Venice has a reputation for bad, overpriced food that it earned honestly along the main tourist routes and does not deserve elsewhere. 20 bookable food tours below — plus the neighbourhoods and dishes the city is built around.
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The guide
Venice has a reputation for bad, overpriced food that it earned honestly along the main tourist routes and does not deserve elsewhere. The real cuisine is lagoon cooking: small fish, shellfish, cuttlefish and its ink, bitter greens from the island of Sant'Erasmo, and rice rather than pasta. The Venetian institution is the bacaro, a standing wine bar serving cicchetti, which are small plates eaten with a glass called an ombra. Doing a circuit of three or four bacari is a better dinner than most restaurants here will give you. Walk five minutes off the path between San Marco and Rialto and prices fall by half.
Where to focus
Four neighbourhoods to anchor a few days of eating
Cannaregio
North and residential, including the old Jewish Ghetto. The best concentration of genuine bacari along Fondamenta della Misericordia, full of Venetians in the evening.
Castello
East past the Arsenale, the largest and least visited sestiere. Neighbourhood trattorias serving lagoon fish at prices the tourist centre has forgotten.
Rialto Market
The fish market has operated on this spot for roughly a thousand years. Open mornings, closed Sunday and Monday, with bacari on the surrounding lanes.
Dorsoduro
University quarter, cheaper and younger. Campo Santa Margherita fills with students in the evening and the bars around it price accordingly.
What to eat
The dishes the city is known for
- 01
Cicchetti
· Small plates at a bacaro: baccalà on bread, fried vegetables, meatballs, half a boiled egg. A euro or two each, eaten standing. - 02
Sarde in saor
· Fried sardines marinated with onion, vinegar, pine nuts, and raisins. A sailors' preservation method from the 14th century. - 03
Risotto al nero di seppia
· Rice cooked in cuttlefish ink, black and briny. Venetian rather than Italian generally, and messy to eat. - 04
Baccalà mantecato
· Salt cod whipped with olive oil into a pale cream, spread on grilled polenta. The single most Venetian thing on a bacaro counter. - 05
Fegato alla veneziana
· Calf's liver cooked slowly with a great quantity of sweet onion, served with polenta. Older than the tourist trade by centuries. - 06
Spritz
· White wine, bitter, soda. Select is the local choice over Aperol. Drunk from late afternoon, standing outside the bar.
Practical notes
Meal timing, tipping, payment
Bacari open around 11:00, do a lunch trade, then run again from 18:00. Most kitchens close by 22:00 and the city is quiet after that. Avoid restaurants with photographs on the menu or a tout outside. Coperto and service are usually added to the bill. The fish market and many kitchens close Sunday and Monday because there is no catch. Cash still helps at small bacari.
All 20 food tours
Updated 2026-09-11The full list · sponsored partner links
- 01
Venice Street Food Tour with a Native & Top Rated Expert
Explore the City of Canals in the best way possible, in this Venezia street food tour, you will walk through the to must-see sights as well as diving into the Venetian cuisine. The tour begins in the morning at the Chur
2.5h - 02
Prosecco wine and food feast in family osteria
We are Giulia and Carlo. We have a family restaurant located in the heart of the UNESCO Prosecco Hills, so cooking is in our blood since generations! It all began in the 1900s when my great-grandfather was a wedding chef
5.5h - 03
Exclusive Luxury Experience in the Prosecco Hills
Explore the Prosecco Hills with us, Giulia and Carlo from Yellowboot.it. Join the first and best reviewed tour of the Prosecco Hills area in a private and unique way, enjoying the real Italian Dolce Vita with a unique ex
8h - 04
Half day Venice cruise terminal shore excursion wine food tasting outlet village
Tour for cruise passengers from the cruise terminal of Venice. In a flat area, you will visit a Venetian villa with the cellar and taste their wines in a rustic ambience. After the tasting, you will reach an outlet villa
4h - 05
Rialto Market Food and Wine Tasting Guided Tour in Venice
What is a true Italian holiday without indulging in local food and culture? That is why we have crafted this special Food, Wine & Sightseeing tour, offering you a chance to savor some of the most iconic dishes city. Alon
