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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 09 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Nicky Swallow

Dishes, both fish and meat-based, are seasonal, prepared with the minimum of fuss and often dressed with just olive oil, a little lemon and seasoning. In spring and summer, menus feature abundant fresh vegetables, many sourced from the  island of Sant’Erasmo.

You’ll find unique ingredients in Venetian restaurants such as moeche (soft-shelled crabs), and schie (tiny grey prawns).

Meals are traditionally divided into antipasti (starters), primi (soup, pasta), secondi (meat, fish) and dolce (dessert).

What to try

Venetian specialities include baccalà mantecato (creamed salt cod), sarde in soar (sardines with onions and vinegar) and seppie  (inky black squid) with polenta. Fegato alla Veneziana (liver with onions) and beef carpaccio are good choices for non-fish eaters. Also see Nicky’s round-up of the traditional Italian foods you must try in Italy.

Cichetti are Venetian tapas, tasty morsels to whet the appetite and soak up a glass of wine or two. A plate of cichetti 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.

Veneto wines are among Italy’s best. Reds include Valpolicella,  Bardolino and the hefty Amarone while whites include Prosecco, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Manzoni Bianco.

Spritz, the ubiquitous orange-coloured aperitivo, is a Venetian institution;  served on ice with a green olive and a slice of orange, it is made with Aperol, Campari or Select (a Venetian bitter) plus prosecco and a squirt of soda.

The dining scene

Like all cities, Venice has its share of white-cloth, Michelin starred establishments serving (pricey) gourmet riffs on the traditional cuisine. Locals mainly eat at simple neighbourhood trattorias, serving hearty home-cooked local food.

Cicheti are traditionally served in a bacaro (wine bar), which also offer wines by the glass; Venetians eat cichetti before lunch or dinner, usually standing at the bar.

Avoid anywhere touting a set ‘menu turistico’.

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

Getting there & doing it

In Venice, it pays to steer clear of the most touristy areas to avoid inflated prices and mediocre food. Instead, wander through some of the quieter neighbourhoods (along the Fondamenta Misericordia in northern Canareggio, in and around Via Garibaldi in Castello, the area in and around  the Zattere in Dorsoduro) to find places where Venetians go to eat and drink.

Venetian resident Monica’s blog about life and food in Venice is a reliable and interesting source of information about the city, and has excellent foodie recommendations.

A fun way to enjoy the cicheti tradition and to sample the wide variety on offer is to take a cicheti crawl.

When to do it

Venice is not a late-night city; normal dinner time is 7.30pm or 8pm (maybe  8.30 in high summer), and the streets in all but the most central areas are often deserted by 11pm. Cicheti are traditionally eaten before lunch (from around noon) or dinner (from around 6pm). A Spritz works at almost any time of the day!

Cicchetti Crawl

Venice, Veneto, Italy

Cicchetti are Venetian tapas, traditionally served in a bacaro (wine bar), and often eaten by the Venetians before lunch or dinner. Take a cicchetti tour – guided or independent –  and sample these weird and wonderful dishes.

Best for ages: 13+ | £0

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Coffee at Café Florian
Experience

Coffee at Café Florian

Venice, Veneto, Italy

Dating from 1720, world-famous Florian’s is a jewel-box of a café, all mirrors, stuccoes and frescoes. Join the locals perched at the bar rather than pay way over the odds for a table seat where a simple espresso is likely to set you back €10.

Best for ages: 13+ | Free

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Drogheria Mascari
Experience

Drogheria Mascari

Venice, Veneto, Italy

A perfect place for foodie gifts, this deliciously retro grocery shop sells a fabulous range of exotic spices, dried fruits and mushrooms plus wines, olive oil and vinegars from all over Italy. The range of coffees and teas is also excellent.

Best for ages: 13+ | Free

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Locanda Cipriani
Experience

Locanda Cipriani

Venice, Veneto, Italy

For a special lunch on a beautiful garden terrace, hop over to Torcello and this iconic restaurant; Ernest Hemmingway and Princess Diana were fans. People come for the peaceful, bucolic setting as much as the food – pasta with scampi and seabass with artichokes, maybe.

Best for ages: 18+ | £30

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

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

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

Venice

Soak up your way through speechless views of the city during this 2.5-hour street food tour around the best spots of Venice. Explore the nar...

€42 | Rating 4.55 / 5 [9 ratings]

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Venice Street Food Tour with Local Guide with Local Food Market Visit

Venice Street Food Tour with Local Guide with Local Food Market Visit

Venice

Taste delicious specialties and visit the highlights of the city on waters. This 2.5 hour small group tour is led by a local top-rated guide...

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Venetian Cicchetti Street Food & Sightseeing Walking Tour with local guide

Venetian Cicchetti Street Food & Sightseeing Walking Tour with local guide

Venice

When you think about Italy, you think about the Sea and the Food, you think about Venice and Rome so there is no better way to dive right in...

€44 | Rating 4.65 / 5 [44 ratings]

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Tapas & Wines through secret Venice

Tapas & Wines through secret Venice

Venice

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM THE TOUR? - Visit 2 authentic "bacari" (the traditional bars in Venice): a variety of tapas and 3 wines I...

€69 | Rating 4.89 / 5 [67 ratings]

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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.

Official star rating:

Belmond Cipriani

Venice, Veneto, Italy

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.

Official star rating:

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.

Official star rating:

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.

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Venice

Veneto, Italy

Crammed with picturesque canals, Renaissance palazzos and artistic masterpieces, this unique and alluring city is heaven-on-earth for art lovers and romantics.

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