Cicchetti, bacari and the cuisine of the lagoon.
Free cancellation on most tours, with live prices on the partner's site.
Venice eats on a cuisine no other Italian city shares: cicchetti grazed standing at the bacari, fish from the Rialto Pescheria operating since 1097, and the legacy of Adriatic spice trade in sarde in saor and bigoli in salsa. The six sestieri each keep their own dining grammar. San Polo and Rialto are the bacari heart, with Cantina Do Mori (since 1462), All'Arco and Do Spade still pouring ombre at the counter. Cannaregio's Fondamenta della Misericordia is the locals' aperitivo strip and the Jewish Ghetto since 1516 keeps Gam Gam, Volpe and the only kosher kitchens in town. Castello and Dorsoduro hold the canonical fish trattorias, Corte Sconta, Antiche Carampane, Alle Testiere and Local, while modern bistros like CoVino and Estro carry the new wave. Lunch is 12:30-14:30, dinner 19:30-22:00, and ombre go all afternoon at the bacari. The lagoon's seasonality runs hard: moeche in spring, schie in summer, baccala and radicchio in winter.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Embark on a bacaro food tour in Venice and savor Spritz, Prosecco, cicchetti, warm dishes, and gelato while discovering local culinary traditions with a guide.
Guided tour · 2h 30m
Taste your way through Venice's bacari culture, crossing the Grand Canal like a local and discovering the neighborhoods where Venetians gather for cicchetti, wine, and...
2 hours
Experience a pasta and tiramisu-making class in a local home in Venice. Learn the secrets of the region's most famous pasta dishes and tiramisu, and enjoy the fruits o...
The plates that define eating in Venice.
Fried sardines marinated with caramelised onions, raisins, pinenuts and white wine vinegar, served at room temperature. The canonical Venetian cicchetto.
Where Cantina Do Mori, Osteria All'Arco, Antiche Carampane, Trattoria alla Madonna, Vini da Gigio
Where to eat Sarde in saor in Venice →Whole-wheat thick-cut spaghetti dressed with a slow-cooked onion and anchovy sauce. The canonical Venetian meatless pasta, served on lean-Friday and Christmas Eve.
Where Vini da Gigio, Osteria Anice Stellato, Antiche Carampane, Trattoria Bar Pontini, Osteria alle Testiere
Where to eat Bigoli in salsa in Venice →Whipped salt cod with olive oil and parsley, served on polenta crostini. The canonical Venetian cicchetto, on every bacaro counter from November through Easter.
Where Cantina Do Mori, Osteria All'Arco, Antiche Carampane, Vini da Gigio, Osteria alle Testiere
Where to eat Baccala mantecato in Venice →Calf liver sliced thin and slow-cooked with sweet onions in butter and white wine, the Venetian secondo. Served on grilled polenta bianca, with a sprinkle of parsley. The classic Rialto trattoria plate.
Where Vini da Gigio, Trattoria alla Madonna, Antiche Carampane, Bistrot de Venise, Osteria Anice Stellato
Where to eat Fegato alla veneziana in Venice →A risotto-soup hybrid of rice and fresh spring peas, traditionally served to the Doge on St Mark's Day (25 April). Loose, soupy, never stiff.
Where Vini da Gigio, Osteria Anice Stellato, Trattoria alla Madonna, Osteria alle Testiere, Bistrot de Venise
Where to eat Risi e bisi in Venice →Black-as-ink risotto coloured with cuttlefish sac, with chunks of stewed cuttlefish folded in. The canonical inky Venetian rice dish, served at every Rialto-area trattoria.
Where Trattoria alla Madonna, Vini da Gigio, Trattoria al Gatto Nero, Osteria Anice Stellato, Antiche Carampane
Where to eat Risotto al nero di seppia in Venice →Beef sliced paper-thin, served raw with a mustard-mayonnaise drizzle. Invented at Harry's Bar in 1950 by Giuseppe Cipriani for Contessa Amalia Nani Mocenigo; now a global classic.
Where Harry's Bar, Bistrot de Venise, Quadri, Bar Longhi, Locanda Cipriani
Where to eat Carpaccio (alla Cipriani) in Venice →White peach puree topped with chilled Prosecco. Invented at Harry's Bar by Giuseppe Cipriani in 1948, named for the pink-tinted robe in a Giovanni Bellini painting. The canonical Venetian cocktail.
