The winding roads through Venice are speckled with tell-tale street signs pointing the way to, if not Rialto, then S. Marco; no matter where you are in the heart of this sinking smattering of tiny islands, you will find your way back to the centre point of guidebook action.

Yet there are so many more undiscovered crevasses and corners, and traditional restaurants off the most innocuous of alleyways. Sometimes, even the most local of establishments are right where you least expect it – in full daylight, masquerading as mainstream dining for the masses. But order correctly and you’ll be rewarded.

 

Day one

2pm: Arriving in Venezia San Luca station, it’s a brief vaporetto ride from there to our hotel in the Cannaregio area, a relatively central neighbourhood with plenty of semi-hidden treats. But one destination that is so obvious you might miss it is Enoteca La Cantina. It's not hidden away down some dark alley, nor tucked around the corner of a place where no tourist dares venture. Despite its very obvious location in a small square a few steps away from the Strada Nuova and across the pink San Felice church, La Cantina is a great place for glasses of wine, a spritzer or two, and a few cichetti, Venice’s answer to tapas.

The raw seafood platter is one of their specialities, and is very good indeed; it features sweet shrimps, small white fish, langoustines and scallops (some raw, some cooked). Watch the world float by, with your maritime bounty and a chilled glass of the local Aperol spritz.

Enoteca La Cantina, Strada Nuova, 302121, Venice

4pm: After a light lunch and meander down the small alleyways north-east of San Marco square, stop for a mid-afternoon treat of gelato at La Boutique del Gelato, considered one of the best in town. Don’t expect any charm, as in fact La Boutique looks like a typical chain ice cream shop; however the proof is in the product, and there are well over a dozen flavours (only fresh fruits and natural flavours are used) for the picking.

La Boutique del Gelato, Castello 5727, Salizzada San Lio, Venice

 

7pm: One restaurant that is located down a dark, narrow alley is Osteria Ca’ D’Oro Alla Vedova (“the widow’s place”), a little local eatery known for their fried polpettes (meatballs) and seafood cichetti, washed down with jugfuls of house wine. Bookings are, without question, necessary – though, locals often simply rock up to the bar for a drink and a few light bites before vanishing back into the night.  We like the little nooks and crannies here, and settle in happily for the likes of squid ink linguini with clams.

Osteria Ca’ D’Oro Alla Vedova, Calle del Pistor 3912 (off Strada Nuova)

 

Day two

10am: We arrive too late for the famous Mercato di Rialto, which like all good fish markets reaches a climax in the early hours; instead, we peruse the fresh fruit and vegetable market set up along the perimeters, marvelling at green-purple artichokes, mountains of blushing tomatoes and fronds of the freshest herbs. We stumble across the Campo Cesare Battisti and the tiny but bustling Al Mercà, a hole in the wall wine bar known for their regional Italian wines, prosecco and cichetti. We opt for a simple mini panino from the vast selection: San Daniele ham, black truffle and robiola cheese.

Al Mercà, Campo Cesare Battisti, 30125, Venice

2pm: Earlier at Campo Cesare Battisi, a market stall selling freshly-prepared fritto misto with a glass of sparkling of chardonnay for 8 euro was tempting, but we saved our stomachs for the famous version at Osteria Vecio Fritolin, where the spry seafood comes served simply on a sheet of brown paper. Other dishes, such as the trio of salt cod, are well-prepared, and the sardine and onion pasta (a riff off the more classic bigolli alla Veneziana withanchovies) is absolutely delicious; ditto a squid ink pasta with clams and green peppers. There's homemade gelato as well, the apple a particular highlight.

Osteria Vecio Fritolin, Calle de la Regina, 30135, Venice

9pm: We failed to get a reservation at the hugely popular Corte Sconta, an out-of-the-way seafood specialist with a beautiful grapevine-lined garden, but we settle for A La Vecia Cavana, a local favourite that requires some advanced map reading. Traditional Venetian seafood dishes is the main draw, and we load up on starters of granceola alla veneziana, local spider crab - delicate with lemon and olive oil; a mixed shellfish stew; scallop and basil risotto; and another seafood-loaded fish soup.

A La Vecia Cavana, Rio Terra, SS. Apostoli 4624, 30131, Venice