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Nono ("grandfather" in Venetian) Colussi starts every day at 4 am in the pastry shop he began in 1956. Working with granddaughter Marina in the kitchen and daughter Linda at the counter, he turns out classic Venetian delicacies such as fugassa, a soft and sweet raised cake, and krapfen, a sweet roll filled with pastry cream. Each item is made fresh every morning. He uses his own decades-old sourdough for leavening, and is now also making some gluten- and lactose-free products. Take away a bag of his classic Venetian cookies such as zaletti or baicoli, made from scratch over some 30 hours from start to finish, or jar of natural fruit jam.

Monica Gozzi runs this tiny pastry shop on one of Venice's busiest streets, between Campo San Barnaba and the Accademia. Delectable croissants and other breakfast pastries are fresh every morning, and her cakes and assorted sweets are among the best in Venice. It says a lot that many regulars claim the sfogliatelle are as good as in their native Naples. Also a rarity is that they are open on Monday, a day in which most pastry shops are closed.

One of Venice's premier confectioneries has been in operation since 1886. During Carnevale it's still one of the best places in town for frittelle, or fried doughnuts (traditional raisin or cream-filled), and at Christmas and Easter, this is where Venetians order their focaccia veneziana, the traditional raised cake—well in advance.

Join students and profs from nearby Università di Ca' Foscari at the counter here, which makes for a sweet break while traversing the Frari district. Known for some of the best pastries in the city—try the krapfen, which are fresh, cream-filled donuts—Tonolo has been in operation for more than 120 years.