When Emily Cooper lastly arrives in Venice within the Emily in Paris Season 5 finale (“Veni, Vidi, Venezia”), she does it proper: luxurious motels, Grand Canal terraces, and swoon-worthy gondola rides. I’ve simply lived that very same itinerary with my Italian companion, and each restaurant, canal-side second, and fashion-week get together Emily stumbles into? They’re all actual—and completely value it.

“I do know you’re keen on Paris, however I believe Venice is essentially the most lovely metropolis on the earth—and possibly essentially the most romantic,” Marcello tells Emily, after they reunite in Venice. As a lifelong Venice lover and new Veneto resident, I couldn’t agree extra. Generally my (model new) Italian husband and I hop on the practice to Venice for the day solely to eat cicchetti, go to a museum, and romantically maintain fingers by way of the labyrinth that’s the metropolis. (And in case anybody’s questioning, Emily’s good polka dot ensemble when she arrives by mahogany boat is Stine Goya). 

The St. Regis Venice

Emily and Marcello keep in a Grand Canal suite at The St. Regis Venice, the place Lily Collins and Ashley Park additionally stayed throughout filming. (We booked the identical room sort, and I can affirm it’s among the many finest in Venice.) The lodge contains 5 restored Venetian palazzi and boasts the biggest al fresco terraces alongside the Grand Canal, making these waterfront pictures each bit as beautiful as they seem onscreen. Claude Monet as soon as stayed right here when it was the Lodge Britannia, and at the moment the property doubles as an artwork vacation spot, with museum-quality works by Ai Weiwei, Simon Berger, and extra. The St. Regis seamlessly blends Venetian heritage with trendy luxurious. Even the bogs impress: soaking tubs stocked with Acqua di Parma bathtub salts and bubble bathtub turned our nightly ritual.

Emily and Mindy have breakfast on Gio’s terrace, which, on a sunny morning, is as dreamy as Venice will get. Whereas the present skips a date night time right here, we indulged in Chef Giuseppe Ricci’s tasting menu—Venetian-Puglian dishes that had been distinctive—and I found a brand new favourite wine, Bertani Soave Classico.

The Arts Bar terrace, the place Emily and Mindy catch up over Aperol Spritzes, is ideal for an aperitivo or an espresso, alongside a tempting sweets stand that includes Esse cookies (also referred to as Buranei biscuits), which I loved maybe too enthusiastically. For a extra native take, order a Venetian spritz made with Choose Aperitivo as an alternative of Aperol—it’s much less candy, barely bitter, and completed with a salty inexperienced olive.

What Emily really missed, although, was an evening at Arts Bar with Mindy. Every cocktail is served in a bespoke glass designed by Berengo Studio in collaboration with the bar staff. Emily would have liked the Willful Dart, introduced in a pink-and-white candy-striped glass impressed by photographer Eugenio Recuenco, whose work is referenced all through the lodge.

Water Taxis

Emily zips round Venice by water taxi—and right here, “taxi” means a glossy mahogany boat piloted by a good-looking Italian driver (I’m hardly the primary to notice it). It’s probably the most glamorous methods to see the town, although it comes at a worth. Locals depend on the traghetto—a standing gondola ferry throughout the Grand Canal—or the vaporetto, Venice’s floating public transit system. However should you’re already splurging, a water taxi is value each euro for the unforgettable Grand Canal views.

Bar Ai Miracoli and Masks Procuring

Emily grabs gelato at Bar Ai Miracoli close to Campo Santa Maria Nova—a handy cease for a drink or one thing candy, however in the end a little bit of a vacationer lure with mediocre gelato. After I’m craving the true factor in Venice, I’m blissful to stroll a bit of farther for the most effective: Bacaro del Gelato, Gelateria Nico (particularly for sundown views), or, my private obsession, the artisanal gelato at The Venice Venice Lodge’s Venice M’Artwork, a classy sit-down expertise proper on the Grand Canal.

Emily additionally retailers close by for Venetian carnival masks. In the event you’re shopping for one your self, skip the plastic avenue carts and touristy stands, and search out artisan ateliers that create masks for the precise Carnevale.

Venice Vogue Week and the Acqua Alta

Venice Vogue Week is actual. And whereas it’s smaller than Milan or Paris, it’s way more intimate, with runway reveals staged inside historic palazzos. The main focus is on rising designers and Made in Italy craftsmanship, with an emphasis on sustainability and artisanal innovation. Marcello’s first present takes place at Chiesa di San Francesco della Vigna, a putting Renaissance church, earlier than canals flood the venue, sending company scrambling for rain boots and ponchos.

