A Guide to Bacari in Venice

Enjoying a leisurely gondola ride around San Marco and marveling at the Ponte de Rialto are all part of the Venetian experience, but making time to discover the finest bacari in Venice is equally important! A bacaro is a traditional haunt for local wines and cicchetti, the city’s unique take on tapas.

During the itinerary planning phase of my Venice food tours, I always try to include a visit to a bacaro. Between the tiny, jam-packed bar area, bite-sized cicchetto, and tasty ombra (a local name for a small glass of wine), visiting bacari in Venice is somewhat of a cultural encounter.

Dig into mouthwatering Italian food and sip fine wines at these must-visit bacari in Venice.

Top Bacari to Visit

Bacaro Risorto

Photo credit: Bacaro Risorto

Bacaro Risorto in Castello is as snug and inviting as bacari go. The interior of this compact bar consists of glossy red panels, rustic wooden features, and red brick walls.

If it’s your first time trying cicchetti, I can’t recommend this place enough, as the staff can guide you through each variety. I’m partial to their baccalà mantecato, a thick salt cod spread, and prefer to enjoy it with a natural pinot grigio from the Veneto region.

Baccalà mantecato is often served with polenta, but here, it was teamed with some freshly baked crostini. I loved that the citrussy minerality of the wine brought out the dish’s salty flavors and how the chunky, garlic-infused mixture was creamy yet so light.

Bacaro Risorto (€€) – Campo S. Provolo, 4700, 30122 Venezia VE, Italy – Open every day from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Vino Vero

Photo credit: Vino Vero

Vino Vero is a tiny canal-side wine bar in Cannaregio that specializes in natural wines. There are only a handful of seats inside at this chic vintage-style spot, but like most people, I was more than happy to feast on my cicchetti on the patio.

Prosecco isn’t typically my go-to when I’m stopping at bacari in Venice, but the selection of sparkling wines was so extensive here that I simply had to try some. I opted for the Bollicina, which I ordered alongside some crostini, one topped with eggplant and the other with octopus.

The eggplant was mild and tender, and the sprinkling of tomatoes gave it some zest. As tasty as it was, the lightly salty, paprika-infused octopus was the winner for me, and it was a great match for the bright apple and floral flavors of prosecco’s delicate bubbles.

Vino Vero (€€) – Fondamenta de la Misericordia, 2497, 30100 Venezia VE, Italy – Open every Monday to Thursday and Sunday from 12:00 pm to 12:00 am, Friday and Saturday from 12:00 pm to 1:00 am.

Cantina Do Spade

Photo credit: Cantina Do Spade

Near the Rialto Market in San Polo is Cantina Do Spade, a quaint but vibrant osteria with some delicious cicchetti.

I was looking for a glass of white wine when I pulled up a chair in their homely indoor area, and the bartender suggested the friulano. After going back and forth between the sarde in saor and polpette, I decided to get one of each.

The first cicchetto I sampled was the briny deep-fried sardines, and the salty flavors were a lovely contrast to the sour onions. When I moved on to the meatballs, I was met with a mix of rich, herby tomato and juicy beef that went down surprisingly well with the wine’s fruity aromas and grassy notes.

Cantina Do Spade (€€) – San Polo, 859, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy – Open every day from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm and from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

Bar All’Arco

Bar All’Arco in San Polo is just steps from the Rialto Bridge. This is actually among the most famous bacari in Venice, and I’d been meaning to try it for quite some time, though I only made it here pretty recently.

Like most bacari, Bar All’Arco is impossibly small inside, with retro wood-beamed ceilings and a clutch of tables. More people seemed to be drinking Aperol spritz than wine, so I ordered one for myself while deciding between the artichoke hearts and crostini with anchovies.

I went for the latter and was greeted with some of the most flavorful anchovies I’ve ever had. Packed with fishy, umami undertones, these smooth anchovies complemented the tangy cream cheese and crunchy crostini. Meanwhile, the spritz was refreshing with bittersweet and citrus flavors.

Bar All’Arco (€€) – S. Polo, 436, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy – Open every Monday and Tuesday and from Thursday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm.

Al Timon

Photo credit: Al Timon

Some of the best cicchetti in Cannaregio can be found in Al Timon. Unlike most bacari in Venice, Al Timon doubles as a restaurant, though I have to admit, I think their cicchetti offerings are what these guys do best.

I arrived at this elegant but cozy spot around dusk and decided to catch the sunset from one of their waterfront tables. All their cicchetti looked incredible, but I wanted to keep it simple, so I stuck to crostinis with classic toppings like prosciutto and tuna to accompany my pinot noir.

There’s something about this pinot noir’s combination of light, berry-like notes and subtle leather touches that I loved. So much so that I ordered a second glass!

The crostini were also superb. Each piece of bread was so fluffy with a hint of chewiness, and the sweet, silky prosciutto and buttery tuna had soft but punchy flavors. What I really enjoyed was the layer of nutty, savory brie that was paired with the prosciutto.

Al Timon (€€) – Fondamenta dei Ormesini, 2754, 30121 Venezia VE, Italy – Open every day from 4:00 pm to 1:00 am.

Conclusion

Whether you have one week or just one day in Venice, you need to make time for a quick bacaro tour around some of these charming taverns. Trust me, this is one Venetian tradition you won’t want to miss out on, and you can find these lively bars in each sestiere, or district, in the city.