Our next stop is a short stroll, but Manni takes us on a scenic route along a canal. Gondolas glide across the water like they do everywhere, but gondoliers aren’t your typical Venetian stereotype. Instead of striped shirts and the iconic boater hat, they look more like tourists and their rowing skills seem a little shaky. “He’s learning to row,” Manni said, pointing to the man with the weak knees and the oar.

Despite the popularity of gondolas in Venice, Manni says the tradition is struggling to survive. The high cost of gondolas and unaffordable living conditions in Venice force many gondoliers to seek work elsewhere. “Offering courses is a way for them to earn a living,” he explains. “And regattas, everyone loves racing.”

A few minutes later we find ourselves in a cozy place Bacaro with a low ceiling and exposed beams. The last few seats are taken by a lively group of locals, who seem to have been settled for a while, so we stand up, which is the norm here.

Manni emphasizes the Sardinian in Saorthat is to say sardines with sweet and sour sauce. It is prepared by frying sardines and marinating them in a tangy onion and vinegar sauce, often with raisins.

Every year on the third Sunday in July, Venice celebrates the Festa del Redentore to mark the end of a plague. Before the fireworks light up the sky, locals decorate their boats and terraces and enjoy themselves Sardinian in Saor with prosecco.

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“Ready for the main course,” Manni says as we finish our wines, even though we already feel defeated by the generous portions. Around the corner is our last tasty stop. It offers English menus, which we are told to avoid in Venice, but this trattoria is over 100 years old and, as Manni explains, makes the only good pizza in Venice. But we’re here for the squid ink pasta, hearty lasagna and buzzing atmosphere.

I’m finally convinced that Venice has good food. But Manni isn’t done yet. He leads us to ice cream and before saying goodbye, he shares one last stop that most tourists miss: Drogheria Mascari, the oldest specialty food store in Venice.

“It’s a two-minute walk from here, back over the Rialto Bridge.”

The details

Tour
The Venice to Cannaregio Night Food Tour with The Tour Guy costs $128 per person and includes a pasta dinner. See thetourguy.com

Stay
Hôtel Belle Arti Venise offers basic accommodation and breakfast for $132 per night. It is a short walk from St. Mark’s Square and a 20-minute walk from the Rialto Bridge and the southern corner of Cannaregio. See hotelbelleartivenice.com

Fly
Emirates offers regular flights between Australia and Venice via Dubai. See emirates.com

The writer was a guest on The Tour Guy.