11 Best Restaurants in Venice, Italy

A mainstay for anyone living or working in the area, this beautiful, family-run, 19th-century bacaro across from the squero (gondola boatyard) of San Trovaso has original furnishings and one of the city's best wine cellars, and the walls are covered floor to ceiling with bottles for purchase. The cicheti here are some of the most inventive—and freshest—in Venice (feel free to compliment the signora, who makes them up to twice a day); everything's eaten standing up, as there's no seating. Try the crostini-style layers of bread, smoked swordfish, and slivers of raw zucchini, or pungent slices of Parmesan, fig, pistachio, and toast. They also have a creamy version of baccalà mantecato spiced with herbs, and there are nearly a dozen open bottles of wine for experimenting at the bar. You'll have no trouble spotting the Cantinone as you approach; it's the one with throngs of chatty patrons enjoying themselves. Avoid the temptation to sit on the bridge's steps -- this is a common touristic behavior that inconveniences, and thus annoys, anybody who needs to pass.

Swing by this pint-sized wine bar for cicheti and crostini that are just a bit different and fresher than what you'll find elsewhere, along with a fine selection of natural wines. Though there's not much space inside, try to snag one of the coveted seats by the canal.

Almost an institution, the "Tiny Anchovy" (as the name translates) doubles as a pizzeria-trattoria, but the real reason for coming is the bar's tasty cicheti (finger foods), like the eponymous anchovy minipizzas, the arancioni (stuffed fried rice balls), and the polpette (meatballs or croquettes). Wines by the glass change daily, but there is always a good selection of local wines on hand, as well as some Tuscan and Piedmontese choices thrown in for good measure. 

It's easy to spot this tiny bacaro shoved into a corner of the campo adjoining Campo San Giacometto just beyond the Rialto markets: it's the one mobbed with chatty patrons—dressed in suits, jeans, or travel wear, shouldering messenger bags or backpacks, with strollers or carts loaded with market acquisitions—each with a glowing spritz or glass of wine in hand. Step up to the banco (counter, or bar), scan the chalkboards for the lists of wines (whites on the left, reds on the right), then choose from the myriad cicheti (meat, tuna, or eggplant croquettes; crostini and panini with imaginative combos of radicchio, artichokes, fish, sopressa (premium salami), ossocollo (cured pork), and more) in the glass case.

Locals drop into this friendly bacaro to explore wines from this region and elsewhere in Italy, which accompany a carefully chosen selection of meats, cheeses, and other food from small, artisanal producers, used in tasty panini like the porchetta romane verdure (roasted pork with greens) and in elegant cold platters. A young, friendly staff reel off the day's specials with ease. There are a few tables in the intimate back room, and when the weather cooperates, you can sit outdoors on the lively campo, watching the Venetian world go by.

Just because it's noon and you only have enough time between sights for a sandwich doesn't mean that it can't be a satisfying, even awe-inspiring, one. There's no menu at All'Arco, but a scan of what's behind the glass counter is all you need; order what entices you, or have Roberto or Matteo (father and son) suggest a cicheto or panino. Options here are broad enough to satisfy both conservative and adventurous eaters. Wine choices are well suited to the food. Arrive early or at the tail end of lunchtime to snag one of the few tables set out in the calle.

This is the original bacaro, in business continually since 1462; cramped but warm and cozy under hanging antique copper pots, it has served generations of workers from the Rialto markets. In addition to young local whites and reds, the well-stocked cellar offers reserve labels, many available by the glass; between sips you can choose to munch the wide range of cicheti on offer, or a few tiny well-stuffed tramezzini, appropriately called francobolli (postage stamps). Don't leave without tasting the delicious baccalà mantecato, with or without garlic and parsley. If you choose to create a light lunch, snag one of the few stools at the bar that line the wall across from the banco. Atmosphere comes at a price; the cost is higher than comparable bacari.

Loads of travelers happily "discover" this relatively new arrival on the bacaro scene traversing west from the Rialto markets, and a fortunate find it is. It's easy to make a light meal of the inspired bites offered here; the difficult part is choosing among crostini and panini of lardo e rucola, radicchio and alici (fresh anchovy), spicy Neapolitan sausage, and duck breast with truffle oil. It's an optimum locale for Tre-Venezie wine tasting, too: from regional reds like Raboso and Refosco to the aromatics of Trentino–Alto Adige; if you're lucky you can grab one of the outdoor tables. See if you can spot the zemei (gemelli, or twins, in Venetian) Giovanni and Franco, for whom this spot is named.

At this contemporary cantina and hip hangout in a very Venetian neighborhood, the owner pairs enthusiastically chosen wines and artisanal beers with select meat, savory cheese, and seasonal vegetable combos. With outside-only seating (not particularly comfortable), it's more appropriate for an aperitivo and a light meal. In temperate weather, this tiny enoteca's exuberance bubbles out into the city's broadest street well into the late evening. It's named after a play by turn-of-the-20th-century emancipated lady Amalia Rosselli—look for the framed title page inside.

Venetians from the neighborhood frequent this friendly bacaro, not just for a glass of very drinkable wine, but also because of its excellent selection of traditional Venetian cicheti for lunch. There's a large assortment of sandwiches and panini, as well as luscious tidbits like grilled vegetables, breaded and fried sardines and shrimp, and a superb version of baccalà mantecato, along with Venetian working-class specialties, such as musetto (a sausage made from pigs' snouts served warm with polenta) and nervetti (veal tendons with lemon and parsley). These dishes are worth trying at least once when in Venice, and Do Colonne offers the best musetto in town.

Nibble on a selection of cicheti or a cheese or meat plate at this cozy wine bar on Campo San Severo, near the Basilica dei Frari. You can either dine inside the brick-walled, Murano glass–chandeliered space, or watch the gondolas sail by at a table outdoors next to the quiet adjacent Severno canal.