Fried sardines marinated with caramelised onions, raisins, pinenuts and white wine vinegar, served at room temperature. The canonical Venetian cicchetto.
Where to eat it: 5 restaurants across 1 city.
Sarde in saor traces back to the 14th-century Venetian Republic's spice-trade preservation methods. Sailors needed a way to keep fried fish during long Mediterranean voyages; the sweet-and-sour onion-vinegar marinade pickled the fish and added the raisins and pinenuts that signalled wealth from the Levant trade routes. The dish is on every bacaro counter and every osteria carte to this day; it is to Venice what bouillabaisse is to Marseille. The 14th-century cookbook Libro per cuoco of the Anonimo Veneziano contains the earliest written recipe.
Common allergens: Fish, Sulphites
Tip from the editors. The 24-hour rest is non-negotiable; the vinegar needs time to penetrate. Best at 48 hours.
Cantina Do Mori in Venice's San Polo near Rialto is the 1462-founded bacaro, with francobolli sandwiches at €1.50 to €3, the cheapest historic-bar meal.
Try: Francobolli sandwiches and ombre
Tip: Cash only. Walk-in. Closed Sundays. The francobolli (postage-stamp-sized sandwiches) are the move; pair with ombre at €1.50.
Osteria All'Arco near Rialto in San Polo serves cicchetti at €1.50 to €4 each, the canonical bacari budget meal with francobolli sandwiches and lagoon-fish.
Try: Cicchetti at the bar
Tip: Six cicchetti plus two ombre runs roughly €20 to 25 for a full meal. Closes after lunch.
Antiche Carampane in Venice's San Polo is the 1983 family-run seafood trattoria the Rialto fishmongers send friends to, the room with the no-tourist-menu.
Signature: Spaghetti with lagoon clams, Fritto misto, Sarde in saor
Order: Spaghetti with vongole, fritto misto della laguna, sarde in saor.
Tip: Book a fortnight ahead. Closed Sundays and Mondays. The dining room has 10 tables, so flexibility on date is more useful than time.
Trattoria alla Madonna near Rialto in San Polo is the 1954 lunchroom with two-course Venetian set meals at €18, the canonical mid-budget classic fish.
Try: Bigoli in salsa with fritto misto
Tip: Walk-in only. Arrive 12:00 for lunch or 19:30 for dinner. Closed Wednesdays.
Vini da Gigio is lazzari family trattoria on calle stua in cannaregio with a 1,200-label cellar that locals book first and tourists rarely find.
Why locals love it: Lazzari family trattoria on Calle Stua in Cannaregio with a 1,200-label cellar that locals book first and tourists rarely find.
Tip: Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Book a week ahead. The wine cellar is the reason; ask Laura Lazzari for pairings.
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