What Is A Bacaro? + A Local’s Self Guided Bacaro Tour Itinerary

Last updated on November 14th, 2024

Chances are that if you have looked into coming to Venice you have come across the term bacaro or even seen others talking about or offering a bacaro tour.

If you are wondering what a bacaro and a bacaro tour are, you are in the right place. And if you already are a pro and are ready to take the leap to a self-guided bacaro tour in Venice, stay with me.

After traveling to Venice for years and eating a heck of a lot of cicchetti at the most famous bacari in Venice, I have come down to the absolute best self-guided bacaro tour itinerary to follow as a foreign traveler to Venice.

Seeing Venice through the lens of their unique culinary traditions is one of the most authentic and fun ways to learn about this magical city.

In this article, I will explain:

What a bacaro is, and how to pronounce it
What bacaro tours consist of, and why you should go on one
My self-guided bacaro tour itinerary
Tips for having the best experience on a bacaro tour
Alternatives to a self-guided bacaro tour

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What Is A Bacaro?

People sit at small tables and eat cicchetti and drink wine at All'Arco in Venice, Italy.

So what is a bacaro?

A bacaro, pronounced bah-cah-roh in Italian, is a Venetian bar serving alcoholic beverages and small snacks known as cicchetti.

Listen to the pronunciation of bacaro here:

A bacaro is a place of gathering for Venetians throughout the day to catch up, take a break and dampen their hunger.

Bacari usually open in the morning and close later in the evening or even late at night, breaking all rules of other Italian eateries, which hold specific hours in relation to eating times.

What Are Cicchetti?: To learn more about cicchetti, read What are Cicchetti?

At a bacaro, Italians will take a break with a small glass of wine known as an ombra and a small nibble known as a cicchetto (or two!). This happens at any time of the day from early in the morning when fishermen are just finishing their daily catch to early into the evening when younger crowds come out for an aperitivo.

Man peeks out from behind bar, overhanging wine glasses, and glass display cases of cicchetti in Venice, Italy.

The atmosphere of a bacaro is casual while providing an intimate and authentic culinary experience.

Eating cicchetti and drinking wine at bacari is a fast affair, something quick, that perhaps lasts no more than 20 minutes (generally speaking). It can also be like downing an espresso at an Italian bar at the counter – quick and satisfying.

Spending time at a bacaro as a local can be longer as you linger, bump into comers and goers and not purposefully end up with three glasses of wine instead of one!

What Is A Bacaro Tour?

Close up of display case of plates of cicchetti in Venice, Italy.

A bacaro tour is the idea of making a whole evening of eating cicchetti and drinking by hopping from one bacaro to the next, tasting small nibbles and trying different wines all the while meeting new people, chatting to locals and catching up with old friends.

Venetians may do this with friends or just do it on their own, making time to chit chat with other locals doing the same.

Many people compare a bacaro tour to a pub crawl (in fact, some people call it a bacaro crawl), spending the evening trying different venues, foods and wine. In fact, you might even hear a bacaro tour called a bacaro crawl.

Usually, a bacaro tour will take place over the course of a couple of hours and may include 5-7 bacari. You may or may not travel to different sestieri or districts in Venice, depending on where you are and how comfortable you are with walking longer distances.

Where Is A Bacaro Tour In Venice?

Two women sit near a canal in Venice. They're at a table eating cicchetti and drinking wine.

So where are you going in Venice on your bacaro tour, you ask? That depends on where you are.

In my self-guided itinerary below, I have covered ground in San Polo and San Marco, where the best cicchetti bars are. Below are the top neighborhoods to visit with my bacari recommendation should you have time for further exploration of these neighborhoods:

Cannaregio: Check out El Sbarlefo
Santa Croce: Check out Bacareto da Lele
Dorsoduro: Check out Panini and Vini Da Babbo or Cantina del Vino già Schiavi
Castello: Check out Osteria alla Scuela or Basegò

More Cicchetti: To learn about the best places to eat cicchetti in Venice read Best Cicchetti in Venice.

Why Go On A Bacaro Tour?

Taking yourself on a bacaro tour is one of the best ways to experience Venice from a local, authentic perspective. You will find yourself elbow to elbow with Venetian locals, students and international travelers hoping for the same experience.

