Must-see shopping in Venice

  • Il Mercante di Sabbia

    San Polo & Santa Croce

    Soft lighting from the handcrafted lamps on sale illuminates the shop window, making the alluring display of silver jewellery shimmer. Inside, you can…

  • Bottega d'Arte Giuliana Longo

    Venice

    Giuliana’s shop is the dream hat-cupboard of any true sartorialist. Styles range from hand-woven Montecristi panama hats to a fuchsia felt number made for…

  • Paperoowl

    San Polo & Santa Croce

    Stefania Giannici’s nimble fingers have been practising origami since she was four years old. Now a master of her craft, she folds, prints, rolls and…

  • Caigo da Mar

    Venice

    Venetian pirates once headed to Constantinople for all their interior-decoration needs, but today they'd need look no further than Caigo da Mar. This tiny…

  • Claudia Canestrelli

    Venice

    Hand-coloured lithographs of fanciful lagoon fish, 19th-century miniatures of cats dressed as generals, and vintage cufflinks make for charming souvenirs…

  • Paolo Olbi

    Venice

    Thoughts worth committing to paper deserve Paolo Olbi’s keepsake books, albums and stationery, whose fans include Hollywood actors and NYC mayors (ask to…

  • Banco Lotto 10

    Venice

    Prison orange is out and plum silk velvet is in at this nonprofit boutique, where hand-sewn fashions are the fruit of a retraining program at the women’s…

  • Camuffo

    Venice

    Kids, entomologists and glass collectors seek out Signor Camuffo in this cabinet of miniature natural wonders. Expect to find him wielding a blowtorch as…

  • Artisti Artigiani del Chiostro

    Giudecca, Lido & the Southern Islands

    Dating from the 15th-century, the cloister of the former Convent of Sts Cosmas and Damian has been repurposed as a base for independent artisans to ply…

  • Segni nel Tempo

    Venice

    Not so much a bookshop as a tiny time machine, Segni's cramped shelves might reveal a 16th-century edition of Giovanni Pontano's De Prudentia or a History…

  • Arras Tessuti

    Venice

    The plush, handwoven silk-and-wool wraps piled high on Arras’ shelves represent the combined efforts of this weaving cooperative, which offers vocational…

  • Arcobaleno

    Venice

    After seeing umpteen Venetian masterpieces, anyone’s fingers will start twitching for a paintbrush. Arcobaleno provides the raw materials, its shelves…

  • Ballarin

    Venice

    If you're looking for something distinctively Venetian, check out this Aladdin's cave. An old-fashioned dealer and artisan restorer, Valter Ballarin has a…

  • Emilia

    Murano, Burano & the Northern Islands

    Doyenne Emilia di Ammendola, a third-generation lace-maker, has passed on her skills to her children who are continuing the family tradition in this…

  • Qshop

    Venice

    In addition to its sumptuous range of art and design books, the shop of the Fondazione Querini Stampalia offers a highly curated selection of glass,…

  • Artigianato d'Arte di Mauro Vianello

    San Polo & Santa Croce

    A coral reef's worth of painstakingly detailed glass Nemos, seahorses, starfish, jellyfish and seashells fills the window of this little glass studio…

  • Il Pavone di Paolo Pelosin

    San Polo & Santa Croce

    Consider Paolo’s hand-bound marbled-paper journals and photo albums a challenge: now it’s up to you to create Venice memories worthy of such inspired…

  • Casa del Parmigiano

    San Polo & Santa Croce

    Suitably set beside the appetite-piquing Rialto Market, cheery Casa del Parmigiano heaves with coveted cheeses, from potent parmigiano reggiano (Parmesan)…

  • Leonardo

    Venice

    Hiding in plain sight on touristy Strada Nova, this authentic Murano glass shop stocks jewellery from some of Venice's very best glass artists, many of…

  • Fondaco dei Tedeschi

    Venice

    Occupying one of the Grand Canal's most imposing buildings, a 16th-century German trading house, this branch of the DFS chain is worth visiting whether…

  • Bragorà

    Venice

    Bragorà is a multipurpose space: part shop, service centre and cultural hub. Its upcycled products include beach bags sewn out of boat sails, toy gondolas…

  • Lellabella

    Venice

    Knitting nuts rejoice: the mother and daughter team that runs Lellabella has more than 40 years experience in the craft and stocks a huge range of top…

  • I Tre Mercanti

    Venice

    Stocked with speciality Italian wine, olive oil, jam and pasta, this excellent store has plenty of comestible souvenirs that you could happily lug home…

  • L'Angolo del Passato

    Venice

    The 19th century bumps into the 21st in this hidden corner showcase of rare Murano glass, ranging from spun-gold chandeliers beloved by royal decorators…

  • Signor Blum

    Venice

    Kids may have to drag adults away from the 2D wooden puzzles of the Rialto Bridge and grinning wooden duckies before these clever handmade toys induce…

  • La Bauta

    San Polo & Santa Croce

    Whether it's a unicorn or a steampunk explorer mask you're after, this traditional workshop will see you right. Alternatively you can paint your own…

  • L'Estro

    Venice

    Vintage mirrors and beautiful wooden shelving adorn this attractive, long-standing hat store. Owners Roberta and Misty stock traditional panamas and…

  • Venetia Studium

    Venice

    Get that ‘just got in from Monaco for my art opening’ look beloved of cashed-up bohemians. The high-drama Delphos tunic dresses make anyone look like a…

  • Artigianato Veneziano

    Venice

    Utilising traditional Murano techniques and materials, including oxides and resins, Sabina Melinato conjures up contemporary glass and costume jewellery…

  • ADL Ceramics

    Venice

    Daniela Lavera and Alessandra Gardin work with ceramics, porcelain, wood and glass to turn out contemporary homewares and stylish jewellery. Shapes are…

  • Fanny

    Venice

    This small family-run business turns out a candy-coloured range of gloves and bags in the softest leather. The gloves are hand-stitched in Naples and are…

  • Arnoldo & Battois

    Venice

    Handbags become heirlooms in the hands of Venetian designers Massimiliano Battois and Silvano Arnoldo, whose handcrafted clutches come in bold turquoise…

  • Rodrigo

    Venice

    This discreet menswear store on the Frezzaria stocks a natty line of jackets and sweaters tailored in the historic Rodrigo factory in Abruzzo. The look is…

  • Balducci Borse

    Venice

    Venice isn't known for its leatherwork, but there's always an exception to the rule – and Franco Balducci is it. Step through the door of his Cannaregio…

  • Davide Penso

    Murano, Burano & the Northern Islands

    Davide Penso has taken the art of bead making to dizzying heights with exhibits at the Museo Correr, Boston's Fine Arts Museum and the San Marco Museum of…

  • Silvia

    Venice

    Tucked away among the tourist shops and mainstream chains on bustling Salizada San Lio, Silvia has carved out a niche by sourcing footwear by quirky and…

  • Studium

    Venice

    Consult the bibliophile staff for worthy vacation reads, page-turning Venetian history or top picks from shelves groaning under the weight of Italian…

  • Giovanna Zanella

    Venice

    Woven, sculpted and crested like lagoon birds, Zanella’s shoes practically demand that red carpets roll out before you. The Venetian designer custom-makes…

  • L’Isola

    Venice

    Backlit chalices and spotlit vases emit an otherworldly glow at this shrine to Murano modernist glass master Carlo Moretti. Strict shapes contain freeform…

  • Fornace Mian

    Murano, Burano & the Northern Islands

    Shuffle past the typical Murano kitsch (glass pandas, parrots in trees etc) and you'll find one of the best ranges of classic stemware on the island. If…

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