The full shortlist of places to eat and drink in Venice, grouped by neighbourhood: bacari near the Rialto, trattorias around St. Mark's, Dorsoduro's osterias, Cannaregio's bars, splurges with a view, market picnics and gelato. The [where to eat chapter](where-to-eat) explains the habits and the traps before you go.
Last updated August 8, 2026
The lanes around the Rialto Bridge hold the densest concentration of good eating in the city, from serious restaurants just off the Strada Nova to market-side snack bars. The first group sits north of the bridge in Cannaregio - proper restaurants where a table should be booked in advance.
A bright, wood-paneled classic run with obvious pride - the current owner carries on his mother's passion for traditional Venetian cooking and the freshest ingredients. Comfortable seating both inside and out, half a block off Santi Apostoli.
A venerable local favorite respected for its traditional cuisine. It is compact yet romantic: a tiny cicchetti bar by the door where regulars stand and sip, and dressy tables squeezed into the tight quarters beyond. From the Ca' d'Oro stop, cross the Strada Nova and follow the small lane to del Pistor.
The pricier option on this stretch: a traditional Venetian menu served in a classy but genuinely welcoming room that mixes old and contemporary touches. Four blocks from the Ca' d'Oro stop on San Felice, behind the church on Campo San Felice.
Hidden down an unmarked alley, this hideaway opens onto its own little courtyard on the Grand Canal, 100 meters from the Rialto Bridge. You dine by candlelight under brick vaults and old timbers, often to mellow live jazz, and the Venetian mixed-fish appetizer plate is a hit. Find it via the lane between Burger King and Bacaro Bar, near San Giovanni Crisostomo church. tavernaremer.com.
East of the bridge, in the tangle of lanes running toward Campo Santa Maria Formosa, the pace gets quicker and cheaper - a neighborhood cafeteria, a couple of small osterias and a great market-side cicchetti crawl.
A neighborhood institution - a tavola calda where you pick hot cooked dishes straight from the buffet line in a bright, practical diner: salads, fried mozzarella, pastas, seafood and more, all at fair prices. From San Bartolomeo, follow the neon-green Rosticceria sign through the passageway.
More than a rough cicchetti bar - an enoteca gastronomica pairing fine dishes with fine wines, a serious by-the-glass list and a jazzy interior on its own tiny, tranquil square.
A modern little bar drawing a young crowd with good, clearly priced cicchetti - push past the smokers at the door for a spot at the stand-up barrel inside, since there's no table seating.
Old school, with clearly marked and priced little dishes at the counter and two floors of table seating.
A small, hugely popular neighborhood eatery where the house wine is a bargain and the cicchetti (€1–4) are excellent - best around 18:00, picked over by 21:00. The six tables are reserved for diners ordering from the blackboard-fresh menu, so book if you want to sit. Daily 11:30–15:00 & 17:30–22:00, on de la Malvasia at Castello 6015.
A long-standing standby midway between Santi Apostoli and Campo San Zanipolo, next to the Ponte de la Panada bridge. Locals fill it at lunch, visitors in the evening; the woody, characterful rooms serve excellent daily specials of seafood and pasta with a good house wine. Reserve at night and ask for the front room. Daily 12:00–15:00 & 18:30–22:00, Cannaregio 5401.
Two blocks inland from the Rialto Market, a 100-yard stretch along Sotoportego dei Do Mori and Calle de le Do Spade is the city's classic cicchetti crawl: rough-edged bars serving wine by the glass and toothpick snacks, at their best around noon. Expect about €1 for an ombra of house wine, around €3 for something finer, and about €2 per cicchetto. They get unworkably crowded later in the evening, most serve food all day, and a couple work fine as sit-down restaurants from their rustic menus.
