/ 6 November 2013

Hip canal 
pleasures

Hip Canal 
pleasures

The last time I stayed in a hostel, a steaming drunk, muscle-bound Californian clambered into my bunk, before a group of backpackers wrestled him out. The floors were wet and sticky and coated in tangles of matted hair. The showers had no doors, just stained curtains on rusty hooks. Privacy was the inside of your sleeping bag.

So I wasn't exactly looking forward to my stay at the brand new Generator hostel in Venice. I needn't have worried. Like an artisanal burger or a craft ale, the hostel is a basic that has been slickly reimagined for the 21st century – accommodation fit for a new generation of travellers who've grown up on, well, artisanal burgers and craft ales.

We approached by boat, in the dead of night. The hostel sits on the shore of Giudecca island, facing the city, and is connected to Saint Mark's Square by a 24-hour vaporetto (waterbus) service.

The pretty red brick building, built in the 19th century as a grain warehouse, has recently been made over by the people behind hotel and members' club Soho House. There are two private doubles and dorms for up to 10, with prices starting at a distinctly un-Venetian €15 a night.

As our boat pulled in we could see coloured lights twinkling in the windows. The ground-floor lounge and bar area is a vision of hipsterdom: all exposed brickwork, baroque sofas and bearded hunks tapping away at their laptops. Gorgeous people sipped Aperol spritzers at the bar; a DJ was spinning smooth grooves.

Venice is notorious for its unexciting nightlife – most locals don't live in the historic centre of the city, and the bars tend to close early. So the opening of Generator is a welcome addition to the city's nightlife scene.

We liked the look of our four-person dorm upstairs: proper duvets and pillowcases, a lovely big sink area, and – ooh! – a very sexy double shower with glass walls and door. 

The next morning we awoke to the best surprise yet: the view from our dorm window of Venice unfolding before us, sparkling like sugar in the morning sun. It was all so pretty it didn't seem real. 

Then suddenly the air was filled with the deep, long bellow of a ship's horn, and Venice was blotted out by a 500m cruise liner, gliding across our field of vision like the spaceship in Independence Day.

That night the hostel was back in full swing, with a mix of travellers and locals getting leathered at the bar. Having spent eight hours tramping around the city we didn't feel sparkling enough to join them, so headed to our dorm for an early night. Apparently we were the only ones: the building echoed with the sounds of late-night high jinks.

On the waterfront people sat in groups chatting and smoking, watching Venice glittering in the distance.

As we lay awake, coming to terms with the realisation that Generator probably wasn't the place for a night in, we wondered if it was our fault or theirs. Probably ours. Being too cool and fun isn't a very serious charge to hold against a place. – © Guardian News & Media 2013

Snack . . . all the time
If you're happy to swap a sit-down meal in a restaurant for a stand-up snack you can save a fortune –  as well as get a chance to rub shoulders with the locals. A proper Italian breakfast is cheap and fast –   coffee and a pastry knocked back standing at the counter of a pasticceria. Da Bonifacio (Castello 4237, Calle degli Albanesi) is moments away from the tourist heave of the San Marco ferry terminal, hidden down a crooked passage next to the Danieli Hotel. Order an espresso and a comforting tortino di riso, a pastry filled with rice pudding.

At lunchtime seek out one of the many bacari that pepper the city. These are small bars that serve ciccheti (tapas-like snacks for €1-€2). As well as being a fantastic way to fill up cheaply, bacari are usually full of locals: stylish, loud, downing prosecco and crostini topped with paper-thin prosciutto or creamed salt cod. You can find a bacaro on most corners, but we loved All'Arco on Calle Arco, which is full of old men and ladies with tiny dogs, and Alla Vedova on Ca D'Oro, where we tucked into delicious polpette (meatballs) and tiny glasses of vino bianco.

Join the traders
Venice's most important food market, the Mercato del Rialto, is at its most bustling early on Friday and Saturday, when locals and chefs are loading up with ingredients for the weekend. Wander among stalls piled with bundles of bright, shiny chillies, swordfish and glistening, inky-black squid. Shop for prosciutto, cheese, bread and fruit for a picnic or pop in to one of the traders' bars, such as Al Merca, (213 San Polo, Fondamenta Riva Olio) for an 11am bruschetta and glass of prosecco. It's how the traders like to roll.

Take the bus
To appreciate the impossible dreamlike beauty of Venice, you have to get out on the water. Private water taxis cost over €100 but the more affordable vaporetti (waterbuses) can take you all over the lagoon. Line 2 travels the Grand Canal, making fewer stops than Line 1, so is usually less crowded; it then loops round to Giudecca, giving you a scenic tour for around €6. Even better value is buying a travel card (€25 for three days), which takes you on ferries to all the islands.

Hit the beach
When you're stomping through Venice's hot streets all day, the desire to jump in to one of the canals can be overwhelming. Do not do this: the water is stagnant and filthy. Instead, take the vaporetto to the Lido then hire bikes at Lido On Bike (Gran Viale Santa Maria Elisabetta, 21/B, from €5) and head down the island to Alberoni beach, the last one along. It's a nature reserve, and is the wildest part of the lido with dunes, driftwood and plenty of sea birds. Trattoria al Ponte di Borgo, a rustic restaurant in Malamocco, a short walk or bike ride from Alberoni, is a good spot for an affordable meal.

Drink
Dining out in Venice is expensive so it comes as a surprise to discover that drinking is cheap, which may explain why locals can often be spotted with a glass in hand from 10am. A glass of prosecco or a spritz (a mix of prosecco and Aperol or Campari) cost us no more than €2.50 in any bar. Go north to Canareggio, a peaceful local district, and do a mini bar-crawl along Fondamenta degli Ormesini, stopping at the highly-rated Caffe Dodo.— Becky Barnicoat, ©Guardian News & Media 2013

Dorm beds €17.05pp, rooms from €18.60pp. Visit generatorhostels.com/en/destinations/venice