also top notch. It was a great way to top off a fantastic adventure!
The bottom line for us – while we came to Venice with a list
of places we thought we “had” to try, we found just as much joy in checking out
the local places that aren’t usually on any list but offer wonderful food, wine
and friendships. And the difference between Aperol and Select for a true Venetian
aperitivo!
