For the founder of the renowned LExpress cooking school, Venice still has amazing local food and peace and quiet; you just have to know where to look

Venice in winter is a different city there are fewer people, you dont have to queue, the light is amazing, and you get these atmospheric mists. Theres a chance of aqua alta (floods), particularly in November. If its mild, you just grab some rubber boots and it subsides after a few hours. Two years ago British people were actually swimming in Piazza San Marco.

There wasnt mass tourism here when I was growing up. People would come to buy Italian shoes. The huge cruise ships have totally changed the city many artisan shops have been replaced by ones selling masks made in China. There were 160,000 people living here back then, now theres only 50,000.