| Bar | Vibe | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Bar all'Arco | Busy one-room joint | Mostly crostini, small open-faced sandwiches; Thu–Tue 10:00–14:30, closed Wed; Campo San Polo 436 |
| Cantina Do Mori | Storied, gruff, atmospheric | Toothpick snacks and francobolli - tiny mayo-laced sandwiches nicknamed 'stamps'; Mon–Sat 8:00–19:30, closed Sun; Calle Do Mori, San Polo 430 |
| Osteria ai Storti | Sit-down friendly | Tables inside and on the street, €2 fried bites, a 1909 photo of the market on the wall; San Polo 819 |
| Cantina Do Spade | Old school | Clearly listed cicchetti (mostly deep-fried) and wines of the day; also good for restaurant-style sit-down meals; +39 041 521 0583, San Polo 860 |
The most storied bar on the strip, serving since 1462 - a dark, atmospheric room with a staggering spread of toothpick snacks and francobolli, the tiny mayo-laced sandwiches nicknamed 'stamps.' The famously gruff service is part of the experience. One warning: the prices add up quickly, so keep an eye on what you take. 430.
A historic bacaro where Casanova used to eat - the current owner lists his cicchetti (mostly deep-fried) and the wines of the day on a board, and the room works just as well for a standing snack as for a proper sit-down meal. Thirty yards from Osteria ai Storti down de le Do Spade, San Polo 860.
Just past the Rialto Bridge, where the lanes open between Campo San Giacomo and the Grand Canal, a row of places fronts a former banking building - some of the best canalside seating in Venice. All serve drinks, cicchetti and somewhat pricey sit-down meals; dinner typically starts only after 19:00 or 19:30, and between mealtimes you can enjoy a drink or a snack at fine prices. This is one of the best spots in town for a pre- or post-dinner spritz, and the alleys behind turn into a young, trendy night scene after dark.
The most sophisticated menu on the stretch and the best reputation for dinner, with a real passion for cheese - including a fine cheese plate - and good cicchetti at the bar. There's proper fine dining upstairs. Closed Mon; reservations are smart.
An old-school favorite frequented by retired locals who appreciate its traditional dishes - mostly seafood - served by formal waiters on white tablecloths in a relaxing old-Venetian room. Big and spacious for Venice, with high ceilings; dining is inside only. Lunch from 12:00, dinner from 19:00, closed Wed; on a quiet lane two blocks from the Rialto Bridge, 594.
A tourist-friendly spot facing the fish market with a large menu, relaxing outdoor seating and a dressy, spacious interior. The owner visits the market each morning to pick the day's best catch. Their lunch-only fixed-price seafood meal is €18 - pasta, a seafood sampler and veggies - with grander versions at €25; dinner is à la carte. Daily 11:00–23:00, 367a. When seated outside, make sure your table belongs to the restaurant.
A little corner place on a quiet canal a block off the main drag, with good-value fish dishes and a small handwritten menu that changes with the daily specials - the neighborhood's corner favorite.
A dressy, family-run place with an open kitchen and a devoted local following. The passion here is fish - they make a point of serving no pizza - in traditional Venetian dishes with a fresh, seasonal twist. It is tiny: just 30 seats, with six tables on the street. 1911.
Huge array of pizzas plus hearty salads, pastas and secondi on the far side of the family-friendly square - the joy is eating on the square itself, where metal tables teeter on the cobbles.
Apart from one serious restaurant, most of what you'll find within sight of the square is cheap-and-cheery fuel for sightseeing. A few paces beyond the tourist orbit, the options get genuinely good.
A classic where the owner greets guests personally and the kitchen turns out creative fixed-price meals (€37, €52 or €80), a simple menù del giorno and wonderful pizzas. Order à la carte and the antipasto spread looks like a lagoon aquarium on a plate. There's no wine by the glass, so choose carefully - pizza is the budget escape.
Traditional Venetian fare - proudly no pizza - with a homey-dressy vibe: white-tablecloth elegance inside and a big, peaceful garden filled with tables out back. The staff works hard to deliver a memorable, romantic dinner, rare at this price. Off Ruga Giuffa on Zorzi, Castello 4928.
