The Rough Guide to Venice and the Veneto

Santa Margherita, Campiello dell’Anconetta and Rio Terrà San Leonardo
(these two often flow into each other), and the barges moored by Campo San
Barnaba and at the top end of Via Garibaldi. The market of markets, however,
is the one at the Rialto, where you can buy everything you need for an
impromptu feast – wine, cheese (the best stalls in the city are here), fruit, salami,
vegetables, and bread from nearby bakers or alimentari (delicatessens). The stalls of
the Rialto Erberia (fruit and vegetables), arranged with wonderful colour sense,
are laden at different times of the year with peaches, peppers, apples, artichokes,
fresh herbs and salad leaves nameless in English – look out for the produce labelled
“Sant’Erasmo” (or “Rasmo”), which is grown on the island of that name and is
held by many locals to be the best quality. The Rialto market is open Monday
to Saturday 8am–1pm, with a few stalls opening again in the late afternoon; the
Pescheria (fish market) – of no practical interest to picnickers but a sight not to be
missed – is closed on Monday as well.
Eating and drinking Food markets and shops
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Food shops and supermarkets
Virtually every parish has its alimentari and most of them are good; one to single
out, though, is Aliani Gastronomia at Ruga Vecchia San Giovanni 654 (San Polo)
– scores of cheeses, meats and salads that’ll have you drooling as soon as you’re
through the door. As you’d expect, the cheaper alimentari are those farthest from
San Marco – such as the ones along Via Garibaldi, out beyond the Arsenale.
Alternatively, you could get everything from one of Venice’s well-hidden supermarkets,
the most central of which is Su.Ve, on the corner of Salizzada San Lio
and Calle Mondo Nuovo (Castello). Others are as follows: Punto Sma, tucked
between houses 3019 and 3112 on Campo Santa Margherita (Dorsoduro); Billa at
Záttere Ponte Lungo 1491, by the San Basilio vaporetto stop (Dorsoduro); Issimo
on Rio Terrà Frari; Co-Op on Campo San Giacomo dell’Orio (both San Polo
& Santa Croce); Prix, at Fondamenta San Giacomo 203a (Giudecca); the large
Co-Op by the Piazzale Roma vaporetto stop for services to Murano; Full on Via
Garibaldi (Eastern Castello); and the big Billa at Strada Nova 3660, near San Felice
(Cannaregio). Most are open daily 8.30am–8/8.30pm, though some of the smaller
ones close for a couple of hours in the middle of the day, and on Sunday.
Wine
For local wines, Venice has four branches of a wine merchant called La Nave
d’Oro, at 3664 Campo S. Margherita, Dorsoduro; Calle del Mondo Novo 5786b,
Castello; Rio Terrà S. Leonardo 1370, Cannaregio; and Via Lépanto 241, Lido (all
branches open Mon 5–8pm, Tues–Sat 8.30am–1.30pm & 5–8.30pm); these shops
sell not just bottles but also draught Veneto wine to take out. Many ordinary bars
also offer wine on draught – look for the sign vino sfuso, or for the tell-tale shelf
of wine vats with siphon attachments. In addition, the wine bars Al Volto, Cantina
del Vino già Schiavi and Do Mori (see pp.260–263) boast comprehensive cellars, and
many alimentari have an impressive choice of bottles. Perhaps Venice’s best selection
of Italian vintages is to be found at Dai do Cancari, Calle delle Botteghe, San
Marco 3455 (Mon–Sat 10am–7pm), close to San Stefano; it too sells vino sfuso.
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