Eat well in Venice for under €15 a plate: the locals'-budget edition.
Eat well in Venice for under €15 a plate: the places locals on a budget actually use.
Bacareto Da Lele on Campo dei Tolentini in Venice's Santa Croce is the canonical budget bacaro, with €1 panini and €0.80 ombre served from a window.
Try: Panini and ombra
Tip: Cash only. Walk-up window; sit on the Tolentini church steps with your panino and ombra. Closed Sundays.
Dal Moro's Fresh Pasta To Go in Venice's Castello near San Marco is the takeaway pasta counter for fresh pasta in a box at €7 to 10, the city's dependable.
Try: Fresh pasta in a box
Tip: Lines run round the corner from 12:00; arrive 11:00 or after 14:30. Cash and card. Spaghetti carbonara is the move.
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.
Al Merca on Campo Bella Vienna near Rialto is the tiny walk-up bar where the mini panini cost €1.50 and the spritz €3.50, the canonical campo aperitivo.
Try: Spritz and mini panino
Tip: Closes 20:00. No interior space; the crowd stands on the campo. Cash and card accepted.
Trattoria Bar Pontini in Venice's Cannaregio is the neighbourhood lunchroom locals fill at noon, with a €14 weekday set lunch (primo, secondo.
Try: Set lunch (primo, secondo, acqua)
Tip: Walk-in only. Set lunch weekdays only. Arrive 12:30 for the best seating.
Panificio Volpe Giovanni in Venice's Jewish Ghetto sells kosher pizza al taglio at €2 to 4 per slice plus breads and biscuits, the canonical cheap Cannaregio.
Try: Kosher pizza al taglio, breads
Tip: Cash only. Closed Saturday. The kosher rules limit the cheese options, so toppings are mostly tomato-and-vegetable.
Acqua e Mais on Campiello dei Meloni near Campo San Polo is the street-food window serving Venetian fritto misto in the traditional scartosso (paper cone).
Try: Scartosso paper cone of fried lagoon fish
Tip: Order the small mixed cone of calamari and shrimp with a slice of grilled polenta. Walk-up window only, stand and eat in the campiello.
Majer on Campo Santa Margherita in Venice's Dorsoduro is the bakery-cafe with pizzetta veneziana at €3 and large panini at €7, the campo's cheap lunch.
Try: Pizzetta veneziana and panini
Tip: Walk-in. Open daily 06:30-21:00. Outdoor benches on the campo for free seating.
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.
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.