Supermarkets
 

We are a family of five about to travel in Italy. We have been told supermarkets are scarce in Rome, Florence and Venice. Does anyone know the addresses of supermarkets in those cities?

Hi A,

Does it have to be a supermarket?

Will shops and farmer's markets suffice?

((I))

I can't give you the exact address or the names but I know of two supermarkets in Venice.

There's one on Strada Nova in Cannaregio, and another one on Le Zattere in Dorsoduro.

In Florence, Standa is a good supermarket. It's in the area a little east of the Duomo, but I don't know the address (and there may be more than one, for all I know.)

The locals have to eat ,too-you will find lots of food to buy.It may not be in a super duper shiny megamarket,but you'll find plenty.

There's what passes for a supermarket in Rome on Via Monte di Farina. But the open air market at Campo de Fiori, which is surrounded by bakeries, butcher shops, wine stores and a good delicatessen is a few steps away.

I've been to the one mentioned above on the Doroduro in Venice. Actually it was a little hard to spot... I followed an older local woman with her little empty shopping wagon/basket, figured that had to be where she was going and it was!

Anyway I think the name was Bilbo(?) and it's around the Zattere vaporetto stop, near the post office.

> I think the name was Bilbo

That's Billa (or maybe with only one L?). The same shop as the one on Strada Nova.

It is indeed Billa with two Ls.

There's a big Coop at Piazzale Roma and a couple of other Coops scattered around. There's a supermarket at the south end of Campo Santa Margherita--I can't remember the name, though.

A lot of the supermarkets in the historic centers of Italian cities have relatively small shopfronts, but then a warren of rooms stretching behind. So they may not be immediately apparent to you. The staff where you're staying should be able to tell you where to go.

I like shopping at small shops and open-air markets, but sometimes you want the convenience of a supermarket--you can get jam, shampoo, olive oil, dried pasta, yoghurt, cookies, camera batteries, etc., as well as meats, cheeses, and veggies all at one time.

Oops--should have specified that the other supermarkets I mentioned are also in Venice.

Tell us where you're staying and we can be of more help....it doesn't help if we tell you about a great supermarket that is a long way from your hotel/flat.

Aussies:

Here are some supermarkets in Rome:

SUPERMERCATO STANDA (Via Cola di Rienzo 173, inside the COIN department store)

SUPERMERCATO GS (Via Monte di Farina) the largest supermarket in the historical center between Campo de’ Fiori and Largo Argentina.

SUPERMERCATO DI MEGLIO (Via Giustiniani 18b) doesn’t look like much from the outside but is huge.

SUPERMARKET (Viale di Trastevere, 60 inside the Oviesse department store)

There is also one right near the Trevi fountain (the street on the left side that leads up to it).

Hope this helps and enjoy your trip.

kappa and KT, thank you for the help (Billa). it was a little hard to spot from the promonade, with mostly an awning outside markign it. but did have everything you'd want including deli, fresh produce, etc.

If you have problems finding a supermarket in Rome, you could always go to the one in Termini (the main train station). Its not huge but its adequate. We've picked up a few things there on several occassions.

Tracy

In Venice: BILLA Supermercato-there are two locations, but I've only used the one on the Strada Nova in Cannaregio-you can't miss it, coming down from the train station, it's about a 5-7 minute walk, past the Venice Casino, just past a bridge (Ca Gottardi on the right) on the left hand side.

I think the other Billa is in Dorsoduro, but don't hold me to that.

During our stay in Rome at Easter, we found a supermarket [Espar from memory] on the north side of the via nazionale up towards the termini end. It wasn't huge but it was adequate.
there was also a much smaller one on one of the little streets that run off the via n'ale towards Via Cavour on via del boschetto. Also lots of small delis, greengrocers, etc in this area which is called "monti".
If you are renting an apartment, your rental agency or owner should be able to tell you this; if you are in a hotel, reception should help you out.
Have a great time.

Other posters including me already stated (correctly) Billa stores are located in Cannaregio (on Strada Nova) and at Zattere (near San Basilio vaporetto stop in Dorsoduro). And if it helps there is one on Lido, on the street midway from Lido vaporetto stop to the beach, at a corner on your left. Unlike the ones on Venice proper, this Billa has not only food but also clothing.

Rome has Sma supermarket, near termini, opposite St Maria maggiore cathedral.

Bookmarking Since I remeber finding markets in Italy rough!

there a new, to me at least, Conrad (sp?) largish supermarket with seemingly supermarket pricing on the lower shopping level of Rome Termini station, just under the east end of the station, with long hours daily

While huge supermarkets like those in US suburbs are rare, we found small supermarkets were actually reasonable abundant in Rome. (We were 4 adults and a 2-year old and staying in an apartment, so supermarkets were a must.) We regularly used the SMA(?) on via del Monte della Farina mentioned above as it was around the corner from our apartment, but there was also a Depsar within a few minutes walk. DiPerDi is another common chain. In Venice, they were a bit harder to find, but one not mentioned above is SuVe on Salizzada San Lio (close to San Marco, down the street from La Boutique del Gelato). If you let us know where exactly you're staying, I'm sure someone can point out the closest ones. Also, if you're renting an apartment, they'll be able to provide this info.

Enjoy your trip,
Paul

Look for locals wheeling small empty shopping carts or baskets... follow them!

