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.
Cicchetti and the bacaro tradition emerged in Venice in the late Middle Ages, when the city's working-class taverns served small plates to dock workers who could not afford a full sit-down meal. The format codified through the 19th and early 20th centuries: a small glass of cheap wine (an ombra, from the medieval Venetian dialect for shadow) plus a few cicchetti. Cantina Do Mori (operating since 1462, the oldest continuously running bacaro in Venice), Osteria All'Arco and Bacareto Da Lele all serve the canonical format.
3 editor picks for Cicchetti in Venice, ranked by editorial score. All Venice signature dishes · Cicchetti across every city.
Osteria All'Arco ★ 4.8
Calle Arco 436, San Polo, 30125 Venezia VE
Osteria All'Arco near Rialto Pescheria in Venice's San Polo is the Francesco and Matteo Pinto father-and-son bacaro, the local benchmark for cicchetti.
Cantina Do Mori ★ 4.7
Sestiere San Polo 429, 30125 Venezia VE
Cantina Do Mori in Venice's San Polo is the city's oldest bacaro, open since 1462 near Rialto, with a counter of francobolli sandwiches and ombre poured.
Bacareto Da Lele ★ 4.6
Campo dei Tolentini 183, Santa Croce, 30135 Venezia VE
Bacareto Da Lele in Venice's Santa Croce near Piazzale Roma is the canal-side bacaro the students fill on the Tolentini church steps, ombre and panini.