A big, fun, practical pizzeria with Naples-style wood-oven pizzas, hearty salads and pastas at good prices - a very handy location.
A big, modern, classy bar with an elegant terrace right on the Grand Canal - ask for the reasonably priced bar menu of salads and sandwiches, since the restaurant menu, while excellent, is pricey.
The best value this close to the tourist epicenter is a couple of blocks behind the basilica, on or near Campo Santi Filippo e Giacomo. Entering from St. Mark's, Birreria Penasa is on the left, Aciugheta a few steps beyond, and Birreria Forst half a block farther down Calle de le Rasse.
One of Venice's most loved small restaurants, and our favorite splurge in the city. The kitchen serves creative, artfully presented market-fresh seafood - there's no meat on the menu - with homemade pastas and fine wine in a style the chef calls 'Venetian Nouvelle.' With just 22 seats it's tight and homey, with daily specials and ten wines by the glass. They book up far in advance: lunch 12:00–15:00 and two dinner seatings at 19:00 and 21:30; budget around €75 for dinner. Closed Sun–Mon, just off Santa Maria Formosa, Castello 5801.
The spot for a dressy meal among locals: creative gourmet Venetian cooking that is both traditional and innovative. More spacious than most Venetian places, with comfortable seating on the square and a fine, characterful dining room inside. Mains around €30, a €65 tasting menu. Tue–Sat 12:30–14:30 & 19:30–23:00, closed Sun–Mon; northwest of Santa Maria Formosa, off Calle del Frutariol at Castello 5911.
The 1931 birthplace of the Bellini and the carpaccio, frequented by Hemingway - an essential cultural stop, even just for a drink at the bar.
Founded in 1720, the oldest coffee house in continuous operation in Italy. The orchestra, the gilt salons and the piazza view are the show.
Dorsoduro is the neighborhood worth walking to - everything below sits within ten minutes of the Accademia Bridge. The places near the Accademia are best for lunch, the ones near Campo San Barnaba for dinner, and the Zattere promenade gets its own section next. The area around Campo Santa Margarita is the pick for a casual, youthful scene.
A wonderfully characteristic cicchetti bar with inexpensive snacks, sandwiches from the board and good wine - enjoy them at the bar, in the back room surrounded by wine bottles, or on the sidewalk (ask for 'fuori' and you'll get plastic cups; don't sit on the bridge). It's primarily a wine shop, so bottles to go are great value. Mon–Sat 8:30–20:30, closed Sun; 100 yards from the Accademia on the San Trovaso canal, 992. No WC.
Right next to the Accademia Bridge: edible pizzas and panini with a Grand Canal view - food is forgettable and drinks pricey, but you're paying for the most memorable seat in the area; they also do breakfast.
A stylishly rustic corner spot 100 yards west of the Accademia, serving cicchetti-style dishes and pastas in a picturesque, extremely tight interior or at outdoor tables. No reservations - arrive early.
An eclectic yet cozy spot with great tables on the square. The menu has a few vegetarian and meat dishes but focuses on fresh fish and other sea creatures - the signature is the bucintoro, a pan loaded with mussels, clams, prawns, calamari and spaghetti, prepared for two at a premium price. Daily 12:00–14:30 & 19:00–22:30; reservations are smart. San Barnaba, Dorsoduro 2852.
Well-presented quality dishes in a tight, wine-focused interior or at a few petite canal-side tables - say canal or inside when you book. Great pasta, cheese plates and fish.
Casual and popular with tourists for great pizza, with a sprawling interior and a leafy garden out back.
Dark and woody with a homey bistro feel: beautifully presented traditional Venetian food - proudly no fish - from a handwritten daily menu of local ingredients like rabbit, with a slow-food ethic. Dinner only.
For a fresh, youthful, neighborhood vibe away from the cutesy center, hike out to Campo Santa Margarita: a multigenerational slice-of-life scene by day and a trendy college-bar scene after dark. The square is ringed by bakeries, pubs, pizzerias and fruit stands. If slumming, a picnic or takeout pizza on the square - with its fine benches and trees - is great. The area gets a little sketchy late at night.
