Europe: Osteria Dai Zemei, Venice ITALY

Overcrowded, expensive and stinky. As what most people would say about this northern Italian city that is composed of islands and canals dating back to the glorious Venetian merchant days.

Whilst I cannot disagree about the sinister perfume wafting the city, more so when one gets closer to an old, crumbling building, nor can I argue about the number of gondolas and boats ferrying excited, tourists on a photo frenzy; I do disagree on expenses in the city as a visitor.

Accommodation may be expensive but food wise, I had no trouble finding a decent feed for less than 10euros. Sitting at restaurants located by a canal would cost an arm and leg but for those seeking a bite of local fare, I highly recommend checking out chicetti bars.

These bars offer quick meals that are filling and delicious, provided that one is happy to squeeze in with the locals or sacrifice the need for that celebrity inspired Instagram shot. We visited Osteria Dai Zemei after finishing our quick tour of the city to refuel ourselves before continuing our journey.

Chicetti bars offer small snacks or bar food to accompany drinks, mostly seafood type of dishes as topped onto pieces of bruschetta. The sister and I asked the friendly bar lady for her recommendations to which, she happily gathered a little feast for us.

We had two seafood and meat variations, the former being a codfish and sardine version, the latter, in the form of prosciutto. The codfish version was a pleasant blend of creaminess and saltiness whilst the fishy sardine version was toned down by a refreshing bed of salad underneath it. Both types of prosciutto bruschettas were paired with slightly more robust tasting flavours like capsicum.

A must try whilst in Venice for a reasonably priced good feed, minus the crowd