Where Harry's Bar, Bar Longhi, Caffe Florian, Locanda Cipriani, Grancaffe Quadri
Where to eat Bellini in Venice →Venice's signature bacari bar snacks: tiny bites on toothpicks or small crostini, from baccala mantecato on grilled polenta to fried sardines and crispy fritters. Eaten standing with an ombra of wine.
Where Cantina Do Mori, Osteria All'Arco, Bacareto Da Lele
Taste itFood Tasting Tour with Cicchetti and Wine€88Where to eat Cicchetti in Venice →Veneto's landmark dessert: layers of espresso-soaked savoiardi sponge fingers and a fluffy mascarpone-egg-yolk cream, dusted heavily with cocoa powder, served chilled in a glass dish or in individual ramekins.
Where Cantina Do Mori, Bacaro Jazz, Harry's Bar, Pasticceria Tonolo
Taste itPasta and Tiramisu Cooking Class with Fine Wine€48Where to eat Tiramisu in Venice →The Spritz Veneziano is the city's signature aperitivo: a chilled glass of Prosecco with a bitter aperitif (Aperol, Select or Campari) and a splash of soda, garnished with an olive and an orange wedge.
Where Al Merca, Cantina Do Mori, Cantinone Gia Schiavi (Cantina Schiavi), Bacareto Da Lele
Where to eat Spritz Veneziano in Venice →Tramezzini are Venice's crustless white-bread triangles, generously stuffed with creamy fillings (tuna and olive, prosciutto and artichoke, egg and shrimp) and stacked behind glass at every bacaro.
Where Cantinone Gia Schiavi (Cantina Schiavi), Al Merca, Bacareto Da Lele, Bacaro Jazz
Where to eat Tramezzini in Venice →A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in Venice.
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.
OrderSpaghetti with vongole, fritto misto della laguna, sarde in saor.
Trattoria Corte Sconta in Venice's Castello is the courtyard seafood room that locals and chefs in town quietly book first, the canonical hidden-courtyard.
OrderAntipasto misto, spaghetti vongole, granseola when in season.
Osteria alle Testiere in Venice's Castello is the 22-seat room with two seatings, run by Bruno Gavagnin and Luca di Vita on Calle del Mondo Novo since 1993.
OrderGnocchetti with calamari and cinnamon, branzino in salt crust, the salty antipasti.
Local in Venice's Castello is the 1-Michelin-star room run by Salvatore Sodano and Benedetta Fullin near the Greek quarter, serving 7 and 9-course tasting.
OrderThe 9-course tasting menu, the wine pairing from the 1000-label cellar.
CoVino in Venice's Castello is the 12-seat modern bistro with a Slow Food Presidia carte and an ever-changing five-course tasting menu, all paired.
OrderThe five-course tasting menu, the natural-wine pairing.
Estro Vino e Cucina in Venice's Dorsoduro is the Spezzamonte brothers' modern bistro with 700 sustainable wines and a Michelin Guide listing for good cooking.
OrderThe pasta of the day, the cicchetti tasting, a natural-wine flight from the 700-label list.
The medieval Rialto market quarter, the city's bacari heart with Cantina Do Mori (since 1462), All'Arco, Do Spade and Al Merca. The Pescheria fish market opens 07:30.
Best for: Cicchetti, Bacari, Seafood
The northern sestiere along Fondamenta della Misericordia and Fondamenta degli Ormesini, the locals' aperitivo strip with Vino Vero, Al Timon and the Jewish Ghetto kitchens of Gam Gam.
Best for: Natural wine, Aperitivo, Kosher
The eastern sestiere stretching to the Arsenale and the Biennale gardens, home to Trattoria Corte Sconta, Alle Testiere, CoVino and Local, the canonical lagoon-fish trattoria belt.
Best for: Seafood trattorias, Fine dining, Quiet lunches
The southwestern sestiere across the Accademia bridge, a student and gallery quarter with Estro, Osteria al Squero across from the gondola yard and Pasticceria Tonolo since 1886.
Best for: Wine bars, Cicchetti, Pasticcerie
The quieter western sestiere by the Tolentini, with La Zucca's vegetable-forward kitchen and Bacareto Da Lele, the canal-side morning bacaro the students fill on the church steps.
Best for: Vegetable cooking, Bacari, Lunch trattorias
The civic and ceremonial sestiere around Piazza San Marco, lined with Caffe Florian (since 1720), Quadri (1 star), Harry's Bar (since 1931) and the city's grand-room dining tradition.
