Eat Like a Venetian: Our Favorite Recipes from Italy's Most Alluring City

To kick off your Venetian experience, a bright, delicious Aperol Spritz is a must. These neon drinks are served with an orange slice, and sometimes accompanied by salty green Castelvetrano olives.

The Bellini, famously created at (Harry's Bar) in the 1940s, is pure elegance. This drink shows that simple is best, as it lets the peach flavor shine through. Chill the fruit purée ahead of time for a refreshing aperitif.

To begin with, here's a twist on one of Venice's classic seafood dishes: sardines in saor, in which the fish are marinated in a light, sweet and sour onion pickle. This variation uses white anchovies, such as Spanish boquerones, which makes it an easy appetizer to assemble.

Warm and crisp and oozing with cheese, little fried rice balls are the type of nibble you might be offered at a bar—and a great way to use any risotto left from another night's dinner.

Known as baccala mantecato in Venice, this satisfying spread of creamy salt cod is usually served on crostini. Plan ahead to have time for soaking the fish for three days.

Peas, please. That's what you should say when in the Veneto, where the sweet pea is held to high standards and is supposed to be shelled just before cooking.

Another creative and fun treat to have with your spritz are fresh figs, broiled with bacon. You'll have to wait until figs are in season, but it's worth it. Purple figs would work just as well as the green ones. Cook in batches to be sure they're served warm.

Polenta is a staple in the Veneto. There they grow a unique variety of white corn, but yellow cornmeal is used, too. Either one would work for this recipe, which makes a good hot appetizer option for those with gluten intolerance.

Risotto is Venice's pride and joy—always served loose and creamy, all'onda—wavelike. This one is seasoned with saffron, which played a part in Venice's legacy from its time as a spice trading empire.

Venetians often prefer seafood marinated at room temperature and in salads. Here is a light treatment for scallops, with fronds of fennel and other herbs. Served with prosecco, it makes a light, celebratory lunch.

This is one for when the fish market is calling. To act like a Venetian, buy the freshest whole fish and cook them simply to show off your talent for shopping.

Radicchio shows off its intense magenta color best when raw, and then it's often served with bright or salty dressings. But when it's cooked it becomes a soft, luscious vegetable and its bitterness is completely mellowed. Try this simple method and you might never eat it raw again.

All the fanciful pastries in the world can't take the place of really great, old-fashioned cookies. These two traditional Venetian cookies are not too sweet, and they're especially good for dunking.

Pick me up: That's what this dessert's name means. Well, if eating like a Venetian isn't enough to lift your spirits this dessert will always do the trick.