Acqua alta (or excessive water) is a pure phenomenon that has all the time been a part of Venetian life. These tidal occasions are usually transient—when water ranges attain about 47 inches, they final lower than an hour and a half on common. Even throughout excessive tide, the town stays navigable by way of designated pedestrian routes. In winter, when acqua alta is extra frequent, rubber boots are useful, although they’re simple to purchase when you arrive in Venice.

Moro Restaurant

Marcello takes Emily to Moro Restaurant, and the placement scouts acquired it proper. It’s simply probably the most lovely—and scrumptious—locations to dine in Venice proper now. Chef Davide Bisetto and pastry chef Tim Ricci’s restaurant is ready inside a grand palazzo, full with mint-green parasols shading a backyard oasis. The menu is elevated Venetian delicacies at its finest: contemporary seafood, house-made pastas, and pure wines, all meant for lingering over a number of programs.

Emily and Marcello share tiramisu right here, with Marcello noting that ladyfingers are referred to as savoiardi in Italian (pronounced sah-voy-AR-dee). The dessert itself is believed to have originated in close by Treviso within the late 1800s. In the event you’re not committing to a full meal, cease by Di Moro Café as an alternative for tiramisu and occasional—an particularly good pairing after a go to to Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti on the Grand Canal.

Piazza San Marco

Emily strolls round Piazza San Marco, and anybody visiting Venice, particularly for the primary time, will largely begin right here. For good purpose: it is beautiful. Also referred to as St. Mark’s Sq., it is the town’s most important public sq. and comprises its most well-known buildings, like St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace. Napoleon referred to as it “the world’s most lovely drawing room.”

Emily wanders by way of Piazza San Marco—the place most first-time guests to Venice start, and for good purpose. Also referred to as St. Mark’s Sq., it’s the town’s most important gathering place and residential to icons like St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace. Napoleon famously referred to as it “the world’s most lovely drawing room.” She passes Caffè Florian, as soon as frequented by Lord Byron and Ernest Hemingway, a basic cease value making. I solely want we’d seen Emily take pleasure in an espresso date with Marcello at Grancaffè Quadri, now celebrating its 250th anniversary—and a private favourite of mine.

Gondolas

Nico, Mindy, Marcello, and Emily take a gondola trip. It is costly ($85-$110 for half-hour) and touristy, however gliding by way of slim canals underneath historical bridges at sundown is genuinely magical. Some clichés are value it, at the very least as soon as.

Lodge Danieli

The finale’s trend week get together unfolds atop Lodge Danieli, providing sweeping lagoon views. By mid-spring, the long-lasting property will relaunch as Danieli, A 4 Seasons Lodge, Venice—completely timed for a go to earlier than summer time crowds arrive. Positioned simply steps from Piazza San Marco, the lodge overlooks the lagoon, and underneath 4 Seasons, its rooftop terrace is ready to grow to be an much more spectacular spot for occasions—or a spritz with mates.

What Emily Missed

This is the factor about Venice: it wants time. Emily missed a number of quintessential experiences, although to be truthful, she wasn’t there lengthy. Gillian Longworth McGuire, who lives in Venice and designs journeys to Venice and Rome, factors out that they skipped the Castello sestiere altogether. “It is essentially the most residential and quiet a part of the town,” she says. “They need to have had a meal at Al Covo or Nevodi—and a spritz on the by way of Garibaldi to observe a sundown from the Riva Ca’ di Dio.”

Emily additionally by no means stopped at a correct bacaro for cicchetti and a spritz—or an ombra, Venice’s small glass of wine. My present obsession is Bacaro Risorto for its glorious wine listing and baccalà mantecato, a Venetian staple. I additionally love Ai do Leoni for cicchetti and drinks past the basic spritz (although a Choose Spritz will all the time win for me).

And I totally anticipated her to purchase a pair of Friulane slippers. In the event you’re in Venice, my go-to store is Quorami, one of many few remaining artisan makers. These silk velvet slippers have been handmade in Veneto for hundreds of years, crafted with recycled bicycle tires and historically worn by gondoliers.

Dwelling in Veneto means I get to return time and again—and it’s jogged my memory that Venice isn’t only a backdrop—it’s a residing, evolving metropolis. And that’s one thing even Emily Cooper can’t seize in 45 minutes.