Best for: Historic cafes, Fine dining, Bellinis and aperitivo
Sarde in saor
Fried sardines marinated with caramelised onions, raisins, pinenuts and white wine vinegar, served at room temperature
Bigoli in salsa
Whole-wheat thick-cut spaghetti dressed with a slow-cooked onion and anchovy sauce
Baccala mantecato
Whipped salt cod with olive oil and parsley, served on polenta crostini
Fegato alla veneziana
Calf liver sliced thin and slow-cooked with sweet onions in butter and white wine, the Venetian secondo
Risi e bisi
A risotto-soup hybrid of rice and fresh spring peas, traditionally served to the Doge on St Mark's Day (25 April)
San Polo
The medieval Rialto market quarter, the city's bacari heart with Cantina Do Mori (since 1462), All'Arco, Do Spade and Al Merca
Cannaregio
The northern sestiere along Fondamenta della Misericordia and Fondamenta degli Ormesini, the locals' aperitivo strip with Vino Vero, Al Timon and the Jewish Ghetto kitchens of Gam Gam
Castello
The eastern sestiere stretching to the Arsenale and the Biennale gardens, home to Trattoria Corte Sconta, Alle Testiere, CoVino and Local, the canonical lagoon-fish trattoria belt
Dorsoduro
The southwestern sestiere across the Accademia bridge, a student and gallery quarter with Estro, Osteria al Squero across from the gondola yard and Pasticceria Tonolo since 1886
A sample of Venice hotels from our booking partner, who list 2,044 here. Live prices and availability open on their site.
Corte Canal Venice
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Sweet Venice
A stay at Sweet Venice places you in the heart of Venice, within a 5-minute walk of Riva degli Schiavoni an...
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Villa Venice Movie
With a stay at Villa Venice Movie in Venice, you'll be in the entertainment district, just a 3-minute walk ...
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Porta Orientalis Venice
With a stay at Porta Orientalis Venice in Venice (Cannaregio), you'll be steps from Guglie Bridge and Palaz...
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Venice Rainbow Apartments
With a stay at Venice Rainbow Apartments, you'll be centrally located in Venice, steps from Church of San Z...
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Venice Garden
With a stay at this apartment, you'll be centrally located in Venice, just a 4-minute walk from Venetian Gh...
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Venice Elegance
A stay at this property places you in the heart of Venice, steps from Riva degli Schiavoni and Venetian Arsenal.
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Venice Blue Lagoon
With a stay at this apartment in Venice (Cannaregio), you'll be within a 10-minute walk of Guglie Bridge an...
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Venice Maggior Consiglio
With a stay at Venice Maggior Consiglio in Venice (Cannaregio), you'll be within a 5-minute walk of Grand C...
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Venice-BB-Venezia
With a stay at Venice-BB-Venezia in Venice (Cannaregio), you'll be steps from Guglie Bridge and Grand Canal.
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Venice Ae Maschere
A stay at this apartment places you in the heart of Venice, steps from Grand Canal and Guglie Bridge. Featu...
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Also compare: Zen Hotels in Venice from USD 57/night · Minor Hotels in Venice · Holidu in Venice from USD 72/night
Stays are listed by our booking partners, not editor picks. We earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Venice, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
Peak food season: April to June (moeche soft-shell crab, asparagus from Bassano, the first artichoke castraure from Sant'Erasmo) and September to November (radicchio di Treviso, new oil from the Colli Euganei, lagoon fish at its peak). Carnevale in February brings the city's pastry season, with frittelle and galani everywhere.
Local dining hours: Lunch 12:30-14:30, dinner 19:30-22:00. Most kitchens stop seating by 22:00. Bacari open from 09:00 for ombre at the counter and keep going through aperitivo; some close mid-afternoon and reopen at 18:00. Many trattorias close Sunday evening and Monday.
Tipping: Coperto (cover charge) of 2 to 4 euros per person is standard, plus a 10 to 12 percent servizio at tourist-heavy rooms. Read the bill. Round up for very good service, never more than 5 percent on top of servizio, and never on the card terminal.
Venice's signature dishes include Sarde in saor, Bigoli in salsa, Baccala mantecato, Fegato alla veneziana, Risi e bisi. See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.
TableJourney editors map Venice by district. San Polo, Cannaregio, Castello, Dorsoduro are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.
Editor picks in Venice include Glam Enrico Bartolini, Quadri, Oro Restaurant, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.
TableJourney covers 7 editor-picked food tours in Venice, with what each shows you and how much to budget.
TableJourney's Venice dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, gluten_free, halal, kosher venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.
