Venice’s Best Happy Hour

I’ve been to Venice probably 20 times but I’m always looking for new experiences.  I think this trip I found nirvana for cocktails and nibbles.   I found the place through a Venetian friend’s recommendation…. thankfully, it hasn’t made its way into any guidebooks. 

What’s so special about Taverna Campiello Remer?  Everything.   The location is on a tiny piazza facing the Grand Canal with not one tourist in site.  While only a 5 minute walk from the Rialto Bridge, it might as well be on another continent.  Walking through the front door, you’ll immediate know you’ve found something special…a candlelit architectural Renaissance gem with arches, bricked walls and huge wooden-beamed ceilings.

My Venetian friend recommended Remer for their magnifico buffet of appetizers.  Very unusual for Venice, this huge spread offered a variety of bruschettas, pasta, cheese, roasted vegetables and a delizioso seafood risotto.  Buy a reasonably-priced glass of wine or aperitif ($4-7US) drink and this buffet is yours for another $7.  My two friends and I had planned to go out to dinner, but couldn’t manage another bite after the fabulous spread of goodies.

Most places for happy hour in Venice are stand-up only spots.  Remer had seating for at least 50, with even a few tables outside overlooking the Grand Canal.  The Venetian man sitting next to us told us that the establishment also offers a great dinner and lunch, however, he pointed out that the meals are on the pricey side.

Remer serves its happy hour buffet extravaganza from 5:30-7:30 every evening but Wednesday and Sunday when they are closed.  Turn in the alley way just beside the famous restaurant  Fiaschetteria Toscana (Salizada S.Giovanni Grisostomo, Cannaregio 5719).  Follow the tiny passage all the way back to the Grand Canal. 

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