Cocktails, wine bars and dives: drinking in Venice for grown-ups.
Cocktail bars, wine bars, dive bars and gastropubs: drinking in Venice for grown-ups.
Harry's Bar on Calle Vallaresso has run since 1931, the Cipriani family room where the Bellini was invented, the canonical historic-bar stop near San Marco.
Signature drink: Bellini (white peach puree + Prosecco)
Food: Classic Cipriani plates and snacks
Tip: Ground-floor bar is the value play; the Bellini at EUR 22 is the canonical pour. Upstairs is the dining room with separate booking.
Experimental Cocktail Club in Il Palazzo Experimental in Venice's Dorsoduro is the modern cocktail room with Cristina Celestino interiors, Venice's branch of the Paris-born group.
Signature drink: Italian-ingredient cocktails by the resident bartender
Food: Bar snacks from Adriatica next door
Tip: Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The signature menu refresh hit June 2025; ask for the seasonal flight. The back garden bar runs in summer.
Bar Longhi inside The Gritti Palace on Campo Santa Maria del Giglio is the Murano-lamp bar with the Pietro Longhi 18th-century paintings, the canonical Grand Canal cocktail terrace.
Signature drink: Bellini Longhi, Negroni at the Gritti
Food: Bar snacks, the Gritti's afternoon tea
Tip: The patio with the Grand Canal view runs spring through autumn. Cocktails start around EUR 22; the Longhi Bellini variant is the move.
Al Merca on Campo Bella Vienna near Rialto is the tiny walk-up bar where locals stop for an ombra, the canonical aperitivo standing-room in San Polo.
Signature drink: Spritz al Select, ombra
Food: Mini crostini and panini
Tip: No interior space; the crowd stands on the campo. Closes hard at 20:00. Spritz EUR 3.50, ombra EUR 1.50.
Devil's Forest Pub on Calle Stagneri near Rialto is one of the rare Irish-style late-night rooms in San Marco, open to 01:00 with live sports and pub plates.
Signature drink: Guinness, Irish whisky, pub burgers
Food: Pub burgers, nachos, late-night plates
Tip: One of the city's late closes (01:00 weeknights, later weekends). Walk-in. Useful when the bacari have all shut.
Il Mercante in Venice's San Polo near the Frari basilica is the speakeasy-style cocktail bar with seasonal themed menus, the city's modern cocktail benchmark.
Signature drink: Themed seasonal cocktails (Sea, Tea, Story, Land)
Food: Small plates from Caffe dei Frari
Tip: Bookings via Resy. The seasonal menu refreshes four times a year; the spice-trade-themed pours are the move.
Bacaro Jazz near the Rialto Bridge in San Marco is the late-running jazz bar with cicchetti, bra-collection ceiling and one of the few 02:00 closes in central Venice.
Signature drink: Spritz, prosecco, classic cocktails
Food: Cicchetti, cured meats and tapas
Tip: Walk-in. 02:00 close. Touristy ambience but useful for late drinks; tonight's jazz set is on the chalkboard at the door.
Skyline Rooftop Bar atop Hilton Molino Stucky on Giudecca is the city's rare rooftop bar, with a 360-degree view across the lagoon, San Marco basin and the islands.
Signature drink: Spritz with a Giudecca Canal view
Food: Bar snacks, hotel kitchen menu
Tip: Take the free Hilton shuttle boat from San Marco. Best at sunset (book by 19:30 in summer). Spritz around EUR 18.
Do Leoni Cocktail Bar inside Hotel Londra Palace on the Riva degli Schiavoni is the elegant bar overlooking the San Marco basin and the Bacino di San Marco.
Signature drink: Negroni Sbagliato, classic Venetian cocktails
Food: Light dining carte, bar snacks
Tip: Spring-autumn outdoor seating on the Riva is the move. Cocktails from EUR 18. Lunch carte runs noon to 14:30.
Venice Jazz Club in Dorsoduro near Ponte dei Pugni is the city's live-jazz room with two sets nightly, the canonical Venetian jazz-and-cocktail venue since 2010.
Signature drink: Negroni and live-set whisky cocktails
Food: Tapas and aperitivo plates
Tip: Two sets at 21:00 and 22:15; ticket EUR 20 includes one drink. Book online ahead, the room seats 50.
Peak food season in Venice is year-round.
Local dining hours: lunch around 12:30, dinner from 19:30.
service is typically included; small extra is welcome but not expected.
Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Venice rewards trust.