ALLA BOMBA

In Sestiere Cannaregio, Alla Bomba has just one communal table–with 28 seats–for convivial meals of artisanal wines and contemporary cuisine that highlights the ingredients of the lagoon and valley. Much of the produce comes from co-owner Tomaso Medici’s very own farm, part of the project “Osti in Orto” on the island of Sant Erasmo, historically known as the “vegetable garden of Venice”. As part of this initiative, Medici, in collaboration with 10 other local restaurateurs, rehabilitated an old farm and started producing veggies and eggs to supply the team’s restaurants.

CALLE DE L'OCA, 4297/B, 30121 VENEZIA

ESTRO

This elevated wine cave and kitchen offers three different tasting menus–available for lunch and dinner–as well as an à la carte menu with thoughtfully-presented, seasonal Venetian plates. You’re going to want to try a bit of everything: your best bet is to order the antipasti Veneziani.

DORSODURO 3778 CROSERA, CALLE S.PANTALON, 30123 VENEZIA

ANTICHE CARAMPANE

Tucked away between calle and campi, this homey spot is one of Venice’s historic, family-run restaurants–a true locals’ classic. This is where you should eat if you’re looking for plates of Venetian tradition that are hard to find elsewhere, among them spaghetti “in cassopipa” (with squid, mollusks, and shellfish) and del ragù di “secoe”.

RIO TERÀ DE LE CARAMPANE 1911, 30125 VENEZIA

AL COVO

Head to Al Covo, in the Castello neighborhood, for authentic Venetian flavors. Helmed by the husband-and-wife duo Cesare Benelli and Diane Rankin (a dessert master) this local favorite exclusively uses locally sourced, seasonal ingredients for well-executed takes on regional classics. Must orders include mantecato (with salted cod), granseola (spider crab), frittura, and, when in season, moeche e bisato (soft shell crab and eel).

CAMPIELLO DE LA PESCARIA 3968, 30122 VENEZIA

PIETRA ROSSA

Pietra Rossa, the new restaurant by Andrea Lorenzon, former manager of CoVino, honors tradition and celebrates Italian culture through natural wines, fresh, local, high-quality ingredients and infectious joy. And the icing on the cake? The courtyard, where guests can dine under the stars when the season allows.

CASTELLO 2877, 30122 VENEZIA

CORTE SCONTA

This upscale, seafood-focused spot is a go-to for its contemporary versions of Venetian classics. Sit in the courtyard, under the vine-covered pergola, and order the risotto di gò–made with gudgeon, a fatty fish typical of the lagoon–a dish that harks back to the region’s cucina povera and is not often found on menus.

CALLE DEL PESTRIN 3886, 30122 VENEZIA

VENISSA OSTERIA

On the little island of Mazzorbo, this restaurant is set amongst reclaimed vineyards, the wines from which can accompany your contemporary Venetian meal. Those looking for a high-end option should check out the sister restaurant, Venissa Ristorante, for seven- and ten-course tasting menus.

FONDAMENTA DI SANTA CATERINA 3, 30142 VENEZIA

CÀ D'ORO ALLA VEDOVA

Tucked in an alley, this homestyle Venetian institution has great choices for both seafood and meat lovers; the former should order the bigoli in salsa, while the latter should opt for the superlative polpette. The cozy, wood-paneled bacaro is perfect any time of day, whether for an ombra and a few bites at the counter or for a full sit-down meal.

RAMO CA' D'ORO 3912, 30121 VENEZIA

DAL NONO COLUSSI

This family-run bakery has been open since 1956, churning out fantastic fugassa veneziana, a yeasted sweet bread eaten around Easter, and other classic pastries. You can find three generations of the family working in the bakery–even Franco, who, in his late late eighties, still has his hands in the dough.

C. LUNGA S. BARNABA, 2867/A, 30123 VENEZIA

GELATERIA NICO

Ice creams, sweet snacks and drinks in a café-glacier with an excellent reputation. We recommend it!

FONDAMENTA ZATTERE AL PONTE LUNGO 922, 30123 VENEZIA

TONOLO

No-frills Tonolo has been a Venetian institution since 1886–with great prices to boot. Some of the best you’ll find in the city, the cream-filled pastries should be eaten while standing at the long bar with an espresso. The treats sell out quickly, so go early for the pick of the litter.

CALLE S. PANTALON 3764, 30123 VENEZIA

SUSO

Excellent ice creams with unique, generous and original flavors. We can't recommend it highly enough. Open until late evening!

SAN POLO 63, 30125 VENEZIA

VINO VERO

The coolest natural wine bar in town (and one of the first), Vino Vero has offerings by the glass or by the bottle–as well as a full case of fantastic crostini–along a canal in Cannaregio. You can expect a bit of a wait for one of their few tables, but we don’t mind sitting out in the street with our legs dangling above the water.

FONDAMENTA DE LA MISERICORDIA 22497, 30100 VENEZIA

OZIO

All-natural offerings from small producers and tables outside with a view; wine bar Ozio is one of those places where you really feel the rhythms of Venice’s daily life.

CAMPO SANTA MARIA FORMOSA 6130, 30122 VENEZIA

ADRIATICO MAR

Here, everything revolves around the Adriatic Sea, from olives and yogurt from the Aegean islands to Malvasia wines from Istria. It’s cute and cozy inside, but you can also sit with your goodies on the tiny wooden jetty out front.

