Cicchetti (Venetian tapas)
Cicchetti in Venice.
A cicchetti (or cichetti) crawl though Venice, nibbling on snacks, canapes, & finger foods while enjoying ombra glasses of wine
A cicchetti menu at Cantina Do Spade bacaro.
Cicchetti (proucounced "chee-KET-tee") are Venice's verison of tapas.
These are finger foods from bars called bacari traditionally washed down with an ombra (shadow), a small glass of wine.
What are cichetti?
Cichetti run the gamut of, well, pretty much anything you can stick on a toothpick: calamari (in rings, or just tiny whole octopi), fried olives, cheese, sarde in soar (sweet-and-sour sardines), potato croquettes, polpette (meatballs—of beef or tuna), grilled polenta squares, salami...
How much do cichetti cost?
All of the above will cost about €1–€2 if you stand at the bar, or as much as double that if you sit at a table.
Where can I find cichetti in Venice?
Venice has countless cafes and neighborhood bars called bacari where you can order a selection of cicchetti—or, if you prefer, a panino (sandwich on a roll) or a toast (grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich).
There are loads in the neighborhood around the Rialto Market, (including two recommended below), so you can just wander and seek them out.
Favorite bacari to get cicchetti in Venice
Since 1462, one of the best places to head for classic cicchetti in a gorgeous environment—rumor has it Casanova nibbled here—is this San Polo spot
with copper pots dangling from the rafters and upended barrels serving as standing tables...
» more
This classic Dorsoduro neighborhood spot alongside a canal offers not only one of the tastiest and most sophisticated spreads of €1
cicchetti and inexpensive glasses of vino under a beamed ceiling, but also a few dozen wines under €10 a bottle so you can take
un'ombra home with you...
» more
Despite the fact that it is no less full of tourists than its more famous and photogenic neighbor, Do Mori, this is the Rialto-area bacaro everyone feels is most authentically a locals' joint, open for lunch only, strictly S.R.O., with fabulous cicchetti and among the lowest prices on wines by the glass in Venice...
» more
This venerable little
cicchetti bar was first documented in 1415 and named "two swords" after a long-forgotten duel between noblemen on a nearby bridge. Yes, there's also now a full menu, but also cheap
cicchetti (and a back room where Casanova once wined and dined his romantic conquests—it has a back door so that the famed lothario could slip out should any husbands show up)...
» more
A long block north of the chic Riva degli Schiavoni hotels lies one of Venice's best wine bars, expanded to include an elbow-to-elbow trattoria/pizzeria in back...
» more
Venice cicchetti sampling tours
Join us for the perfect Venice evening. Embark on a delicious adventure with this three-hour Venice tour that takes in five of its most famous Bacari wine bars and their famous cicchetti dishes. Start off from Campo de la Maddalena, a small raised square that is unchanged since medieval times, and is famous for its modest houses topped with interesting chimneys. Call into the old historical bar, a much loved bar that specialises in cicchetti, for your first taste of these Venetian-style tapas...
Duration: 2.5 hours; Cost: $86 per person
...
Make like a Venetian and enjoy an evening stroll around the 'bàcari' (wine bars) of Venice’s Jewish Ghetto! While exploring the historical quarter with a local guide, visit three bars to enjoy a glass of local wine in each place alongside 'cicchetti' — bite-sized appetizers that are served around the city. Learn about local life, food and wine in Venice, and savor enough food for a light evening meal. Numbers are limited to 12 on this small-group food tour, ensuring personalized attention from a guide....
Duration: 2.5 hours; Cost: $56 per person
...
This Venetian-style pub crawl provides excellent insight into the "real" Venice, far from the crowds in Piazza San Marco. You will get a glimpse of the daily life of the city's 60,000 full-time inhabitants as you follow Cecilia, your friendly and knowledgeable guide, on an off-the-beaten-track tour of some local hideaways that, as a tourist, you might not find on your own. The objective is to munch on some really delectable bar snacks - the Venetians call them cicchetti - with little glasses of wine known as ombre...
Duration: 3 hours; Cost: $101 per person
...
Explore the hidden corners of Venice with our expert Venice travel guides, who are professional sommeliers. Enjoy a glimpse of local life while learning about traditional local wines and their place in the local culture. You will visit several wine bars (enoteche) in an authentic area of Venice, off the beaten path. In each wine bar, your personal sommelier will select two typical quality wines for you to taste, each paired with small Venetian appetizers, called cicchetti. We will start with white wines, and finish with red wines...
Duration: 3 hours; Cost: €80 per person; Private: €345 per group
...
Tips & links
General dining tips
- Book ahead: Great Venetian restaurants are few and far between—and everybody knows about them. It pays to reserve your table, at least at dinner. I find that a corollary of Murphy's Law seems to apply. If you prudently book ahead, you are likely to show up to a half-empty restaurant and feel a bit like a fool for having worried about finding a table. If, on the other hand, you just show up at the door expecting to find a free table, the place will inevitably be packed and its bookings full for the evening. For restaurants that I am truly eager to try, I go ahead and book.
- "Pane e coperto" is not a scam: Nearly all Italian restaurants have an unavoidable pane e coperto ("bread and cover" charge) of anything from €1 to €15—though most often €2 to €5—per person that is automatically added onto your bill. This is perfectly normal and perfectly legal (though a few trendy restaurants make a big deal about not charging it).
- Find out if service (tip) is included: Don't double-tip by accident. If the menu has a line—usually near the bottom of the front or back—that says "servizio" with either a percentage, an amount, or the word "incluso" after it, that means the tip is automatically included in the price. (If it says "servizio non incluso," tip is, obviously, not included.)
Even if the menu doesn't say it, ask É incluso il servizio? (ay een-CLOU-so eel sair-VEET-zee-yo)—"Is service included?" If not, tip accordingly (10%–15% is standard).
