Possibly one of our favourite aspects of Venetian social life is the “aperitivo”. Early evening most people will enjoy a “spritz” either at home or out at a bar. A spritz is a mix of bitters, white wine and sparkling water, which you can have very bitter made with “Campari” or slightly less bitter made with “Aperol” (see the food section for more details, there are also others like “Select”). It’s served in a glass with a slice of orange and an olive and always accompanied by a bowl of crisps or nuts. When I was pregnant I would always order a “gingerino”, which is an alcohol free alternative.

Most Venetians will stand at the bar to drink. It’s really a way of life here and the evenings in most squares are full of locals chatting outside with a spritz in their hand. Life here is slower than other cities and there’s a real villagey feel to Venice. You may also see people (mostly pensioners) having a sneaky spritz mid-morning, though mostly they’ll have small version in a round glass called a “pallina” (they may be sneaky but the bright orange colour gives them away).

We like to enjoy a delicious cicchetti with our spritz; these are small bite-sized snacks to accompany your drink. A Bacaro or Cicchetteria is a traditional, typical Venetian bar where locals go for an aperitivo. We love the classic ones, full of old men, standing room only, though when we’re with the kids we’ll usually take a table out on the square. My favourite time is in summer when I’ll take my kids down to the beach and then my husband will meet us after work and we’ll have a spritz at one of the bars on the beach while the kids play in the sand. We also love having an aperitivo with our neighbour Renata, the best cook in all of Venice. The window of her kitchen opens onto our garden and when we are there during the summer I love to hear the noise of her shutters opening because it’s swiftly followed by hand popping out with a plate of freshly made cicchetti – usually bruschetta or sardines “in saor”. We’ll open up a bottle of prosecco and gossip about neighbourhood politics or swap recipes. She is a wonderful cook and has an impressive range of recipes that were passed down through her family. I’m gradually trying to master them too – who knows, maybe I might share some recipes on the blog with you in the future….