A business breakfast – Hotel Monaco
Granted that I was born and live in Venice, from which I have never left for more than one alienating year in which everyone is bewildered (precisely in the Freudian sense of the word), I will make a compromise with my usual preferences. If the weather is nice, I recommend the terrace of the Hotel Monaco. It is convenient, close to a cab and vaporetto landing stage, and central. And it is possible to sit inside, in reserved lounges. In bad weather, Harry’s Bar is the classic best known from the Anglo-Saxon world.
An hour alone in a nice place – Skyline Rooftop Bar
If the weather is favorable, you can go to the top of the Giudecca Hilton where you can enjoy fabulous views both east and west, the “best view in Venice” according to Lonely Planet. Enjoy a delicious cocktail at the Skyline Rooftop Bar on the eighth floor. Also, on Giudecca, I recommend going behind the Zitelle Church, near the headquarters of the Historical Institute of the Resistance. There is a beautiful boardwalk overlooking the lagoon where you can spend time outdoors without being disturbed.
A formal lunch with a client – The Gritti Terrace
I suggest the terrace of the Hotel Gritti. Enjoy the best cuisine with a fabulous view of the Salute Church and the Guggenheim Museum. The Gritti Terrace is the ideal place to enjoy an exquisite lunch, afternoon tea, a cocktail such as Bellini or Negroni, and a chilled champagne.
A relaxed lunch – Zattere alle Oke
If he is a friend, take him to Zattere alle Oke, a typical Venetian choice. Quality ingredients come first. Organic, zero-mile produce, fresh food, not ready-made or frozen. Constantly looking for suppliers who guarantee high-quality ingredients and raw materials from certified organic farmers. For coffee and ice cream, go to Nico’s: two typical Venetian choices. And offer him a gianduiotto, an eternal and delicious classic.
A trendy aperitivo – Bar Adriatica
A good place is Bar Adriatica, on the Zattere or in the more private inner garden. A Renaissance palace in the heart of Dorsoduro’s Sestriere, overlooking the Giudecca Canal and a private dock on Rio degli Ognissanti. For many years, it was the historic headquarters of the Compagnia Navale Adriatica, as evidenced by the original sign on the main facade. In the conversion project, as many architectural elements as possible were preserved. Beautiful.
An ideal place for informal gatherings – Guggenheim Museum
In “normal,” i.e., touristy, Venice there are few of these; however, a quiet place to go is precisely the bar of the Guggenheim Museum, in the beautiful garden with fabulous works, near the Salute Church. Seeing the Pollocks, where there are more in Italy, is mind-blowing. Or the statue of the Viscount Halved in the garden. If it is open, the restaurant of the Istituto veneto di scienze, lettere e arti, at the foot of the Accademia bridge, is also excellent. There are no tourists or hardly any.
A dinner to intrigue – Hostaria in Certosa
The Alajmo Group has opened a new restaurant in Venice, Hostaria in Certosa. The famous family of restaurateurs is betting on a new, fresh, and more informal format, but with all the quality that distinguishes 2 Michelin Star cuisine. Certosa Island is located in the Lagoon, halfway between the famous Lido, the glamorous stage of the Venice Film Festival, and the Arsenale. Beautiful place, dine in or out, reachable by public transportation or water cab.
A gourmet dinner – Da Fiore
If you are a connoisseur, who loves seafood, I recommend going to Fiore’s. The trattoria “Da Fiore” dates back to 1871. It will give birth to “Bàcaro da Fiore,” now a famous cicchetteria where you can find baccalà mantecato, grilled cuttlefish (when they are small also fried), fried moeche (fabulous) with white polenta, sarde in saor, castraure di Sant’Erasmo, fried squid, vegetables of all kinds (fried or cooked in different ways), nervetti with onion, Venetian-style liver, roasted potatoes, and so on. Fabulous.
The latest trendy place – Glam
I recommend Glam on Calle Tron, which is not too central (San Stae stop). It is located inside Palazzo Venart, in one of Venice’s most discreet and quiet corners. Crossing the threshold of this magnificent building, you find yourself in a secluded courtyard shaded by magnolia trees with a sweet and delicate scent. This is where the restaurant is located, in a sober and refined setting designed to accommodate up to 30 people, enhanced by a very evocative setting—a distant Venice.
The place to be and be seen – Da Paolin
Hard to say; too diverse a choice depending on whom you want to see and be seen by. I would say different places, always to be outdoors: in general, I suggest in campo Santo Stefano the bar da Paolin: everyone will really see you. Finally, I cannot fail to mention Rosticceria Gislon, in Calle della Bissa, for a simple and frugal dinner. I suggest mozzarelle in carrozza with anchovies.
Paolo Legrenzi
Paolo Legrenzi, professor emeritus of cognitive science at Ca’ Foscari University in Venice, worked with Gam Investments for ten years when the Laboratory of Experimental Economics was founded at Ca’ Foscari. He learned cognitive science and its applications in economics in London. He writes, among other things, in Il Sole24Ore, and Gam Italian Academy. He has devoted eight essays to these topics, some of which have been translated. The book and the three best-known articles have more than 2,000 citations on Google Scholar.