(Seriously that's how I found the one in Venice.)

There was a smallish grocery store just to the south side of Campo San Margherita, Dorsoduro, Venice. You walk by it if you're coming from Campo San Barnaba.

In Rome we walked toward the Colosseum from San Clemente. There are several rows of short streets that run up to eastern side of Colosseum. There is a small grocery store within a block or so of the Colosseum.

Also in Rome, there is a grocer in one of the streets between via del Corso, via del Tritone, and the bus terminal (Sisterno? Silvestre?)

There is a grocer in the tunnel between Spanish Steps and Borghese, Veneto exit I think.

These cities normally have smaller stores than the mega-marts you may be used to.

@sanschag
"While huge supermarkets like those in US suburbs are rare"

This is not completely true, there are more then enough large super- and hypermarkets in Rome, but as in the US; they are in the suburbs too in Italy!

In and around Rome are at least 5 huge Carrefour-hypermarkets and 4 Auchan-hypermarkets. And there are probably other huge supermarkets too.

In city-centers, where there is little space, they usually have only small supermarkets.

@sanschag
"While huge supermarkets like those in US suburbs are rare"

"This is not completely true, there are more then enough large super- and hypermarkets in Rome, but as in the US; they are in the suburbs too in Italy!"

I was speaking more about the central city, but I take your point. However, the "suburb" markets in Marburg Germany (where I lived for 2+ years) were somewhat smaller than our supermarkets here in suburban NJ and were comparable to what we mostly saw while in Germany aside from the Wal-Mart in Geissen. In fact, I would say it was close to the size of the larger markets in "downtown" Brooklyn while we lived there.

Paul

Wait until you get there and ask the locals or at your hotel. That's what we always do.

Perhaps the reason some countries like Germany may not have huge hypermarches everywhere i believe may lie in the facts that:

There is no Sunday shopping when folks most likely to mob hypermarches like on Sundays in U.S.

and shopping hours are short in evenings as well.

England overflows with new super centers everywhere on fringes on towns and perhaps that's because they liberalized their Sunday opening laws.

England has large supermarkets before relaxed Sunday trading, I remember spending many a Tuesday evening trailing round Fine Fare as a child.

The new 'overflow' might have something to do with relaxed planning laws thought.

One thing no one has mentioned is Mercado Centrale in Florence, not far from the outdoor clothing market in Piazza San Lorenzo.

This is not an American supermarket but rather a whole bunch of small shops all in one building. As I recall, meats, delis, cheeses, etc. are on the ground floor and the produce is on the second (or, in Europe, the first, meaning the first floor above the ground). It is fantastico! and truly a Super market, as far as I am concerned. So if you are staying in the central district in Florence, that's where you should go.

Yes to all of the above.

There are large, suburban style super/hypermarkets (what's the difference between super and hyper BTW?) in or near all three of those cities. Once you get closer into the centri storichi (plural of centro storico), though, rents go up and available space goes down, so the best you'll typically do is find a mini-version of the same brand. Although not a complete list, some Italian super/hypermarket brands are:
* Conad
* Standa
* Maxi Tigre
* COOP (I think)

(If any of you can think of the names of the supermarkets in Poggibonsi, Chiusi in the Chiusi Mall off the Autostrada, and Castiglione del Lago on the Chiusi highway, chime in.)

Although the prices may not be as low in a local's shop -- a salumeria, alimentaria, frutta e verdura, etc. -- you will find them much more common. It's how things have been done for a zillion years -- go to the butcher, then the milk store, then the greengrocer, etc. The local salumeria will generally have most everything you will need. The super/hupermarket will just have a greater selection.

On a side note: Lisbon has at least two megamarkets right in downtown Lisbon: El Corte Ingles (IIRC the largest one in the Spanish chain) as well as one whose name I forget in the Amoreiras Shopping Center. So it <i>is</i> possible to cram a major suburban-scale store into a dense urban area....

We were recently in Rome and after being there a week, noticed a large grocery store not far from our hotel on a side (non touristy) street. Of course, it will be easy to find little markets with cheese, bread and wine, so really all you need to pack is a cork screw and a camera. Have fun, Aussies, we loved your area as well.

@sanschag:
&quot;However, the &quot;suburb&quot; markets in Marburg Germany (where I lived for 2+ years) were somewhat smaller than our supermarkets here in suburban NJ&quot;

That's true. In the Netherlands it is the same. Our 'large' supermarkets are smaller then the 'average' US-supermarket.
In the Netherlands it is not allowed to open (large) supermarkets/hypermarkets on the outskirts of the city. Most supermarkets are incorparated in regular shopping centers in the neighbourhoods.

@tdyls
&quot;(what's the difference between super and hyper BTW?)&quot;

Generally speaking are hypermarkets biggger than supermarkets. Plus the fact that in supermarkets the focus is on food, in hypermarkets you can also buy a lot of non-food (tv's, books, bicycles etc). And at last; hypermarkets mostly have a shopping arcade incorporated with other shops (some kind of a small mall).
Just visit one when you are in France, Italy or Spain (there you can find the most hypermarkets in Europe).

@tdyls
&quot;(If any of you can think of the names of the supermarkets in Poggibonsi, Chiusi in the Chiusi Mall off the Autostrada, and Castiglione del Lago on the Chiusi highway, chime in)&quot;

Supermercatie PAM if I am not mistaken.