So, here’s the problem. How do you do a programme about Venice, a veritable tourist mecca, without mentioning canals, gondolas, cathedrals, the Rialto Bridge and the Piazza San Marco? The latest episode of Jamie Does … tries hard to focus on food, but for once it feels like there’s something missing.
It’s no secret that Jamie Oliver is a huge fan of Italian cuisine, as demonstrated on his gastronomic tour of the country in his 2005 series Jamie’s ItalyVenice seemed to be the one place Jamie missed along the way, so it appears this visit is an attempt to set things right. “Venice is about seafood, butter, polenta, risotto, seasonal vegetables – I know so much about the cooking yet I’ve never been here before.”
Determined to get all the picture postcard shots out of the way at the start, Jamie informs us the locals call the Piazza San Marco the “Bermuda Triangle” – visitors come here and they never leave, or at least never bother to explore much beyond it. His advice? Head down the back alleys, away from the tourist traps, and find places where the locals like to eat and drink.