CHATEAU EXCURSIONS Episode No. 8: Ten Simple Pleasures in Venice with Luke Edward Hall
With its ravishing Gothic architecture, excellent seafood and haunting, melancholic atmosphere, Venice is one of Luke’s favourite cities to visit for inspiration. Discover his top tips for a day of simple Venetian pleasures below.
1. Start the day with a brioche at Quadri
Yes, St Mark’s Square can get extremely crowded, and yet it’s still a remarkable place to have breakfast. I like heading there first thing in the morning. On one side of the square Florian welcomes hoards of visitors, but for a quick pick-me-up I prefer the quieter Quadri, located directly opposite. Enjoy a crema-filled brioche at the bar (don’t bother sitting down), then be on your merry way. Pasticceria Tonolo is an excellent bakery and another good spot to begin a day of exploring.
2. Stock up on slippers
Venice is known for its slippers, which are usually made with colourful silk or velvet fabrics, and finished with flexible rubber soles. I wear my pairs everywhere during the summer, and often in winter! There are many places to shop for the city’s traditional slippers, but I like Gianni Dittura, which you’ll find not far from St Mark’s Square.
3. Marvel at the wonders of Palazzo Grimani
This magnificent palazzo dates back to the Renaissance period. Antonio Grimani (who became a doge in 1521) acquired it as a private residence, and it remained in his family until 1865. The Grimani family, composed of many different branches, were one of the wealthiest and most influential in Venice. The palace opened as a museum in 2008. Its most remarkable room, the Tribuna or Antiquarium, was very likely designed by Giovanni Grimani, and is inspired by the Pantheon Dome. The room was built to host a collection of roman statues collected by Giovanni while in Rome.
4. Time for cicchetti
In Venice, a must! All’Arco, close to the Rialto Bridge, is a popular haunt for traders and tourists alike. The snacks on offer are very, very good: think mantis shrimps from the lagoon, bitter leaves and baccalà on small pieces of toast. Wash down with Prosecco, of course. (Somehow it tastes much better in Venice.)
5. Find a pair of old glasses to bring home
I wouldn’t say that Venice is a hot spot for antiques, but there are a few good places here and there. Unfortunately I don’t know the names of my favourite shops, but I know where they are, more or less. Close to All’Arco is a small shop that sells old Murano glassware, silver knick-knacks, and antique chandeliers. My friends bought a pair of Murano champagne glasses during our recent trip – a pair of antique glasses is a very nice holiday memento, I always think.
6. Sit down for a serious lunch
Antiche Carampane is special: the room is a welcoming one, with its terrazzo floors and walls covered with old mirrors. Local fish and seafood specialities served here include sarde in saor (sardines), salted cod, fried soft-shell crab and cuttlefish in black ink.
7. Find your way to Palazzo Fortuny
Palazzo Fortuny was once the home of Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo and Henriette Negrin, two artists, designers and inventors. The attic on the top floor of this gothic palazzo became a workshop where the couple handcrafted fabrics, garments and lamps, and where Fortuny dedicated himself to the many disciplines he was fascinated with, from photography and painting to theatre design. Now a museum, the interiors of Palazzo Fortuny, recreated by the opera director and set designer Pier Luigi Pizzi, are wonderfully evocative and atmospheric. A treasure chest.
8. Go shopping for paper goods
The city is stuffed with shops selling tourist rubbish, but there are still gems to be found. Next door to the Frari church (make sure you stop by – the pyramid tomb of Canova is a sight to behold), is a wonderful little shop, filled to the rafters with boxes, trays, photo frames and all kinds of notebooks, journals and albums. These have all been covered with handmade marbled papers in kaleidoscopic colours. I always come home with something.
9. Time for a nap
We stayed at Pensione Seguso during our recent trip because a friend had recommended it to us. Back in World War I, an English friend of the family who still own the Seguso suggested that the family’s palazzo could be transformed into a hotel. A flavour of the past still hangs delightfully around this pensione, with its antique-filled rooms. Positioned on the Zattere, one of its large corner rooms will provide views over both of the canals that pass by the hotel: Canale di S.Vio and Canale della Giudecca. I’m also a big fan of the family-owned Hotel Flora, which is located close to San Marco.
10. Aperitivo!
It would be a shame not to pass by Harry’s Bar, which has been welcoming guests since 1931. Go for a classic Bellini. (Although I prefer a Garibaldi: a mix of Campari and fresh orange juice.) On your way to dinner, stop off for a (much cheaper) takeaway Spritz at any one of the bars lining Venice’s streets, and drink it whilst staring up at some brilliant church. Alla Vedova is another favourite haunt of ours: its meatballs are famous, and rightly so. Don’t forget to finish with biscuits – these come with glasses of very delicious sweet wine for dunking. A recent find is Trattoria da Bepi Già "54" - I love its panelled interior. Excellent fish, too!
The Silver Vale, Luke’s exhibition of drawings and paintings, is showing at Patricia Low Contemporary in Venice until 3rd May 2025. The gallery can be found next door to Ca’ Rezzonico, the city’s museum of 18th century Venetian baroque and rococo architecture and interior decoration.
