The Ultimate Cicchetti in Venice Food Tour for 2022
The best way to experience the Venice food scene is through a Cicchetti in Venice Food Tour.
In a congested, disney-like island filled with endless canals, you might be quick to think the food scene is overrated. But you would be wrong. Venice is stuffed with tiny bars, known as Bacari- which serve bite sized snacks, usually a mix of veggies, seafood, cheese or meat on a piece of bread, known as cicchetti… and they are amazing!
We have put together the best DIY cicchetti bar crawl for you, that we did back in September 2021. The best part about a DIY tour is you get to choose how long the tour is- it can be a quick 1/1.5 hour tour or you can take your time and make it last five hours… or longer!
We suggest starting around noon and taking your time to enjoy each place, sightsee around Venice and enjoy a relaxing day of eating.
Osteria All’Arco
Phil Rosenthal hosts a show on Netflix called “Somebody Feed Phil” and in one of the episodes he explores Venice. So, naturally, we had to check out the spots he went to. And that is how we arrived at our first stop on our cicchetti in Venice food tour: Osteria All’Arco.
This was definitely the spot to be on a Friday afternoon. It was PACKED with locals, who seemed to leave work for lunch… and never return. Don’t expect a place to sit down here, there is only one table and it will most likely be taken when you arrive. Instead, find a spot outside to stand and immerse yourself among the crowd of locals.
All’Arco is known for their veggie cicchetti, so we recommend trying one of those. We tried Codfish Mousse, Prosciutto & Fig, and Fried Fish with tomato and a local cheese. The mousse is an acquired taste, but a local favorite so give it a try!
Hours:
From Thursday to Tuesday
9:00AM - 2:30PM
Cantina Do Spade
Walk about 1 minute and you will find stop number two on our Cicchetti in Venice food tour. Cantina Do Spade is famous for their fried cicchetti, so of course we got everything fried!
This cozy spot has tables, but they are reserved for lunch. Since you will just be eating cicchetti, skip the line of people waiting for a table and go directly to the bar. Order your cicchetti and an aperol spritz or white wine then head outside to eat. If you are lucky (like we were!), there is a bench outside where you can sit and enjoy your treats.
We indulged in a Zucchini and Cod Fritter, a Tomato Mozzarella Fried Ball, Carne Polpette (fried meatball) and a Deviled Egg with Anchovies. Everything was tasty, but how could you really go wrong with anything that is fried? The best one was the fried carne meatball- so make sure to try that one!
Hours:
From Monday to Sunday
10:00AM - 3:00PM
6:00PM - 10.00PM
Cantina Do Mori
Cantina Do Mori is another bacari we heard about from Phil… or so we thought. Turns out we actually went here on our very first trip to Venice in 2017 and didn’t realize until we walked in!
It turns out that it is one of the oldest taverns in Venice, dating back to 1492. It feels like you stepped back in time with the traditional Venetian decor. They are famous for “francobollo.” It consists of a tiny square sandwich made with soft bread and stuffed with crab meat, shrimp or fresh meat cuts. The best part is they are only €1 each! Of course they were sold out when we went, but I heard they are very good, so hopefully you can snag one when you come.
We tried a Polpette, Prosciutto & Melon (a must!), Fried Eggplant with Cheese and a regular Meatball.
You will find plenty of seating here, as the bar is bigger than the rest. Take your time here and enjoy as many cicchetti as you can eat and a glass of wine or two!
From Monday to Saturday
8:00AM - 8:00PM
Basegò
After eating and drinking at three spots, you will probably start to feel a little full. Lucky for you the next stop on the best Cichetti in Venice food tour is Basegò, which is about a 10-15 minute walk. If you feel full, take your time walking here and explore a little bit of Venice. See some famous canals, explore the town square or walk across one of the many famous bridges. Then when you are feeling hungry again, head to Basegò.
Basegò is a more modern Bacari. They feature fancier ciccheti, which are delicious!
We tried a Pesto, Cheese, Prosciutto & Tomato, a Roast Beef, Tomato & Balsamic (my favorite!) and a Radish purée with Cheese & Balsamic. Fancy and tasty!
Make sure to sit outside in the adorable square, as it tends to get lively in the afternoon and is the perfect spot for people watching.
Hours:
From Monday to Sunday
9:00AM - 10:00PM
Cantine del Vino già Schiavi
We certainly saved the best for last! Cantine del Vino Già Schiavi is another recommendation from Phil and probably the best one. It is very underwhelming on the inside, but the cicchetti and the view outside are incredible.
The amount of cicchetti options will overwhelm you, but that’s what makes it so much fun! We opted for trying five: Blue cheese & Balsamic, Cream cheese with Chives & Lox, Fresh Tomato & Mozzarella, Prosciutto with Peppers & Olives and Tuna with Cocoa dusted on top. Yes, tuna with chocolate- sounds extremely weird, but is actually incredible. They are famous for it here, so give it a try!
The best part is the view! Right outside is one of the many gorgeous canals that you find all over Venice. It truly is the perfect spot to enjoy yummy cicchetti, an Aperol Spritz and watch the sun go down, after a long day of exploring and eating.
Hours:
From Monday to Saturday
8:30AM - 8:30PM
There simply could not be a better day than exploring the tiny streets of Venice, while chowing down on cicchetti and sipping delicious Aperol Spritz (or wine). Try our DIY Cichetti in Venice Food Tour for yourself and let us know how you enjoyed it!
Still in the process of planning your trip to Italy? We can be of help! Below are more guides on the best of Italy, plus our favorite sites to use when planning our trips.