My favorite cold things to eat and drink in Venice
and where to find them
Let’s be honest here. We are in Venice. This list is going to be mostly about cold drinks.
Over the years I have mastered all kinds of strategies for surviving the summer heat. And by all kinds of strategies, I mean leaving and going to the beach. Escape is not always possible. More places are air-conditioned now, but not to the meat locker temperatures that are common in America. Italians have different strategies to cool down and of course, they involve food. I never quite believed that it worked. I was wrong. As usual #italiansdoitbetter. These are the iciest, chilliest, and frostiest things to eat and drink in Venice.
A Shakerato is a chilled, shaken, sugary espresso that is almost always served in a martini glass. It feels like a fancy cocktail. I like the Illy Cafe in the Giardini Reale just around the corner from Piazza San Marco. The large high ceilinged airy space is usually cool and has lots of tables. I am wild about the tables made from dramatic slabs of crimson Murano glass.
Creamy and slushy and full of coffee flavor, crema di cafe is the elegant Italian cousin of the overwrought oversized Frappuccino. Look for a machine filled with the caramel colored frozen treat behind the bar. A tiny cupful is my favorite post beach nap snack when we spend the day at Pachuka on Lido.