Robin Saikia · Drink & Think Venice Book Launch

May 2024 saw the launch at Vert de Venise of Drink & Think Venice, the latest Venetian book by British author Robin Saikia. In the course of 26 alternately moving and entertaining chapters, the author reveals his deep and lifelong love for the city. He takes us to 26 different bars and restaurants in Venice, Murano, the Lido and Torcello, briefly suggesting what we might drink or eat. This is followed by a series of meditations on fascinating and original insights into Venetian culture and history, past and present.

There is a superb chapter on the 19th century Venetian collector and art dealer, Michelangelo Guggenheim, who was a leading light in the conservation of Venice and the revival of its arts and crafts. There was also an illuminating piece on the British art historian and painter John Ruskin, who played a prominent role in the restoration and celebration of the city. Robin’s final chapter on Torcello was an apt coda, reminding us of how important it is never to miss the often fugitive aesthetic experiences that Venice offers. Robin read us the chapter, and Petra Codato read her wonderful Italian translation of it.