Breakfast

I have to admit that there are not many places where you can have a big sit-down breakfast, apart from hotels such as ours. Breakfast is usually very fast in Italy, and usually happens standing at an espresso bar; cappuccinos and croissants are staples. One of the oldest  — and one of my favourites — is Rizzardinis.

San Polo 1415; +39 041 522 3835

Coffee Hit

Caffè del Doge is where I stop on my way to work for a proper espresso. They have a broad selection of single origin coffees and some signature blends. I just love the aroma when you walk in — it wakes me up in a second.

San Polo 609; +39 041 522 7787; caffedeldoge.com

Lunch

It is very easy to get lunch wrong in Venice, but if you are in the know you can eat like a king. My favourite local restaurant is the Antiche Carampane, where they serve the freshest of seafood; simple and delicious. The little cone of tiny shrimp that arrives with the menu signals what a treat you are in for. Their tagliolini with spider crab is the best lunch in Venice.

Sestiere San Polo 1911; +39 041 524 0165; www.antichecarampane.com

Snack

If there was only one Venetian must-have snack, I would weigh five kilos less. I have a weakness for all the cicchetti (Venetian-style tapas) that you can taste in the many bacaros, the traditional bars, usually accompanied by a glass of wine or a glass of prosecco. My favorite place to have them is at All’ Arco, between Rialto Bridge and the Palazzo. This is close to the Rialto market, and is a family affair. My favorite Venetian dish is baccalà mantecato with polenta, an obligatory taste of Venice. This dish is made using dried cod, which is soaked, poached and whipped until mousse-like, and then spread across a slice of grilled polenta. The best baccalà mantecato is served in a fine-dining restaurant called Al Covo where Mr Cesare Benelli prepares a fantastic traditional version. 

All’Acro, Sestiere San Polo 436; +39 041 520 5666

Al Covo, Castello 3968; +39 041 522 3812; www.ristorantealcovo.com

Gelato

Grom is an ice-cream chain (the closest shop to us is near Frari Church) and is the best ice-cream you can find in Venice. They have my same philosophy of buying the absolute highest-quality organic raw ingredients, and they apply it to artisan ice-cream. So, that’s where I go when I crave ice-cream and I cannot eat the one I make. I usually like to seat on the little canal bank step in front of the 13th-century basilica and enjoy a scoop of pistachio.

San Polo 3006; +39 041 260 2349; www.grom.it

Aperitivo

You must head to Rialto Market. At about 6 pm the area around the market gets crowded with locals. Aperol Spritz is the aperitif that everybody drinks in Venice, and all the bars know how to serve it. But, if you are looking for a glass of good wine or prosecco, than head to Al Marcà in Campo Bella Vienna. It’s a tiny little bar with no seats, so be ready to stand outside
for a glass or two and mingle with the locals. 

San Polo 213; +39 347 100 2583

Dinner

The best dining experience in Venice is in our very own Palazzo. To dine in the Yellow or the Red Dining Room, under soaring ceilings with beautiful frescoes, stuccoes with cherubs and sparkling chandeliers is to be transported back to the 19th century when these rooms were created. The menus offer the freshest of ingredients, with seafood from the lagoon and classic Venetian dishes. I hope you will be enchanted. 

Calle Tiepolo Baiamonte 1364; +39 041 270 7333; www.amanresorts.com

Final Toast

You have to stop at Harry’s Bar. That’s where the drink Bellini was invented, so don’t leave Venice without trying it.

Calle Vallaresso 1323; +39 041 528 5777