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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 11 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Nicky Swallow

Cicchetti are Venetian tapas, tasty morsels to whet the appetite and soak up a glass of wine or two. They are traditionally served in a bacaro (wine bar), which also offers wines by the glass; Venetians eat cichetti before lunch or dinner, usually standing at the bar. A plate of cicchetti is one of the cheapest ways to fill up in this expensive city; 6 or 7 make a light meal, and at an average price of €2, along with a glass of inexpensive local wine, that’s a bargain.

A fun way to enjoy this tradition is to plan a tour of different bacari, tasting a couple of cicchetti in each. Expect polpette (fried meat balls), baccalà mantecato (creamed salt cod), a whole variety of weird and wonderful seafood, and lots more.

While you’re there

Just across the canal from the Cantinone (a popular bacaro in Dorsoduro) is a working squero (a gondola-building yard). It’s not open to the public, but you can easily see the artisans at work across the canal.

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Price from: £-
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around
Duration: -

Getting there & doing it

First, do your research (read the guide books, ask at your hotel or look up local food bloggers such as Monica Ceserato, to find out where the best bacari are and plan your route; by foot is by far the best way of get around. Some recommendations: All’Arco and Bancogiro (Rialto), El Refolo (Castello), Alla Vedova (Cannaregio) and Cantinone (Dorsoduro).

You can also sign up for guided ‘cichetti tours’ that will help you navigate the bacari and their weird and wonderful dishes. This may involve quite a lot of walking, so wear comfortable shoes.

Cichetti cost anything between €1.50 and €3 per portion or piece; a glass of local wine will cost from €3. Tours will normally include all food and drink.

When to do it

Cichetti are served year round; off-season, the bacari will be less crowded and most of the punters will be Venetian. For the best choice of dishes, and to avoid the lunch or dinner time rush, go early (12 noon or 6.30pm).

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Venice: Aperitif & Cicchetti Tasting and Walking Tour

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Tasty Street Food Tour of Venice City Center with Cicchetti & Local Specialties

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Venetian Cicchetti Street Food & Sightseeing Walking Tour with local guide

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Venice Jewish Ghetto small group tour with SPRITZ and CICCHETTI tasting

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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Ca Maria Adele

Venice, Veneto, Italy

Perfect for a honeymoon or other  romantic celebrations, this intimate, stylish and sophisticated bolt-hole lies just across a pretty bridge from the Salute church in artsy Dorsoduro. The rooms are extravagant and sexy, the service personalised and charming.

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Belmond Cipriani

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A legendary 5-star resort hotel that combines the beauties of La Serenissima with A-grade facilities and service. Its dreamy Giudecca location is a boon when the calle of Venice’s historic centre are clogged with tourists in high season.

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Hotel Corte di Gabriela

Venice, Veneto, Italy

An 11-room boutique hotel with a lovely courtyard, personalised service and a centralissima location within easy reach of the Accademia, the Rialto and Piazza San Marco. The contemporary, design-led interior provides a refreshing contrast to the usual flock wallpaper and swathes of brocade.

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Gritti Palace

Venice, Veneto, Italy

The grandest Dame of Venice’s classic hotels and wonderfully opulent, the Gritti lords it over the Grand Canal from a superb spot across from the Salute church and just 10 minutes’ walk from Piazza San Marco.

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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

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