The Fondamenta Zattere is a wide promenade along the Giudecca Canal with special charm on warm summer evenings. Come here not for the food but to dine on the water - each of these places has a big terrace literally on the canal, and nearby the popular Nico Gelateria has floating seating on the water.
Diners wanting to get off the beaten path head to Cannaregio, northeast of the train station. The two zones below - near the Jewish Ghetto and along the main drag - are about a ten-minute walk apart. The Ghetto neighborhood is more residential than touristic, laid out on a straight grid with spacious canalside walks; it's most peaceful at sunset, and worth the long walk for a look before you eat.
A chic place serving nicely presented, creative Venetian cuisine. Eat in the elegant, modern interior or on a lovely neighborhood square with ten tables surrounded by a classic scene of wellhead, bridges and canal. Smart to reserve for dinner.
A characteristic, unpretentious old standby - 'The 40 Thieves' - with a few tables on the canal, a rustic interior and a convivial garden out back; the action is near the bar.
A relaxing canalside setting with a hipster vibe, nice wines and cicchetti, a block past the Ghetto.
A fun eatery one bridge east of Timon, with a rustic interior and romantic canalside tables serving delightful local dishes.
Your best bet for all-kosher Venetian dishes with canalside seating - the interior is forgettable but the canal tables make the meal memorable, and the vegetarian options are great.
A neighborhood favorite a few steps from the San Marcuola stop, with classy indoor seating and pleasant tables outside.
A local dive with a loyal following and a good spread of cicchetti and sandwiches - no hot food. The food is mediocre but the scene, at the bar and the tables outside, feels real and fun.
The bar scene fans out across the sestieri: grand hotel cocktail lounges and the orchestras that play in Piazza San Marco's historic cafés in the centre, aperitivo crowds on Campo San Stefano, and in Dorsoduro the famously boozy square of Campo Santa Margherita, which comes closest to a nightlife hub. San Polo's tiny lanes shelter a handful of the city's most venerable bacari, while Santa Croce leans studenty, with relaxed by-the-glass spots on its campi where regulars outnumber visitors. Cannaregio threads a chain of natural-wine venues and craft-brew taps along its sun-drenched waterways, Castello mixes neighbourhood bars with scruffy party venues, and when the heat arrives the action migrates to the Lido's beach clubs. A useful rule of thumb for opening times: most cafés and bars run from around 7:00 to about 19:00, some keeping on until 23:00; bacari usually start pouring at 11:00 or midday and shut between 22:00 and 23:00; cocktail lounges and pubs tend to wind down around 1:00.
A tiny canalside wine bar where the stools spill onto the fondamenta and the list leans biodynamic and low-intervention. Staff pour unusual drops by the glass alongside a small spread of cicchetti, and the waterfront position makes it one of Cannaregio's most atmospheric stops on a warm evening.
The city's most dedicated craft-beer address: 21 taps pour artisan brews from small breweries like Birrificio Barbaforte of Trentino-Alto Adige and the Veneto's Crak, Lucky Brews and LZO, alongside house spirits distilled with lagoon herbs. It also runs the Venice Beer Fest each year, a three-day showcase of Italy's most inventive craft brewers.
A neighbourhood favourite close to Campo San Giacomo dell'Orio pouring an extensive by-the-glass rotation, with thoughtfully put-together flights for those who want to taste their way through a grape or a region. Cicchetti come from a small kitchen that changes with the day's shopping.
A tiny canalside room on a pocket-sized square where the short Veneto list is served by the glass and prices stay friendly. The deck spills onto the water, which makes it an easy spot for a quiet ombra away from the crowds.
The Gritti Palace's wood-panelled cocktail lounge, long regarded as the most beautiful bar in Venice. The Bellini here follows the original method - in-season only, built on fresh white-peach purée rather than canned - and the martinis are impeccable, best enjoyed from a table facing the Grand Canal.
