Miss Lynn’s Cicchetti Crawl in Venice Italy

The Ultimate Venice Foodie’s Cicchetti Crawl

Think of this as a progressive tasting menu through Venice. Rather than sitting down for one large meal, you’ll wander from bacaro to bacaro, sampling the very best Venetian bites one glass of wine and one cicchetto at a time.

Duration: 5-7 hours
Stops: 9
Budget: €50-80 per person including wine
Best Time: Start around 11:00 am and finish around sunset. The freshest seafood arrives in the morning, and the liveliest bacari scene begins in the late afternoon.

Stop 1 – Practically Breakfast for Venetians

Cantina Do Mori

Address: Sestiere San Polo 429, 30125 Venice
Website: https://www.cantinadomori.com
Hours: Mon–Sat 8:30 am–7:30 pm (Closed Sunday)

Founded in the 1400s, this is widely considered Venice’s oldest bacaro. If these walls could talk, they would tell centuries of stories over countless glasses of wine.

Order:

Baccalà mantecato
Fried zucchini blossoms
House ombra (small glass of local wine)

Stay about 20 minutes before moving on

Stop 2 – The Gold Standard

Bar All’Arco

Address: Calle Arco, San Polo 436, 30125 Venice
Website: https://www.facebook.com/allarco
Hours: Mon–Sat 8:30 am–2:30 pm (Closed Sunday)

Every serious Venice food guide includes All’Arco. The crostini change daily depending on what’s fresh from nearby Rialto Market, and many consider this the benchmark for traditional Venetian cicchetti.

Don’t overthink it.
Point to whatever looks amazing.

Must Try:

Tuna
Octopus
Porchetta
Seasonal vegetables

Order four or five different bites to share.

Stop 3 – Explore Rialto Market

Address: Campo della Pescaria, San Polo, 30125 Venice
Website: https://www.comune.venezia.it
Hours: Tue–Sat 7:30 am–1:30 pm (Fish market closed Sunday & Monday)

Spend 30-45 minutes wandering through Venice’s legendary market.

Skip the souvenir stands.

Instead, admire the incredible displays of:

Fresh seafood
Seasonal peaches and figs
Parmigiano
Olives
Local produce

Many of Venice’s finest bacari buy their ingredients here every morning.

Stop 4 – Seafood Heaven

Al Mercà

Address: Campo Bella Vienna, San Polo 213, 30125 Venice
Website: https://www.facebook.com/almercavenezia
Hours: Daily 10:30 am–8:00 pm

Tiny.
Standing room only.

Fantastic mini panini and one of Venice’s most iconic aperitivo stops.

Order:

Mini panini
Prosecco
Whatever the owner recommends

Stop 5 – Hot Cicchetti Classics

Cantina do Spade

Address: Calle dei Stagneri, San Polo 859, 30125 Venice
Website: https://www.cantinadospade.com
Hours: Daily 11:00 am–10:30 pm

One of Venice’s classic bacari, famous for serving more hot cicchetti than many of its competitors.

Don’t miss:

Polpette
Fried calamari
Stuffed squid
Seafood on creamy polenta

This is where many locals linger over another glass of wine.

Wander…

Cross the Rialto Bridge.
Put away Google Maps.
Take whichever alley looks the most interesting.

Getting wonderfully lost is part of discovering Venice.

Stop 6 – Miss Lynn’s Favorite Meatballs in the World

Cà d’Oro alla Vedova

Address: Calle Ca’ d’Oro, Cannaregio 3912, 30121 Venice
Website: https://www.osterialavedova.com
Hours: Tue–Sat 12:00 pm–2:30 pm & 6:30 pm–10:30 pm (Closed Sunday & Monday)

If there is one detour I insist you make, it’s this one.

I’ve eaten a lot of meatballs during my travels, but these may honestly be my favorite anywhere in the world.

This historic Venetian osteria has been serving its legendary polpette for generations. They’re crispy on the outside, incredibly tender inside, perfectly seasoned, and served piping hot. Simple. Authentic. Unforgettable.

Order:

The famous meatballs
A glass of local red wine or an ombra

Miss Lynn’s Tip: If someone asked me for the one food they absolutely shouldn’t miss in Venice, these meatballs would be near the very top of my list. They’re worth every step of the walk.

Stop 7 – Wine Lover’s Paradise

Vino Vero

Address: Fondamenta della Misericordia, Cannaregio 2497, 30121 Venice
Website: https://www.vinovero.it
Hours: Daily 11:00 am–11:00 pm

Natural wines.
Excellent cicchetti.
A younger local crowd.

One of Venice’s best wine programs and a favorite among food lovers looking for something beyond the traditional tourist circuit.

Try:

Orange wine
Anchovy crostini
Smoked fish

Stop 8 – Cannaregio Magic

Al Timon

Address: Fondamenta dei Ormesini, Cannaregio 2754, 30121 Venice
Website: https://www.altimon.it
Hours: Daily 11:00 am–12:00 am

Welcome to what many locals consider Venice’s coolest neighborhood.

Grab a table along the canal.
Or even better…
Sit aboard the famous wine barge floating beside the canal.

Order:

Beef tartare crostini
Local cheeses
Red wine

The atmosphere here is every bit as memorable as the food.

Stop 9 – Chef’s Choice

Osteria Sottobanco

Address: Fondamenta dei Ormesini, Cannaregio 2840, 30121 Venice
Website: https://www.osteriasottobanco.com
Hours: Tue–Sun 12:00 pm–11:00 pm (Closed Monday)

One of the newer generation of Venetian wine bars.

Smaller.
Less touristy.
An outstanding wine list.
Excellent seasonal dishes.

The perfect place to slow down before the evening begins.

Finish Like a Venetian

Find a quiet canal.
Order one last Spritz.
Watch Venice transform as evening arrives.

By sunset, most of the day-trippers have disappeared, and the city belongs to Venetians once again.again. Not because they missed seeing something. Because they miss feeling the way Venice made them feel.