C. CROSERA 3771, 30125 VENEZIA

STAPPO

At this chic wine bar, by-the-glass offerings are accompanied by a creative menu that puts ingredient quality first. Keep an eye out for pop-up events.

SANTA CROCE 2166, 30135 VENEZIA

PALAZZO GRIMANI MUSEUM

If not for the rotating exhibitions, come for the beautiful courtyards, opulent interiors, and stunning library of this Renaissance palace, built between 1545 and 1565 for one of the most important families of the Venetian patriciate. The crown jewel, however, is the literally breathtaking Tribuna room, with more than 130 ancient sculptures, including one that hangs suspended in mid air.

RUGAGIUFFA 4858, 30122 VENEZIA

NEGOZIO OLIVETTI

A must-visit for any architecture or design enthusiast, this showroom displays vintage typewriters of the eponymous brand in a building designed by the one and only Carlo Scarpa in 1958.

PIAZZA SAN MARCO 101, 30124 VENEZIA

LA SCALA CONTARINI DEL BOVOLO

At 30 meters, this tower, commissioned by Doge Contarini to embellish his namesake palace, is the tallest in Venice. Reach the top for panoramic views of the city–best at sunset, when the rooftops and facades are aglow with yellow and pink.

SESTIER DE SAN MARCO 4303, 30124 VENEZIA

THE PEGGY GUGGENHEIM COLLECTION

It’s Italy’s most prominent museum–for good reason! Peggy Guggenheim’s former home, Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, houses an epic collection of 20th-century art right on the Canal Grande.

DORSODURO 1097, 30125 VENEZIA

IKONA GALLERY

The first Venetian gallery to dedicate itself to photography, Ikona was founded in 1979 by the renowned Croatian painter Živa Kraus. In minimalist interiors, find cutting-edge exhibitions of both Italian and international artists, as well as a photography school.

CAMPO DEL GHETTO NUOVO, CANNAREGIO 2909, 30121 VENEZIA

SQUERO DI SAN TROVASO

Wade into the age-old tradition of Venetian shipbuilding at Dorsoduro’s Squero di San Trovaso; built in the 16th century, it’s one of the few squeri still in operation in Venice where you can watch craftsmen building and fixing gondolas.

DORSODURO 1097, 30123 VENEZIA

DAMOCLE EDIZIONI

An independent publishing house and bookshop, Damcole Edizioni has an amazing collection of rare texts and works printed with traditional wood-carved stamps. Proprietor Pierpaolo Pregnolato also collaborates with artists, among them Ai Wei Wei, for limited editions–and they’re outstanding. Pregnolato truly carries on the long legacy of printing in Venice.

CALLE DEL PERDON 1311, 30125 VENEZIA

STUDIO SAOR

Grab some prints, posters, and postcards of Venice’s “illustrated architecture” at this independent creative studio. The postcard set featuring the canal’s various water vehicles is particularly cute.

SALIZADA S. CANZIAN 5576/A, 30121 VENEZIA

PIEDATERRE VENEZIA

Piedaterre is a one stop shop for all things furlane; find classic styles, as well as the adorable Mary Janes, in a splendid array of colors. Venetian women are known to sport these velvet slippers at their weddings!

S. POLO 60, 30125 VENEZIA

MICHELUZZI GLASS

Elena and Margherita Micheluzzi descend from a family of Murano glass masters, and their handmade works take tradition to another level with chic, modern vases, glasses, and more.

PONTE DE LE MARAVEGIE 1071, 30123 VENEZIA

CAMERAPHOTO EPOCHE

This store almost feels like a museum, with 300,000 black-and-white vintage photos, taken by the proprietor’s father, of Venice over the last century. Find photos of daily life, sports games, political events, and Carnavale; take one home and frame it, or visit just to flick through the transcendant archives.

CALLE DEL CAFETIER 6661, 30122 VENEZIA

CASA FLORA

This three-bedroom Venetian apartment, a stone's throw from Piazza San Marco, seamlessly merges modern Italian design with centuries-old architectural details. Managed by the esteemed Romanelli family (who also own Hotel Flora and Novecento nearby), the space exudes Venetian authenticity, offering a fully-equipped kitchen, hammam facilities, and an opportunity to support local traditions and craftsmen through its curated selection of artisanal pieces.

SAN MARCO 2313, 30124 VENEZIA

HÔTEL FLORA

This old-school gem, under the attentive stewardship of Gioele and his wife Heiby, is Venetian charm at its finest. Though just steps from Piazza San Marco, the interior garden is a tranquil oasis and the perfect place to take breakfast. Choose a superior, corner, or garden room; you’ll get slices of a Venetian view from all.

SAN MARCO 2283/A, 30124 VENEZIA

VIOLINO D'ORO

This upscale boutique hotel is a work of artisanship. Almost everything in the 35 guestrooms and suites is made at the hands of Italian craftsmen, from terrazzo floors and Micheluzzi glass vases to Carlo Scarpa chandeliers and polished wood furnishings; elegant as can be.

PIAZZA SAN MARCO 2091, 30124 VENEZIA

IL PALAZZO EXPERIMENTAL

A palace in the heart of Venice's Dorsoduro district. Elegant design and a spacious interior garden overlooking a tranquil canal. A real favorite!

FONDAMENTA ZATTERE AL PONTE LUNGO 1411, 30123 VENEZIA