Venice – Food and shopping

Tuesday to Thursday, 9 to 11 October, 2018

I can’t write about anywhere without talking about the food!

Venice was recently in the news – tourists were given exorbitant bills. In Italian restaurants, fish may be priced by the 100g. Unsuspecting tourists think this is the full price and then freak out when the bills arrive. Beware! However, food is quite expensive in Venice. Everything is quite expensive in Venice. It’s had quite some journey to your plate.

I did read about excellent meals served in Venice. I sadly didn’t see or have one. But, for the record, Venice is beside the sea and so has a lot of seafood. In a better world, this is a no-brainer. Hint – stick to the three Ps: pizza, panini, and pasta…as usual!

The first night we decided to follow Chowhound advice and went to a fancier restaurant. It was along the Cannaregio canal so it was easy to find. We had a 72 Euro meal. Was it worth it? Judge for yourself.

Shrimp with leek starter - mushy but not bad
Shrimp with leek starter – mushy but not bad
Taglatelle with scallop and porcini, I think
Tagliatelle with scallop and porcini, I think – bit of a mess
Cuttlefish with ink - blobby, couldn't finish it
Cuttlefish with ink – blobby, couldn’t finish it
Tons of diners on the Cannaregio canal
Tons of diners on the Cannaregio canal
Pizzete for sale
Pizzete for sale
Cake!
Cake!
The prettiest meringues I've ever seen
The prettiest meringues I’ve ever seen
Cichetti - snacks for lunch - shrug
Cichetti – snacks for lunch – shrug, boring, expensive, very tiny
These snacks were more delicious - note the Korean
These snacks were better- note the Korean – I had battered mozzarella with anchovy – greasy and delicious

And, yes, Venice has fast food — misnomer! Italians don’t do ‘fast.’ At the McD’s – where I caved and decided a McMuffin for breakfast was better than a sweet pastry (the usual Italian breakfast food) there was one server, one cook, everything done slo mo. I left after 15 minutes of standing, certain I’d be another 15. At the KFC I had an awful time telling them what I wanted but eventually it arrived – a tiny container of barely BBQ beans, and a corn cobette – ah, roughage!

McDonald's
McDonald’s
And you know who
And you know who (both of them)

Shopping is interesting. There are a lot of small shops. I did see one department store near St Mark’s Square that looked absolutely fabulous but it wasn’t open yet so I couldn’t go in. I was not going back to that area again! Venetians also seem to like pretty fashion items, leather, and lots of lots of souvenirs here.

Shopping street
Shopping street
Shoe fashion
Shoe fashion
Shopping in an alley
Shopping in an alley
Pretty bags
Pretty bags
Fruit and vegetable market by the Rialto Bridge
Fruit and vegetable market by the Rialto Bridge
Rialto fish market
Rialto fish market
Tourists shopping at Riato
Tourists shopping at Riato
Porticoes and columns at Rialto
Porticoes and columns at Rialto
Inside the Rialto Fish Market
Inside the Rialto Fish Market – there in some form since 1097
Heaven knows what they were selling
Heaven knows what they were selling
Bookseller
Bookseller
Memorials to the shopkeepers, everywhere
Memorials to the shopkeepers, everywhere
One of the hundreds of mask shops
One of the hundreds of mask shops
Souvenir glass balloons - they seem nicer in dozens
Souvenir glass balloons – they seem nicer in dozens

My Venice Chapters

Venice – the streets and the people

Venice – canals and bridges 

Venice – doors and windows 

Venice – the Ghetto 

Back to Romantic Venice?