Il Mercante is a cocktail bar restaurant in Venice.
Il Mercante is speakeasy-style cocktail bar near the frari with seasonal themed menus, hidden behind the day-cafe caffe dei frari that few visitors look past.
Editorially verified June 1, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Why locals love it: Speakeasy-style cocktail bar near the Frari with seasonal themed menus, hidden behind the day-cafe Caffe dei Frari that few visitors look past.
Tip: Resy bookings. The seasonal menu refresh runs four times a year; the spice-trade-themed pours are the move.
Address: Fondamenta dei Frari 2564, 30125 Venezia, Venice
Osteria Anice Stellato (Italian) in Venice: Book a canal-side terrace table in summer. Closed Mondays. Bigoli in salsa and marinated anchovies are the moves.
Why locals love it: Tucked on Fondamenta de la Sensa in far Cannaregio, the canal-side dining room is a 25-minute walk from San Marco that most visitors never reach.
Tip: Book a canal-side terrace table in summer. Closed Mondays. Bigoli in salsa and marinated anchovies are the moves.
CoVino is twelve seats, no signage and a daily-changing five-course slow food presidia tasting menu most tourists never find off calle del pestrin.
Why locals love it: Twelve seats, no signage and a daily-changing five-course Slow Food Presidia tasting menu most tourists never find off Calle del Pestrin.
Tip: 12 seats total. Email a week ahead for booking. Set five-course menu only at dinner.
Vino Vero is canal-side natural-wine room on the locals' cannaregio aperitivo strip, full of venetians at 19:00 and almost no tourists who haven't been told.
Why locals love it: Canal-side natural-wine room on the locals' Cannaregio aperitivo strip, full of Venetians at 19:00 and almost no tourists who haven't been told.
Tip: Canal-side outside seating fills up by 19:00 in summer. Ask for the orange-wine flight from the Friulian section.
Osteria al Squero in Venice's Dorsoduro sits on a rio bench across from the Squero di San Trovaso gondola yard, spritz at €3.50 and cicchetti €2.50.
Why locals love it: Locals stand outside on the rio bench across from the Squero di San Trovaso gondola repair yard, a side-canal corner most tourists walk past.
Tip: Sit on the canal-side bench facing the gondola workshop. Spritz €3.50, cicchetti €2.50.
Trattoria Bar Pontini is cannaregio neighbourhood lunchroom locals fill at noon, with no english menu and a €14 weekday set lunch under most tourist radars.
Why locals love it: Cannaregio neighbourhood lunchroom locals fill at noon, with no English menu and a €14 weekday set lunch under most tourist radars.
Tip: Walk-in only. Set lunch weekdays only. Arrive 12:30 for the best seating.
Cantinone Gia Schiavi in Venice's Dorsoduro is the De Rossi family bacaro since 1944 at Ponte San Trovaso, taccole crostino eaten standing on the bridge.
Why locals love it: De Rossi family bacaro since 1944 in Dorsoduro at the foot of Ponte San Trovaso, where locals stand on the bridge with their crostini.
Tip: Eat your crostini standing on the bridge; the bar inside is tiny. Closed Sunday afternoons. The taccole crostino is the move.
