When
coffee first appeared in
Venice in 1640, imported by the
Republic from the Levant, it was
treated as a medicine; today it's a
drug of which all Venetians need a
fix several times a day.
(Tea-drinkers will be horrified by
the Venetian notion of their
favoured beverage - often a jug of
hot water with a tea-bag lying on
the saucer.) High-quality outlets
range from the
Rosa Salva
chain, whose businesslike ambience
might not tempt you to hang around
for longer than it takes to slug the
coffee back, to the decadent old
coffee houses of the Piazza, whose
prices will prompt you to linger
just so you can feel you've had your
money's worth.
As with bars, if you sit in a cafe
you will be charged more,
and if you sit outside the
bill will be even higher. Nearly all
pasticcerie also serve coffee
and alcohol, but will have at most a
few bar-stools; they're all right
for a swift caffeination before the
next round of church-visiting, but
not for a session of postcard
writing or a longer recuperative
stop. Elbow-room in the city's pasticcerie
is especially restricted first thing
in the morning, as the citizens pile
in for a coffee and cornetto
(croissant). You can also stop for a
coffee at most of Venice's gelaterie
, where the ice cream comes in forms
that you won't have experienced
before, unless you're a seasoned
traveller in Italy.
General areas to find good cafes
include Campo Santa Margherita
, Crosera San Pantalon
(running just south of San Rocco), Campiello
Meloni (between S. Polo and S.
Aponal), Calle della Bissa
(behind Campo S. Bartolomeo), Salizzada
San Giovanni Crisostomo , the Strada
Nova and its continuations
towards the train station, and Via
Garibaldi . In one way or
another, the following specific
places stand out from the rest.
