Eating, drinking and shopping in San Marco in Venice

In a nutshell: the golden rule in San Marco: eat and drink one street away from the piazza, and shop the backstreets. The best tables and the quietest boutiques are here. Start from the San Marco overview.

Where to eat and drink in San Marco

• ✦Osteria Ai Assassini - polished classics of the Veneto - gnocchi in squid ink, veal liver - in a smart, relaxed room; noon-2.30pm & 7-10pm Mon-Sat.
• ✦Bistrot de Venise - period recipes recreated with finesse in a plush dining room of red and gold; noon-3pm & 7-11.30pm.
• ✦Chat Qui Rit - inventive, refined cooking rooted in superb Italian ingredients, with subtle Asian touches; noon-3pm & 6-10pm.
• ✦Palais Royal - Venetian branch of a two-Michelin-star Parisian restaurant, housed in a onetime auditorium; 7.30-9.30pm Wed-Sun.
• ✦Canova Restaurant by Sadler - lavish surf-and-turf with inventive vegetarian plates in plush, classic surroundings at Nolinski Venezia; 7.30-10.30pm Wed-Mon.
• ✦Osteria da Carla - creative, seasonal cooking by an energetic young crew, close to the piazza; noon-10.30pm Mon-Sat.
• ✦Ai Mercanti - modern plates and artisanal wines, a favourite of chefs and sommeliers alike; 1-2pm & 7-10pm Tue-Sat.
• ✦Rossopomodoro - dependable Neapolitan pizzas and pasta in bright, modern surroundings; 11.30am-11.30pm.

• ✦Suso - artisanal gelato beside the Rialto Bridge - try the lemon-and-shortcrust ricotta; 10.30am-10.30pm Sun-Thu, to 11pm Fri-Sat.
• ✦Rosa Salva - historic pasticceria famed for brioche, strudel and old-style Venetian biscuits; 8am-8pm Mon-Sat.
• ✦Rosticceria Gislon - historic fry-up stop famous for croquettes and mozzarella; 9am-9.30pm.
• ✦Marchini Time - stand-up bakery with generously filled panini, mini pizzas and lunchtime focaccia; 7.30am-8pm.
• ✦Alimentari De Rossi - panini built to order at a genuine neighbourhood deli; 8am-7.30pm Mon-Sat (Wed closes 5pm).
• ✦Venchi - upscale chocolate shop selling gourmet blocks and killer ice cream; 10.30am-9.30pm Sun-Thu, to 11pm Fri-Sat.

• ✦Enoteca al Volto - pouring since 1936, with a name for its whipped-salt-cod baccalà mantecato; 10am-4pm & 6-10pm.
• ✦Bacarando - a tucked-away bacaro in the lanes behind the Rialto - a great spread of Venetian tapas; 11.30am-midnight.
• ✦Ai Do Leoni - inventively dressed cicchetti in a handy spot just off the piazza; 10am-late.
• ✦Sepa - homespun wine bar strong on regional bottles and craft beers from Italy's northeast; 11.30am-10pm Sun-Thu, to 11pm Fri-Sat.
• ✦Black Jack - a horseshoe-shaped bar worth stopping for an interesting glass of wine; 11am-9pm Tue-Sun.
• ✦Terrazza Aperol - cheerful staff, decent cicchetti and a sweeping prospect over Campo Santo Stefano; 11am-11pm.
• ✦Taverna La Fenice - quaint bistro tucked behind La Fenice with piazza-side armchairs; noon-midnight.
• ✦Bar Longhi - flawless martinis and what many call the finest Bellini in Venice, served in the Gritti Palace's plush Grand Canal-side rooms; 11am-1am. Pricey, but magical.

Shopping the backstreets

For a taste of local life, saunter Salizada San Samuele, reached through Calle delle Botteghe, which leaves Campo Santo Stefano behind: the street feels like a village, with boutique owners who know each other, from Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella for unique fragrances to Chiarastella Cattana for linens woven in the city, sustainable eyewear at Ottica Manuela and the boundary-pushing jeweller Alessandro Palwer, opposite whose workshop a plaque points out painter Paolo Veronese's house. Grab a custom panino at Alimentari De Rossi and eat it in the leafy shade of Campo San Samuele, beside Palazzo Grassi, with the frescoed 15th-century church of San Samuele nearby. On six dates spread across the year, the Mercatino dell'Antiquariato di San Maurizio fills its shaded campo with Murano glass, vintage manuscripts, prints and preloved treasures - haggling pays off as the day winds down, when vendors will often shave 10-15% off. Fabric lovers should email the textile house Rubelli, established in 1889, roughly two weeks in advance to arrange a personal look at its priceless archive - velvets that have dressed interiors as celebrated as La Fenice, the White House or the Kremlin in Moscow.