After visiting the best bacari in Venice and eating the absolute best cicchetti on the Venice food scene, it has remained one of my favorite ways to see the city and share my love for it with my friends and family.

Glass display case full of shelves of cicchetti in Venice, Italy.

My top 10 reasons for going on a bacaro tour:

Best way to try an array of traditional Venetian food without breaking the bank
Best way to try an array of local Venetian wines
Affordable (cicchetto cost €2-5 each and ombra €2-7)
Meet new people
You can do it on you own without a guide
You can do it at anytime of the day
Alternative to a full course meal at a restaurant in Venice
Break up the main sites and tourist attractions in Venice by working in a bacaro tour into your Venice itinerary.
Kid friendly dinner alternative
It’s fun!

Travelers With Special Diets: If you have a special diet or allergy, fear not! There are plenty of cicchetti for gluten-free travelers, vegans and vegetarians.

Self-Guided Bacaro Tour Itinerary

Hand holds bread with fish spread in Venice, Italy.

Keep in mind that you can really do this bacaro tour at any time of the day, however, you need to be sure you choose a day in which all the bacari are open.

I suggest you follow my itinerary for a self-guided bacaro tour on either Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. If you go on one of these days, all the bacari I recommend will be open.

A bacaro tour can be as short or as long as you like but I usually recommend first time travelers to really take their time and make it a whole event. You can either do the bacaro tour all at once or split your cicchetti and wine up with other top attractions and activities in Venice. It’s up to you!

Below, I will outline my two hour bacaro tour with the best places to eat cicchetti in Venice, including 6 bacari in two neighborhoods.

Since we are on a bacaro tour, I suggest you linger a bit at each location but not too long or you will be out all night! Try and enjoy each bacaro for 20-25 minutes or so, whether this means sitting down or eating your cicchetti standing is up to you.

Map Of Self-Guided Bacaro Tour In Venice

Stop 1: Bacarando Corte dell’Orso

Entrance to Bacarando restaurant in Venice, Italy. Two people standing at register inside.

Sestiere di S. Marco, 5495, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy

Open: Daily

Bacarando Corte dell’Orso is one of the most famous bacari in Venice for a wide array of cicchetti with ample indoor seating.

They have one of the largest selections of cicchetti in all of Venice including classics such as polenta squares with sarde in saor, larger tortini, savory quiches and a wide selection of seafood skewers.

Wine glass, bill, change, and platter of cicchetti in a restaurant in Venice, Italy.

Order at the counter and bring your cicchetti to one of the large wooden tables in the next room over. If not, choose to eat and drink standing at the counter or outside on one of their benches.

Tip: For a longer bacaro tour, think about adding SEPA or Osteria Al Portego (one of my favorite places in Venice for after-dinner drinks) to your tour before heading over to Osteria Bancogiro. Both are right around the corner from Bacarando Corte dell’Orso, making it easy to swing into without going out of your way.

Stop 2: Osteria Bancogiro

Closed up front entrance of Bancogiro in Venice, Italy. Stickers on door showing awards won. Wooden doors with glass windows.

Campo San Giacometto, Ponte di Rialto

Closed: Monday

Osteria Bancogiro, located just off the Rialto Bridge, has one of the best locations in all of Venice with tables spilling out on the backside onto Campo Erberia.

Glass of white wine on counter at bar in Venice. To left is a prawn and on its left, a cicchetto.

The cicchetti they serve are more chic and plated with a modern touch. They are well known for their curried shrimp salad and their raw fish selection.

Eat your cicchetti standing indoors or outdoors or ask if they have a table on their terrace outside to sit down at for a short time.

Stop 3: Al Mercà

People sitting to left of entrance of 'Al Merca' baccaro in Venice, Italy.

Campo Bella Vienna, 213, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy

Closed: Sunday

Al Mercà is just next door to Osteria Bancogiro next to the Rialto Market, serving up some of the best spritz and cicchetti sandwiches in the area.

Wooden and glass display case of cicchetti in Venice, Italy. Wine bottles on back wall and handwritten signs on wall.

