The chic Venice hotel on its own island

The island of Mazzorbo, a ferry ride from the centre of Venice, is a world away from the crowds of St Mark'sIndulging yourself in Venice normally means checking into one of the Serenissima's famed luxury hotels ? the exclusive Cipriani or majestic Danieli. But indulging yourself doesn't always have to cost a fortune.So today, I'm escaping the crowds, and I'm waiting at the Fondamente Nove boat stop to board the Motonave ferry that departs every half an hour, linking the city with the other islands across the lagoon. It is easy to forget that Venice is just one of dozens of islands dotted around a vast wetland region. The ferry is packed with tourists headed either for a tour of the glass-blowing furnaces on Murano, the eerily beautiful cemetery on cypress-lined San Michele, Torcello's ancient Byzantine cathedral or as far as Burano, whose brightly coloured fishermen's cottages and lace-making workshops have been drawing visitors for centuries.My destination, though, is the stop just before Burano, the little-known island of Mazzorbo, where virtually no one ever gets off. But then I am booked into Venissa, a chic hideaway that is barely known even to Venetians.Venissa is the brainchild of winemaker Gianluca Bisol, whose family produce some of Italy's most famous prosecco up in Valdobbiadene, just an hour's drive from Venice. He took over one corner of Mazzorbo and planted a new vineyard, with the aim of making a genuine Venetian wine, which will finally be ready for tasting this year. At the same time, the family slowly transformed farm buildings, fishermen's houses and a wine cellar into a comfortable six-room hotel with prices that compare well with anything on offer in Venice itself.Downstairs there is a cool lounge and wine bar, but the real shock comes as I walk out the back where lines of vineyards have been planted as far as an ancient belltower. Surrounded by all this greenery is an old storehouse that has been turned into the restaurant.The chef here, Paola Budel, is definitely looking to make her mark on the Venetian fine dining scene, so don't expect cheap and cheerful trattoria cooking. But then nowhere in Venice is cheap for eating out, so although a romantic gourmet meal here will set you back upwards of ?70 each, it is well worth the expense.The fish and seafood are of the highest quality, combined with fantastic seasonal vegetables that are mostly grown in Venissa's own organic garden, or on farms on nearby Sant'Erasmo island. Dishes include plump scampi served with crunchy baby artichokes, grilled eel with a tangy olive, caper and tomato sauce, and a delicious creamy pea soup, with fresh mint and sweet tiny shrimps. And although Budel concentrates on revisiting traditional Venetian recipes, she doesn't forget her culinary roots in the nearby Dolomite mountains, surprising diners with dishes pairing roast pigeon with succulent Adriatic prawns and a tangy cherry beer sauce.It would be quite easy to spend the whole day in the peaceful oasis that is Venissa, but after lunch, I decide to set off and explore Mazzorbo. This is basically a one-street town, except the one street is actually the quayside, where a mix of fishing and pleasure boats are moored, and instead of looking at the shops (there aren't any), I stop off for a drink at the Trattoria alla Maddalena, where the bar is crowded with Venetian cacciatori (hunters) noisily bargaining with the padrone to sell their ducks, as the restaurant is famed for its tagliatelle all'anatra selvatica.The one sight not to be missed is Santa Caterina church, founded in 783, which has a precariously leaning belltower that looks a lot more dangerous than Pisa's. The island was a favourite haunt of Winston Churchill, who used to escape Venice by sailing out to Mazzorbo and setting up his easel here.Today, only a couple of hundred people live on the island, so it is quite difficult to imagine that 1,000 years ago, long before Venice itself was settled, Mazzorbo, whose name grandly means "great city", was a booming settlement with several thousand inhabitants.As the sun starts setting over the lagoon and its tiny islands, I walk over the long wooden bridge that links Mazzorbo with Burano. By this time, all the day trippers have sailed back to their hotels, and the piazza is reclaimed by the locals, mostly fishermen, who wander from bar to bar for the early evening ritual of aperitivo. Venice and its crowds seem a million miles away.? Double rooms at Venissa (+39 041 527 2281, venissa.it) cost from ?150 B&B. British Airways (ba.com) flies from Heathrow and Gatwick to Marco Polo airport from �98 return. Take the Alilaguna water bus to Fondamente Nove, then ferry line LN to MazzorboVeniceItalyEuropeFood and drinkFood & drinkHotelsCity breaksShort breaksItalian food and drinkJohn Bruntonguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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