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Sophisticated candlelit fish dining and Italian wine list.

An upmarket bar for wine lovers, also serves rolls and salads.

Tiny non-smoking restaurant with an unusual selection of fish, cheese and wines.

Wonderful savoury pastries and mini pizzas, for stand-up consumption at the bar or take-away.

Inviting boudoir filled with an amazing collection of glass beads and striking hat pins. Necklaces and earrings can be made up on the spot.

Aptly named after the Arab word darsina’a (house of industry), Venice’s formidable Arsenale shipyards at one time employed an army of 16,000 to produce the fleets that sailed the Mediterranean, spreading the influence of the Republic through trade deals and naval superiority. Justifiably proud of its innovative assembly-line system, the Arsenale could construct a galley in a matter of hours, notably in 1574 while the French king Henry III was enjoying a banquet. Ringed by walls and towers bearing the winged lion, some of its ancient docks and workshops are now being adapted as exhibition and performance venues (see Arsenale). The row of stone lions which are guarding the entrance hail from various Greek islands looted by Venetian commanders.

There’s inevitably a queue outside this popular gelateria . Try the tangy limone (lemon) or fragola (strawberry) ice cream or creamy gianduiotto (hazelnut-chocolate).

A lovely rounded church on this sun-blessed square appears to spread in all directions, the result of a 7th-century bishop’s vision of the “shapely” (formosa ) Virgin Mary’s request it be built where “a white cloud came to rest”. Artworks are by Vivarini and Palma il Vecchio. The square is a good place for a picnic or a game of football, in lieu of the bullfights and re-enactments of Venice’s conquests held here in olden days.