Bacari and cicchetti in Venice: how to enjoy an authentic Venetian aperitivo

In Venice, an aperitivo is much more than a drink before dinner. It is a tradition enjoyed every day in small taverns, over glasses of wine and bites of local food. To discover it, you need to get to know the city's bacari: traditional Venetian wine bars where people gather for an ombra of wine and the small savoury dishes known as cicchetti.

Visiting bacari is also a way to explore Venice through its flavours and neighbourhoods, combining food stops with walks through narrow streets and lively squares. You can follow a traditional route on foot or combine tastings with a private cruise along the city's canals.

What is a Venetian bacaro? The tradition of ombra and cicchetti

A bacaro is a traditional Venetian tavern, usually quite small, where wine is served with bite-sized local specialities. The atmosphere is informal and sociable: people stop at the counter for a glass, exchange a few words and often continue to another bar.

This custom gave rise to the bacaro tour, a route through several taverns where visitors sample different specialities, accompanied by an ombra of wine, a spritz or another drink.

The Venetian expression ombra de vin means a glass of wine. It is one of the terms most closely associated with bacaro culture, along with cicheto, the Venetian word behind the Italian term cicchetto.

Unlike a conventional aperitivo, the Venetian version does not necessarily revolve around a single venue or a long stay at one table. Part of the pleasure is moving between bacari, discovering different flavours, surroundings and corners of the city.

Venetian cicchetti: traditional specialities to try

Cicchetti are small savoury dishes, generally served in portions designed to accompany a drink. They might be crostini, meatballs, seafood specialities or small servings inspired by classic Venetian recipes.

Among the best known are crostini with baccalà mantecato, made by whipping stockfish until creamy, and sarde in saor, a traditional dish of sardines flavoured with sweet-and-sour onions.

Meat or fish balls, fried snacks and crostini topped with ingredients that change from one bar to another and with the seasons are also common.

There is no identical selection in every bacaro. Each tavern has its own specialities, and this variety is precisely what makes visiting several venues on the same outing so rewarding.

Choosing a drink is part of the experience too. Alongside a traditional glass of wine, you will find spritzes and wines from the Veneto region, often served with cicchetti.

Where to find bacari in Venice: Cannaregio, San Polo and Dorsoduro

Bacari can be found throughout Venice's historic districts, known as sestieri, but some areas are particularly suitable for combining local food with exploring the city.

Cannaregio is one of the most interesting districts for discovering this tradition. Between Strada Nova, the canal-side fondamenta and the narrow streets leading towards the Jewish Ghetto, you will find taverns frequented by residents as well as visitors. Walking along the canals provides an opportunity to alternate food stops with less monumental yet revealing views of everyday Venetian life.

San Polo, around Rialto and its historic market, has particularly strong ties to commerce and the city's food traditions. Here, bacaro culture is part of a setting of small shops, squares and old trading routes.

Dorsoduro offers a different atmosphere, from the lively Campo Santa Margherita to quieter canal-side paths. It is a district where a cultural walk can easily be combined with a few aperitivo stops.

The best route depends on how much time you have and the type of experience you want. Rather than trying to visit as many bars as possible, it is worth paying attention to the places you pass through and the specialities on offer.

The bacaro tour: a journey through Venetian flavours and traditions

A bacaro tour usually involves visiting several traditional taverns, with opportunities to taste cicchetti and drinks along the way. It can be organised independently or with someone who can introduce you to Venice's local food culture.

The best time depends on the opening habits of the individual bars and your chosen itinerary. Late afternoon is particularly suited to the aperitivo atmosphere, although some bacari serve cicchetti earlier in the day.

A bacaro tour can also be an opportunity to discover the history of the districts you visit. Rialto, Cannaregio and Dorsoduro each reveal a different aspect of everyday life in Venice and are well suited to exploration on a private guided walking tour.

There is also a less conventional way to enjoy this tradition: travelling between bacari by water.

A Venetian aperitivo on the canals aboard a private boat

In Venice, waterways are an integral part of the urban landscape. That is why a food-focused itinerary takes on a different character when visits to bacari are combined with a boat ride.

Cruising through smaller canals lets you see palaces, bridges and waterfront walkways from a perspective that is quite different from walking. Along the canals of Cannaregio and Dorsoduro, you can discover a more intimate side of Venice, where the journey by boat becomes part of the experience rather than simply a way of getting from one stop to the next.

A private boat also means sharing the route only with your own party, taking time both to discover the canals and to enjoy the tastings.

It is a distinctive way to experience a bacaro tour, bringing together two deeply Venetian traditions: the sociability of aperitivo and the city's everyday relationship with the water.

Discover the private Bacaro Tour with VIP Venice Tours

VIP Venice Tours offers an experience combining Venice's canals with its local food and wine traditions.

The private water taxi Bacaro Tour takes place aboard an elegant wooden boat, on an approximately two-hour itinerary through smaller canals with two stops at selected bacari.

The route includes cruising through the Cannaregio and Dorsoduro areas and sampling cicchetti accompanied by wine or aperitivo drinks, with a dedicated guide and a boat reserved for your group.

It is designed for visitors who want to experience a Venetian tradition while discovering the city from a less familiar perspective.

Discover the private water taxi Bacaro Tour through Venice's canals and explore the details of this aperitivo experience on the water.