4h - 06
Small Group Venice Street Food & Sightseeing Tour with a Local
Be welcomed by your professional local guide in Campo San Bartolo and get ready to start an amazing journey through the taste and the smells of the Venetian culinary tradition. Visit the typical baccari, try many and dif
2.5h - 07
Venice Rialto Market Food Delicacies and Sightseeing Tour with a Native Guide
Be welcomed by your guide in Campo San Giacomo di Rialto and live a unique experience across Venice. You won’t only stop by bacari – the Venetian typical bar – and restaurants to have cicchetti, try delicious local dishe
4h - 08
Secret Street Food Tour of Venice in 2.5 hours
Enjoy the best of Venice with us! Combine a guided walking tour of Venice with one of the best things to do there, tasting authentic Venetian delicacies. This culinary tour of Rialto area is perfect choice to enjoy your
2.5h - 09
Treasures of Venice Scavenger Hunt for Kids, Families & School Groups + Gelato
Take this 2,5-hour scavenger hunt of you want to enjoy your first introduction about the city of Venice. You will share your family friendly guide with other children and parents (no more than 12 people in the group) so
2.5h - 10
A private food-tour in Venice, between "bacari" and "cicchetti"
If you want to spend some time in Venice and feel like a born Venetian, you may not mix with the crowds of the tourist locations but walk down the narrow alleys and find, here and there, the typical "bacari", small wine
3h - 11
Cooking class and tasting in Dorsoduro district of Venice
You will discover the unique flavours of local food as you explore our traditional way of life. The course includes a visit to the local market, selection of ingredients and preparation of 3 typical dishes, accompanied b
4h - 12
Private Day Trip to Bologna - Food, Towers & Medieval Charm
Escape Venice for a day and explore Bologna—home to rich cuisine, medieval charm, and lively culture—on a private, customizable tour with an English-speaking driver. Travel through the scenic Po Valley and start at Piazz
8h - 13
Discover the Charm of the Prosecco Hills from Venice
Escape Venice for a full-day private tour of the UNESCO-listed Prosecco Hills, where vineyard-covered slopes, charming villages, and sparkling wine await. Begin with a stroll through Conegliano’s historic old town, then
9h - 14
Private Food and Wine Tour on the Prosecco Hills from Venice
A true experience on the Prosecco hills! High quality wines and local products taste!! The excursion will depart directly from Venice's terminal (Piazzale Roma) by van or car (depending on the number of people). We will
7.5h - 15
Venezia Food Tour Discover Bacari and Tasty Cicchetti
Explore the charming bacari of Venice, where tradition meets flavor. This 2-hour food tour takes you through three authentic taverns, allowing you to savor local cicchetti, the traditional Venetian snacks, paired with wi
2h - 16
Valdobbiadene 2 days between wine, food and culture
The Prosecco di Conegliano and Valdobbiadene hills were proclaimed, on 7 July 2019, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In these 2 days you can visit one of the most beautiful areas of Italy on a real journey between culture,
48h - 17
From Venice: 1 day tour to Bologna
Enjoy a wonderful day in Bologna, discovering the secrets, history and culture of one of the most fascinating and richest cities in Italy. The day will start with a small group guided tour of the old town, during which
8h - 18
Valpolicella Wine & Olive Oil Full Day Private Tour from Venice
Experience the essence of Valpolicella with the luxury of a private car/van driver, and Wine Expert at your disposal for the duration of the tour. Embark on a scenic journey through vineyards and olive groves, as you mak
6.5h - 19
Dolomites Small-group Day Tour: Cortina and Giau Pass from Venice
Journey from the Venetian Lagoon to the stunning UNESCO Dolomites, exploring majestic landscapes, local traditions, and culinary delights. Begin with a visit to Fratelli Talamini Dairy for a taste of artisanal cheeses, t
9.5h - 20
Venice: Boat Tour to Murano, Burano and Torcello with Fish Lunch
If you want to discover the wonderful Venice lagoon main three islands and enjoy a delicious seafood lunch in a typical osteria this is clearly the tour for you. Visit Murano, the islands of glass, Burano, the island of
7h