Vecio Fritolin in Venice's Santa Croce since the 19th century is the original fritolin (fried-fish kiosk), selling cartoccio of mixed lagoon fish in a paper cone.
Tip: The bacaro window does cartoccio takeaway for EUR 12. Inside dining is a separate sit-down room. Walk-in works for the fritolin.
Address: Calle della Regina 2262, Santa Croce, 30135 Venezia VE, Venice
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 all day.
Try: Cicchetti and ombre at the counter
Tip: Walk-in only. Order ombre (small glass of wine) plus a francobolli sandwich. Counter pours stop hard at 19:30; arrive by 18:30 for the best cicchetti choice.
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 from market fish.
Try: Cicchetti, polpette and sarde in saor
Tip: Walk-in only. Closes after lunch; arrive 11:30 to 13:00 for the fish-market cicchetti at their best. Sarde in saor and baccala mantecato are obligatory.
Cantina Do Spade in Venice's San Polo near Rialto is one of the city's oldest bacari, mentioned in Casanova's memoirs and now run with a counter of fried lagoon cicchetti.
Try: Cicchetti, fried lagoon fish
Tip: Combines a stand-up bacaro counter with a small dining room. Try the fried moeche when in season (spring) and the polpette al sugo year-round.
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 under EUR 2.
Try: Mini panini and ombre
Tip: Walk-up window only; sit on the church steps with your panino and ombra. Most ombre are EUR 0.80 to EUR 1.50, panini EUR 1 to EUR 2. Cash only.
Al Merca in Venice's San Polo is the tiny walk-up window in Campo Bella Vienna near Rialto where locals stop for the canonical ombra and a mini crostino.
Try: Spritz, ombre, panini and crostini
Tip: No interior space; everyone stands on the campo with their drink. Open early evening for aperitivo, closes hard at 20:00. Spritz EUR 3.50, crostini EUR 1.50.
Osteria al Squero in Venice's Dorsoduro is the canal-side bacaro across from the Squero di San Trovaso gondola yard, where you stand outside with spritz and cicchetti.
Try: Cicchetti by the canal
Tip: Sit on the canal-side bench across the rio from the gondola workshop. Spritz EUR 3.50, cicchetti EUR 2.50. No tables, no bookings.