Don't be stingy about tipping, though. If il servizio is, indeed, already included but the service was particularly good, it's customary to round up the bill or leave €1 per person extra—just to show you noticed and that you appreciated the effort.
- Tourist menus: The concept of a bargain prix-fixe menu is not popular in Italy. Some restaurants do offer a menu turistico ("tourist menu"), which can cost from €8 to €20 and usually entails a choice from among two or three basic first courses (read: different pasta shapes, all in plain tomato sauce), a second course of roast chicken or a veal cutlet, and some water or wine and bread. With very few exceptions, tourist menus tend to live up to their name, appearing only at the sort of tourist-pandering restaurants that the locals wisely steer clear of.
However, a menu à prezzo fisso ("fixed-price menu") is often a pretty good deal, usually offering a bit more choice than a tourist menu.
Then—especially at nicer (and pricier) restaurants—there is the menu degustazione ("tasting menu"), usually far more expensive (anywhere from €25 to €110) that is a showcase of the chef's best, or of regional specialties, and can make for an excellent way to sample the kitchen's top dishes.
- Book ahead: For restaurants that I am truly eager to try, I go ahead and book a table—at least at dinner. I find that a corollary of Murphy's Law seems to apply. If you prudently book ahead, you are likely to show up to a half-empty restaurant and feel a bit like a fool for having worried about finding a table. If, on the other hand, you just show up at the door expecting to find a free table, the place will inevitably be packed and its bookings full for the evening.
Top Venice culinary tours & experiences
Italian dining phrases
| English (Inglese) |
Italian (Italiano) |
Pro-nun-cee-YAY-shun |
| Good day |
Buon giorno |
bwohn JOUR-noh |
| Good evening |
Buona sera |
BWOH-nah SAIR-rah |
| Good night |
Buona notte |
BWOH-nah NOTE-tay |
| Goodbye |
Arrivederci |
ah-ree-vah-DAIR-chee |
| Excuse me (to get attention) |
Scusi |
SKOO-zee |
| thank you |
grazie |
GRAT-tzee-yay |
| please |
per favore |
pair fa-VOHR-ray |
| yes |
si |
see |
| no |
no |
no |
| Do you speak English? |
Parla Inglese? |
PAR-la een-GLAY-zay |
| I don't understand |
Non capisco |
non ka-PEESK-koh |
| I'm sorry |
Mi dispiace |
mee dees-pee-YAT-chay |
| |
|
|
| Where is? |
Dov'é |
doh-VAY |
| ...a restaurant |
un ristorante |
oon rees toh-RAHN-tay |
| ...a casual restaurant |
una trattoria
un'osteria |
oo-nah trah-toar-RHEE-yah
oon ohst-air-EE-yah |
| I would like to reserve... |
Vorrei prenotare... |
voar-RAY pray-note-ARE-eh |
| a table for two |
una tavola per due |
oo-nah TAH-voal-lah pair DOO-way |
| ...for 7pm |
per le sette |
pair lay SET-tay |
| ...for 7:30pm |
per le sette e mezzo |
pair lay SET-tay eh MET-tzoh |
| ...for 8pm |
per le otto |
pair lay OH-toh |
| |
|
|
| I would like |
Vorrei... |
voar-RAY |
| ...some (of) |
un pó (di) |
oon POH (dee) |
| ...this |
questo |
KWAY-sto |
| ...that |
quello |
KWEL-loh |
| chicken |
pollo |
POL-loh |
| steak |
bistecca |
bee-STEAK-ah |
| veal |
vitello |
vee-TEL-oh |
| fish |
pesce |
PEH-shay |
| meat |
carne |
KAR-neh |
| I am vegetarian |
sono vegetariano |
SO-no veg-eh-tair-ee-YAH-no |
| side dish [veggies always come seperately] |
cotorno |
kon-TOR-no |
| dessert |
dolce |
DOAL-chay |
| and |
e |
ay |
| ...a glass of |
un bicchiere di |
oon bee-key-YAIR-eh dee |
| ...a bottle of |
una bottiglia di |
oo-na boh-TEEL-ya dee |
| ...a half-liter of |
mezzo litro di |
MET-tzoh LEE-tro dee |
| ...fizzy water |
acqua gassata |
AH-kwah gah-SAHT-tah |
| ...still water |
acqua non gassata |
AH-kwah noan gah-SAHT-tah |
| ...red wine |
vino rosso |
VEE-noh ROH-so |
| ...white wine |
vino
bianco |
VEE-noh bee-YAHN-koh |
| ...beer |
birra |
BEER-a |
| Check, please |
Il conto, per favore |
eel COAN-toh pair fah-VOAR-eh |
| Is service included? |
É incluso il servizio? |
ay een-CLOU-so eel sair-VEET-zee-yo |
Venice links & resources
- Airport transfers: By land (to Piazzale Roma)
- Atvo.it (shuttle bus: €6)
- Actv.it (city bus: €6)
- Venice rail station
- Venezia Santa Lucia: Grandistazioni.it, Fondamenta S. Lucia (in the NW corner of the city)
- Vaproetto to San Marco: 1, 2, N
- Driving/parking
- Asmvenezia.it (Piazzale Rome garage: most central, €23–29; S. Giuliano lot: farthest, €12)
- Veniceparking.it (Tronchetto garage: fairly central, €21)
- Car resources
- Emergency service/tow: tel. 803-116
- Highway agency: Autostrade.it (traffic info, serivce areas, toll calculator, weather)
- Italian automotive club (~AAA): Aci.it
- ZTLs: Ztl-italia.blogspot.com (lightly outdated, but handy, links to cities' traffic-free zones)
Walks & Day tours
Longer tours
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