The cocktail lounge of the St Regis Venice, where drinks are crafted as tributes to local art and architecture. Expect inventions like a smoky mezcal base shaken with orange curaçao and Fino sherry, plus a house-made artichoke cordial from Sant'Erasmo, inspired by a Banksy mural.
A low-key neighbourhood bacaro in Castello with an interesting, frequently rotating list of pours and honest cicchetti to match. Regulars drift in for a glass and a plate at the counter, keeping the mood relaxed and local.
Coffee reached Venice early - the city counts among Europe's pioneering coffee capitals, a habit carried in from the Ottoman world - and the rituals survive. Most locals knock back their espresso upright at the counter, which is quicker and cheaper than table service, and the macchiatone, espresso topped with a generous splash of hot milk, is a favourite order. After 11:00, cappuccino all but disappears from Venetian counters, and it never accompanies a meal.
| Spot | What to know |
|---|---|
| Rosa Salva | Silky espresso, just-baked pastries and terrace seats on Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo |
| Caffè Rosso | The artsy old-timer of Campo Santa Margherita, scruffy and beloved (maps) |
| Pasticceria Rizzardini | Tiny standing-room-only pastry shop in San Polo, going strong since 1742 (maps) |
| Torrefazione Cannaregio | Single-origin beans, specialty blends plus Third Wave brewing beside a Cannaregio canal (maps) |
| Majer | Quality local chain that roasts its own coffee, with fine brioche and outdoor tables in the Ghetto for watching the square go by |
| Il Caffè del Doge | Roaster with a devoted following for its carefully sourced espresso |
| Caffè Girani | Historic Venetian roaster, still a favourite for a proper cup |
A meal with a canal view generally comes with lower quality and/or a higher price - but these places make the premium worthwhile. Reserve ahead and choose your seat carefully.
Immediately behind La Salute church, with commanding Giudecca Canal views from a big floating terrace and a spacious, modern, dressy interior. This Michelin-rated place is a gourmet treat: gorgeously presented dishes that are local and modern at the same time, each one a memory. Plates are pricey but sharing is welcome - the big appetizers come happily split onto two smaller plates. Reserve ahead and choose inside or the terrace. Daily 12:00–15:00 & 19:00–22:00, closed Tue off-season; a short walk behind La Salute from the Salute stop, 19.
On Fondamente Nove, handy to the docks for Murano and Burano, this is a great place to eat while looking over the northern lagoon. The name joins the four owners - Alberto, Giulio, Barbara and Giovanna - who push for quality, creative Venetian cuisine made with the best ingredients. Reserve a waterside table or sit in the classy cantina dining room. Daily 12:00–15:00 & 19:00–22:30, between the two sets of vaporetto docks, 5039.
The place to dine fine on Venice's main square. Upstairs is the Michelin-starred Quadri restaurant; the Quadrino bistro below shares the same kitchen with a more traditional, accessible menu and prices that won't ruin your appetite. All fifteen tables are inside, but the piazza orchestra is just outside the window. 121.
Popular for traditional dishes and pizza on a terrace with a lagoon view.
Friendly service and a happy crowd on the Giudecca embankment - lunch until 14:30, no dinner.
White-tablecloth fancy inside, with a row of tables hugging the embankment outside.
Average pizza and pasta, but arguably the best views of Venice.
Pricier than most, with cheaper fixed-price menu options - lit up like a Christmas tree after dark, with gondolas gliding by.
On Fondamenta San Lorenzo, where two canals meet at the Ponte dei Greci - pricier, but with cheaper fixed-price menu options and gondolas gliding by after dark.
Sits on a tranquil canal under a tilting bell tower in Burano's pastel townscape - go late to enjoy Burano without the crowds.
Beyond the well-known tables, a newer generation of kitchens is earning its own following - some inside the sestieri, others out on the lagoon islands, where Torcello and Mazzorbo have quietly become destinations for serious dining. Several of these places belong to Associazione dei Ristoranti della Buona Accoglienza, a local group whose members commit to seasonal local produce and genuine hospitality.
