Absolutely fantastic, From the time of booking to the very last day, was simply a pleasure to have come across such a nice host. Emma, was there to explain everything from booking to how to get to the property, suggestions for getting from the airport to the apartment. We took a private water taxi, which makes life very easy, Davide was a suggestion from Emma, who was a brilliant recommendation. The apartment is quietly located, just on the other side of the Rialto bridge, just off a quiet square, with a couple of restaurants, one of which is great for a Spritz and the other is a good restaurant, if you don't want to walk far, service is a little slow, not uncommon in Venezia. There is a coop nearby, perfect for picking up some very nice, parma ham, olives etc...
Alessandro, was amazing too, he was there to meet us, showed us around the apartment, told us all we needed to know, for example its great to know that twice a week the bins are collected, the chap rings the apartment bell, you run down with either the recycling, household or glass, depending which day it is, job done. The apartment had everything you needed for a short break and a little longer (we stayed 6 nights) What was great, was the peace, in the evenings, as dealing with the hustle and bustle of the large amounts of tourists all day, it was a god send to have the peace and quiet.
We were in communication with Alessandro, almost everyday, we asked questions and he was very quick to respond. We have travelled all over the world and we have to say that this airbnb was a great pleasure to stay in, Emma was amazing, her assistant was fantastic. We most certainly would recommend Emma, Alessandro, the apartment to anyone.
Here are some recommendations for FOOD. I'm a food specialist, chef & writer, was here to write about some restaurants, so I'm happy to give a few suggestions, but I do think it is about exploring the city for yourself, giving something a go, that perhaps you wouldn't have chosen before.
OSTERIA ALLE TESTIERE ~ you'll need a map, because you could just walk past! the menu is simplywhat the chef likes from the market that morning and builds the menu around it, only around 12-14 covers, book a couple of months in advance.
OSTERIA ANICE STELLATO ~ that's a nice walk, especially now the weather is getting warmer, however you can get the vaporetto ~ Rialto Mercato ~ Line 1 ~ direction to train station ~ stop tabs. Marcuola then you have a 5\10 minute walk. The staff were extremely attentive, explained all the details of the dishes, even recommending that we share one of the dishes. Very good with picking out some very special wines, that you are not going to get outside of Italy! Again you must book in advance to your travel dates, the amount of walk-ins they had to turn around, what was great, is every person got a suggestion for other restaurants.
CIBO VENEZIA ~Calle dei Fabbri ~ this is an amazing place to buy Culatello The king of cured meats, guancaile cured pigs cheek, for the making of Carbonara, you have to pick up a packet of " farina di mail Bianco ~ white polenta from this region.
BACCALA VENTO ~ Sestiere San Polo ~ pick up some amazing sauce for Bigoli pasta, which is onions slow cooked, with plenty of salty anchovies and served with the amazing Bigoli de Bassan.
I’ll let you discover Venice for yourself! It’s magical, mysterious & well worth a visit.
Visit the glass factory, but don’t be tempted by cheaper glass, as it will be fake. If you’re visiting from the UK, you might want to take the opportunity to do some tax free shopping, remember to take your passport with you, when you make your purchases, the luxury brands will fill out all the necessary paperwork, all you have to do is pop to the desk at the airport and you’ll get a text a few days after you arrive home. Most of all enjoy yourself. X