Venice - Italy - page 336

share of students from Ca'Foscari university; drinks here are poured with a lighter
hand than at Orange. Popular with artists and students, another friendly drink-
ing spot with an affordable dining menu is Imagina Caffè (Ponte dei Pugni, Santa
Margherita 3126; % 041-2410625), around the corner from Orange. Park at a
table outside and sip your drinks while watching the ebb and flow of crowds head-
ing in and out of the square.
Over in Castello, but not far from Piazza San Marco, Zanzibar

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(Castello
5840; % 339-2006831; daily 8am-2am) is a vibey canal-side bar and paninoteca,
with a handful of outside tables. This place rocks at the evening hour, when a
cool, funky crowd gathers for spritz and cocktails; you can munch on panini while
listening to upbeat lounge tunes and enjoying the flow of human traffic. Zanzibar
is situated just off Campo Santa Maria Formosa (which makes it a good place to
stop after visiting the churches of Santa Maria Formosa and Santi Giovanni e
Paolo, nearby); it's a relaxed and cheerful place for a sit-down glass of wine (served
with a smile), but remember that drinks are cheaper if you stand at the bar.
Somewhere along Calle S. Pantalon, the sound of recorded international stars
will draw you away from S. Pantaleone Church and into the Capo Horn Pub
(Dorsoduro 3740-3741; % 041-5242177). Inside, you'll almost always find a
crowd of students snacking away on cicchetti and rapidly sipping their first drinks
of the evening. Later, the group heads upstairs, which becomes a promising place
to meet younger Italians.
As you wander west through Dorsoduro, you won't really know when you're
in San Polo, but if you do end up there, try Taverna da Baffo (San Polo 2346;
% 041-5208862) for a late-afternoon drink; there are tables inside, where the
atmosphere is that of a genuine tavern. Outside tables occupy a quiet canal-side
square; at night students flock here in droves.
Finally, if you're in the mood for a mellow cocktail served at a cellar-style bar,
there's very relaxed drinking to be enjoyed at Dorsoduro's Cantina del Vino “già
Schiavi” (Dorsoduro 992; % 041-5230034), where locals gather for the

evening's first spritz, or a glass of wine. Glass in hand, you can take a seat on San
Trovaso bridge outside the entrance and watch as the evening strollers gather.
In the early evening, Dorsoduro's Zattere is where many Venetians head for a
stroll or jog; it's also a good place for an ice cream from the well-known Gelati Nico
(Zattere, Dorsoduro 922; % 041-5225293), which has a few tables outside. You can
also head over to a bar in the green hut in front of the Società p Azioni di
Navigazione (Adriatica); here students gather at the lagoon-side tables to enjoy
their first drink of the evening, listening to a local band. When I was last there,
three guys produced relaxing tunes with a guitar, tambourine, and set of drums.
DANCE CLUBS
Here the opportunities are few. In the heart of the student district, between
Campo Santa Margherita and Campo San Barnaba, 'Round Midnight (Calle del
Squero, Dorsoduro 3102; % 041-5232056) advertises itself as a “DiscoClub,” but
such ambitions are undermined by flyers branded with chalky images of caftan-
wearing saxophonists. It usually operates on Friday, Saturday, and some Thursday
nights; doors open at midnight and “dancing” continues until 4am, making it a
popular meeting point for late-night revelers when the other bars close. Nearby
Club Piccolo Mondo (Dorsoduro 1056A; % 041-5200371) is a smoky, boozy,

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