A chef early in a Michelin-starred career reinterprets Venetian flavours here with a modern hand. The cooking is recognisably local but freed up - seasonal lagoon produce treated with contemporary technique and plenty of confidence, in a sleek Cannaregio room.
A long-respected Castello dining room that champions seasonal ingredients and the principles of Slow Food. The kitchen is known for careful sourcing, an elegant hand with lagoon seafood and a wine list that rewards attention.
A snug little osteria whose menu digs into the Venetian repertoire beyond the usual suspects, pairing them with wines from small, little-known producers. Ask what is local and you will eat well for less than the big names charge.
Surf-and-turf plates with a refined finish, built around smaller producers and a roster of intriguing regional bottles. The room is dressy but welcoming, and the seafood-first menu changes with what the market and the seasons offer.
Clever seasonal menus that shuttle between the moody cooking of northern Italy and the sunnier flavours of the south. Expect thoughtful pasta, strong vegetable work and a relaxed, modern room.
A Michelin-starred wine estate restaurant on Mazzorbo, built on the island's own produce - bucolic Mazzorbo makes the trip part of the meal.
The estate's casual offshoot, serving the same island-grown produce in a relaxed garden setting.
For groceries and fresh produce beyond the Rialto, the Lido hosts a substantial weekly food market every Tuesday - Mercato Settimanale del Lido - and on Giudecca a Thursday-morning market sells organic vegetables grown in the prison's own vegetable garden. Floating produce barges moor along the Rio di Sant'Anna where Via Garibaldi runs out in Castello, and another pulls up next to the Campo San Barnaba square in Dorsoduro, close to Ponte dei Pugni.
| Where | What to know |
|---|---|
| Co-op near St. Mark's | Corner of Salizada San Lio and Calle del Mondo Novo, Castello 5817; deli counter, packaged salads and fresh sandwiches; daily 8:30–22:00 |
| Co-op Piazzale Roma | The city's largest supermarket, next to the vaporetto stop at Santa Croce 504; an easy walk from the train station |
| Co-op Campo San Felice | Smaller, along the Strada Nova between the station and the Rialto area, Cannaregio 3660 |
| Despar near San Zulian | A few steps from San Zulian church, a 3-minute walk from St. Mark's at Calle al Ponte de la Guerra 514 |
| Co-op Riva del Carbon | Just beyond the Rialto vaporetto stop, facing the Grand Canal at 4173 |
| Crai Dorsoduro | Around the corner from the Accademia, Rio Terrà Foscarini 879a; basics plus some takeaway food |
| Conad Zattere (west) | On the Zattere embankment at #1492, by the San Basilio vaporetto stop |
| Conad Zattere (east) | On the Zattere embankment at #417, near the Santo Spirito vaporetto stop |
Venice isn't famous for gelato, but you'll still find good gelaterie in every neighborhood - typically one scoop for about €2 and €1 per extra scoop. The words artigianale or produzione propria mean the shop makes its own gelato (though sometimes from powder or paste bases). Avoid brightly colored gelato and places with overflowing tubs. The following are all open long hours daily.
| Spot | What to know |
|---|---|
| Gelatoteca Suso | Gourmet gelato in edible bowls; next to Campo San Bartolomeo on Calle de la Bissa, San Marco 5453a |
| Gran Caffè Lavena | Piazza San Marco #134; won't win awards but convenient while the orchestras play |
| Gelateria al Todaro | Corner of the Piazzetta at #3, near the water; a handy lick while strolling the square |
| Cioccolateria VizioVirtù | A modern chocolate lab across from Osteria al Portego, with fine gelato as a bonus; closed Mon, Calle del Forner, Castello 5988 |
| Gelateria Il Doge | The best gelato on Campo Santa Margarita |
| Nico Gelateria | Popular Zattere spot with floating seating on the canal |