Al Mercà is literally a window on the street with one small bench, catering primarily to locals and nearby fishermen and produce vendors who have just finished their morning at the market (although I have found it to become quite popular with tourists over the years as well).

Stop 4: Bar All’Arco

People sitting at small tables outside bar in Venice, Italy.

S. Polo, 436, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy

Closed: Wednesday

Bar All’Arco is arguably the most famous bacaro in all of Venice with just a few tables lining the walls and standing room only indoors.

Glass display case of cicchetti at a bacaro in Venice.

The selection of cicchetti is traditional but they are always fresh and worth the wait. Their crostini cicchetti are my favorite in the city.

If you can, sit down at one of the few tables outdoors. I have never been here when a table was free so here’s to trying!

Stop 5: Cantina Do Spade

Fried cicchetti on trays in a display case in Venice, Italy.

San Polo, 859, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy

Open: Daily

Cantina Do Spade is the most famous bacaro in Venice for fried nibbles including their famed fried meatball.

Cantina Do Spade is a bacaro but also a restaurant, so there isn’t much space to sit down for cicchetti, just three small tables indoors. If these are occupied (they probably will be), quickly eat your fried meatball and €1 bicchierino of wine at the bar standing or outside.

Stop 6: Acqua E Mais

People standing in line outside Acqua e Mais bacaro in Venice, Italy. They're wearing coats.

Campiello dei Meloni, 1411/1412, 30125 Venezia VE

Open: Daily

Acqua E Mais is a favorite bacaro for all sorts of Venetians including students, serving up some of the best seafood cicchetti as well as some of the best takeout in Venice and street food.

Person behind glass display cases of cicchetti in Venice, Italy.

Acqua E Mais is tiny with no seating. Plan on sipping your wine and eating your seafood skewers and smoked salmon cicchetti on the street with the crowds.

Planning Tip: If you happen to be on the other side of town and you want to start your bacaro tour, feel free to reverse the order. It makes no difference!

Tips For Having The Best Experience On A Bacaro Tour

White plate with arancino on a table and small glass of white wine on left.

When ordering wine, ask for a bicchierino, meaning small glass for just a sip of wine. This is different from a full 6 oz glass of wine. Some bacari will serve this size, some will not.
Feel free to order a plate of several cicchetti to share, allowing you to sample several different kinds.
Try the same kind of cicchetto at different bars. This is my favorite way to analyze the bacari and tell which ones I like the best. I usually do this with baccalà mantecato. Every bar does it slightly differently. Which one do you like best?
Don’t be afraid to ask for cicchetti on a slice of polenta if you don’t want bread. They often can do this for you (great for gluten-free travelers in Venice.
Don’t feel obliged to finish your wine. If you take yourself on a bacaro tour and visit up to seven different bacari, it may be too much alcohol for you. No one will shame you for not finishing.

Alternatives To A Self-Guided Bacaro Tour

While heading out on a self-guided bacaro tour is easy, I am completely sympathetic with travelers who don’t want to think about getting from place to place, especially if you have been touring all day and your brain has turned to jelly.

Alternatively, you can opt to sign up for a guided bacaro tour offered by local guides in Venice. If you fall into this category and want a guided bacaro tour, consider the following tours.

Venice Food Tour Name	Departs From	Length	Food Tour Focus
Venice: Street Food Tour with a Local Guide and Tastings	Campo San Bartolomio	2.5 hours	Tasting tour of some of the city’s eateries while visiting historical monuments along the way including samples of cicchetti, cookies and bread with a visit to the Rialto market and seval bacari.
Venice: Guided Ghetto Tour by Night, Food Tastings & Spritz	Gam Gam Kosher Restaurant: Cannaregio, 1122	2 hours	Discover the Venetian Jewish Quarter and its top undiscovered tourist attractions on a walking tour all the while indulging in local cicchetti and wine at various bacari.
Venice: Food Tasting Tour with Cicchetti Dishes and Wine	Depends on if you are booking a private tour or small group tour	2.5 hours	Discover Venice’s renowned culinary culture on a guided walking tour of local neighborhoods and wine bars including 7 different cicchetti, 1 dessert, 5 glasses of wine and a traditional Venetian spritz