Venice: Snack Bar La Palanca

I first discovered this little gem at La Palanca on my first trip to Venice, in June 2012, as we were staying in a hotel on Giudecca, the southern most island of the main cluster of islands which make up "central" Venice. Giudecca seems to be a bit more laid back, with a higher proportion of locals, than the rest of the city. Although of course no restaurant can ever escape the tourists in Venice (and we ourselves were tourists so couldn't really complain) this simple little eatery and bar did seem, particularly on that first visit, to be somewhere a it more focused on the local residents.

At lunchtime they offer simple meals, mostly pasta dishes, but it remains open on into the early evening, and being right by the water looking back across to the rest of Venice it's a really nice spot to come for a Spritz, particularly if you can catch it around sunset. I've been to Venice four times now, and have made a visit here every time. Here's a selection of Spritzes I've had here over the years:

I don't think there's anything particularly unique about their drinks offering - I always go for the ubiquitous Spritz (made with Select), but it's just a really nice spot to have one in.

The owner - Andrea - is a lovely chap, pictures of me and him at the top of this page (the first from June 2012, the second from October 2017).

Finally, a couple of interior / exterior shots. In the exterior shot there you hopefully get a sense of what a nice spot this is when bathed in the golden light of a Venetian sunset.