Venice beyond the Spritz: our favorite terraces for a drink between alleys and canals

One thing is certain,

aperitivo

is a ritual that is part of the DNA of the Venetians.

As soon as the day is over, the famous orange glasses appear on the terrace.

The Spritz is everywhere.

It is said that he was born in a lagoon, during the Austro-Hungarian occupation: the soldiers then sprinkled the wine, not always famous, with a dash of seltzer water.

Spritzen

, in German, means to sprinkle, to splash.

Later, it will take its color thanks to Aperol and its derivatives.

But the Spritz is not the only one to invite itself between two bites of

cichetti

, the appetizers that one nibbles while waiting for the meal.

To discover

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Step

into a

bacaro

, the Venetian tavern, the one with wooden furniture and lace curtains, and you'll see many patrons sipping an

ombra

, a small glass of light wine at a ridiculously low cost.

Originally, sellers set up their barrels in Saint Mark's Square, in the shade of the campanile, moving throughout the day to keep the merchandise cool, hence the habit of associating shade to the glass of wine.

Then in the 19th century arrived the big hotels, with their bars and their international clientele.

After the war, Venice discovered the Bellini, invented by the brilliant Cipriani, ex-bartender of the Europa Regina and owner of the legendary Harry's bar.

Today, you can taste a natural wine in an

enoteca as

well as a Spritz made in the rules of the art at the table of a bacaro or an inventive cocktail at the counter of a hotel bar.

Let's review the places where people drink in Venice.

From aperitif to after-dinner cocktail, the nights are longer than you might think in the Serenissima.

Read alsoThe Venice of the Venetians in 25 addresses

A Spritz at Caffè Rosso

Opened at the end of the 19th century, this café is one of the most popular in Venice.

Press photo

We start with the classic of classics, the Venetian Spritz, to be ordered on the terrace,

al Rosso

, short name of one of the most popular caffè in the district since its opening at the end of the 19th century.

On Campo Santa Margherita, lively at any time of the day, you can taste the famous drink in its original version, at the Select.

Bitter alcohol with a glowing color, a mixture of 30 aromatic herbs born in Venice in 1920, awakens a dose of white wine diluted with seltzer water.

An olive, a slice of orange or lemon, and voila: welcome to Venice.

Caffè Rosso, Campo Santa Margherita, 2963. Tel.

: +39 041 528 7998.

A Spritz al Cynar at Hostaria Bacanera

A hidden address on a beautiful shaded square.

Facebook / Hostaria Bacanera

We test a slightly different evening at the Hosteria Bacanera, hidden in a beautiful shaded square accessible on condition of venturing into the tight network of alleys that lead there. Between the red and yellow facades of the

campiello -

Venetian square - the terrace invites you to take a break. Unless you prefer to enter the room to lean on the counter, alongside the regulars. The atmosphere is warm, sometimes animated by the notes of a jazz or folk concert. To change from the most classic Spritz, we order it at Cynar: an alcohol made from thirteen plants, including artichoke, which gives it a nice bitterness and a lot of character. To be served with a

crostino

di porchetta al tartuffo

, toast of pork meat stuffed with truffle.

Hostaria Bacanera, Campiello della Cason, 4506. Tel.

: +39 041 260 1146.

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A

chalice

of plain wine at Adriatico Mar

A very small bar specializing in natural wine.

Press photo

The most Venetians dock there in a boat, the average person goes through the door. Located at the corner of a canal and a street, this tiny bar lined with a pontoon for boats is the haunt of natural wine lovers. Francesco and Sira, the owners, work with producers located all around the Adriatic, from Puglia to Dalmatia, territories historically linked to the Serene Republic of Venice. As with the producers of cheeses and cold meats on the menu, the winegrowers are carefully selected, after a meeting

in loco

. To accompany your glass of Malvasia or Tai Rosso, order a

tagliere

, a board garnished with sausages, hams, cheeses and vegetables in oil.

Adriatico Mar, Calle Crosera, 3771. Tel.

: +39 041 476 4322.

A craft beer at Santo Bevitore

If you want to drink a good cold beer in Venice, this is the place to go.

Facebook / Il Santo Bevitore

In Italy, people go out more to the

enoteca

than to the pub: it is not always easy to drink a good foam, when it is common to find very good wines at the local bar.

But in the Cannaregio district, away from the always busy Strada Nova, is THE beer bar in Venice.

The

“

holy drinker

 ”

is venerated there

,

drawing from his pantheon, composed of twenty-one different pressures, all artisanal.

The menu has its classics and small guest beers, which change regularly to reflect both domestic production and foreign beers.

To drink in the very small room, or on the terrace by the canal.

Il Santo Bevitore, Cannaregio 2393 / A.

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A lemonade at Caffè La Serra

For organic juices, head to this art gallery bar set up in a beautiful Art Nouveau greenhouse.

