hidden gems in venice

I love Venice, I hate tourists. Bit of a catch 22. How do you swan around your favourite city whilst steering clear from the swarms of eager holiday makers, brandishing their maps and bottlenecking the bridges as they have their own personal Lion King moment, presenting their iPads to the pride? Quite the conundrum to which I'm yet to find the solution. Shying away from the tourist honey traps of St. Marks, Rialto and the vast number of Tintoretto's, we stumbled across a few of Venice's hidden gems...

Campo Santa Margherita | You'll be wanting to start and end your day here. A quick tour of the square is enough to know you're in the Venetian's Venice. Early, mid and late morning coffee goers overspill onto the outside tables, old men playing cards surrounded by half-drunk glasses of Campari, students from the nearby university discussing the world's problems over Spritz (it is 11am after all!). At night Campo Santa Margherita puts her party pants on. Everywhere you turn glasses of orange coloured Spritz chink saluté (if you haven't yet got on the Spritz hype start here). Inevitably somebody will bring an acoustic guitar, and if you're lucky a bongo. If you've been to Venice before you may have thought that at 10pm the city goes to sleep but you'd be wrong. They come here!

Caffè del Doge | Follow the coffee aroma from Rialto and you should be able to sniff your way to Caffè del Doge and feast your eyes on the most impressive coffee menu of speciality coffees, imported from Ethiopia to Guatemala and all roasted on site. If you're worried about putting your morning coffee in the hands of a Willy Wonker type don't be, found in the 1950s by Ermenegildo Rizzardini, you can rest assured that at the Doge they know their stuff!
San Polo 609 (minutes from Rialto fish market)

Grom | It's a chain, so sue me. It also happens to be the best gelato in town. The menu changes each month depending on what's in season - handily crema di grom is always in season and is always exceptional!
Find them at either Campo San Barnaba, San Polo 3006 (Campo dei Frari), Cannaregio 3844 (Strada Nuova Ca' d'Oro). I'd recommend visiting all three, for comparison purposes obviously... 

Do Mori | Reportedly established in 1462, Do Mori is the oldest bàcaro in Venice. Bàcari are sort of the Venetian answer to the British pub, but leave your salted peanut and pork scratching dreams at the door, it's cicchettì you're after. Do Mori is nothing more than a dark corridor wedged between two narrow alleyways, with copper cauldrons hanging from the ceiling and a glass cabinet brimming with cicchettì (small snacks usually costing €1.50 each), speared with cocktail sticks. Grab a few to accompany your ombra 'shade' of wine, or a whole plate for a pick & mix Venetian lunch.
San Polo 429, Calle dei Do Mori (also minutes from Rialto fish market and Caffè del Doge)

Baccaro Jazz | A stone's throw from Rialto Bridge but don't let that put you off! The ceiling is adorned with brassieres, some of an alarming size, neon signs and a constant flow of jazz music. The best bellinis in Venice. Head there between 4-6pm, it's happy hour (2-4-1) and you can thank me later.
San Marco 5546 (left hand side of Campo S. Bortolomio just after Rialto)

Libreria Aqua Alta | The self proclaimed, albeit accurately, 'most beautiful bookshop in the world'. Bath tubs, gondolas and shelves bulging at the seams with dusty covers and yellowing pages. Think flea market meets bookshop, overflowing with books, prints, posters, trinkets and old condoms (be safe, papercuts are for life!) Make sure you head to the back-bookyard and climb the bookcase. Aqua Alta is the epitome of all things weird and wonderful, not to be missed.
Calle Longa Santa Maria Formosa (Campiello del Tintor) 5176 

Gems aside, there's something strangely liberating about embracing your inner tourist. Feed the pigeons in St. Marks, sip a €20 bellini in Harry's bar and a €14 hot chocolate in Florian's. Why not go the whole hog and get out your selfie pole (the latest Asian tourist craze - attach your iPad to the pole for better angles and minimal risk of the dreaded double chin selfie). After all, you're in the most beautiful city in the world!!

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