Lucie Tournebize

If you prefer to drink without alcohol, head to the Serra, a bar and art gallery housed in an old Art Nouveau greenhouse in the Castello district, a stone's throw from the Arsenale.

Even if the bar also serves wine, beer and prosecco, we test its juices and organic drinks with fruity flavors.

In summer, the tables are scattered over the grass and it is then a pleasure to sip a

gazzosa Lurisia

, which offers the whole range of Italian citrus fruits:

chinotto

, bitter oranges or lemons from the Amalfi Coast.

Refreshed by the air of the nearby lagoon, you can enjoy the calm of the place, an ideal address to end a day of visiting the Biennale.

Caffé La Serra, Viale Giuseppe Garibaldi, 1254. Tel.

: +39 041 296 0360.

Prosecco at Bancogiro, after the market

We stop shopping for a prosecco in the Rialto market.

Press photo

Of course, the aperitivo is not confined to the end of the day. You just have to take a walk in the Rialto market around noon, shortly before the stalls close, to be convinced. All around, under the arcades, customers stop for the time of a prosecco, the basket loaded with vegetables and fish. They can be imitated by choosing the terrace or the vaulted rooms of the Bancogiro, in the square of San Giacomo di Rialto. Formerly a warehouse used to store citrus fruits, the bar opens directly onto the Grand Canal. When ordering, we approach the counter: we usually find

canocchie

(

squilles

, in Venetian), cod sandwiches or

sardinian in saor

(sardines in sweet and sour), perfect to accompany a glass of prosecco.

Bancogiro, Campo San Giacometto, 122. Tel.

: +39 041 523 2061.

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Figaro

An al Mercante cocktail

A former private casino transformed into a cocktail bar.

Press photo

In the dark night of Venice, while the silhouette of the Frari church is reflected on the calm waters of the canal, we push open the door of this discreet room, a former private casino transformed into a cocktail bar.

On the velvet benches, under the gaze of the carnival-goers painted around 1860 by the artist Gian Luciano Sormani, we let ourselves be surprised by a menu that shakes up the codes and changes with the seasons.

The 2020-21 edition presents cocktails as on a restaurant menu, from

antipasti

to dessert, depending on their intensity.

With for each, a small gourmet bite designed to go with the cocktail.

Il Mercante, Fondamenta dei Frari 2564. Tel.

: +39 02 805 2198.

A Negroni alpino at the Palazzo Experimental

In this former Renaissance palace, an inventive cocktail bar.

Press photo

Three doors on the Quai des Zattere allow entry to the Palazzo Experimental, in the old Renaissance palace marked with a mosaic inscription bearing the name of the former owners, the Adriatica shipping company.

The more discreet, on the right, leads to the Experimental Cocktail Club, a sweet box lined with velvet in pastel tones.

In a good-natured and festive spirit, a clientele of young creatives, Venetians or passing visitors meet there from the aperitivo until the end of the evening, at two in the morning.

We tested his Negroni alpino, a mix of Gin infused with lemon balm, Braulio, crème de menthe, Vermouth and orange bitter.

In summer, it can be tasted in the hotel's beautiful secret garden.

Palazzo Experimental, Fondamenta Zattere Al Ponte Lungo 1410. Tel.

: +39 041 098 0200.

Read alsoNegroni, a classic with a taste of Italy

A Bellini at Harry's Bar

The door of the famous Harry's Bar in Venice.

Adobe Stock / Dietmar

The story is well known: in 1948, Giuseppe Cipriani, owner of Harry's Bar, imagined a cocktail made from crushed white peaches from Saint Erasmus, served with fresh prosecco in a highball glass.

The beautiful soft color of the mixture reminds him of the toga of a Saint painted by Giovanni Bellini on the altarpiece of the Church of San Zaccaria, behind St. Mark's Square.

The name is found and the Bellini is ready to take its place among internationally renowned cocktails.

At the bar or comfortably installed in a chair with arms around lacquered tables, it is ideally drunk in summer, and always nibbling on Lucca olives.

Harry's Bar.

Calle Vallaresso, 1323. Tel.

: +39 041 528 5777.

A signature cocktail at the Skyline Rooftop Bar

Finally, we take a little height at the top of Molino Stucky.

Press photo

Our overview of Venetian bars wouldn't be complete without taking a little height.

To do this, we cross the Giudecca Canal to reach the Molino Stucky, now a hotel in the Hilton chain.

Open throughout the summer, the Skyline Rooftop Bar overlooks the rooftops and the lagoon.

We go there at

tramonto time

, at sunset, to test the

signature

menu

, with original cocktails specially designed by the team of bartenders, or draw from the list of more classic long drinks, from Moscow mule to Tequila sunset .

On weekends, people dance in front of Venice to the sound of DJs.

Skyline Rooftop, Giudecca 810. Tel. : +39 041 272 3316.