Feeling a bit famished before your fancy reservation for a late dinner in Venice? Not hungry enough to eat a formal meal?
Well, then, do what the Venetians, go to a bacaro, a wine bar to enjoy some small snacks and tempting food or traditional Venetian cicchetti and an ombra or a glass of local wine. Learn more about the concept behind bacari, offered cicchetti dishes, and the origin of ombra. Find out which are some of the best bacari to visit in Venice.
History of BÃ cari and Cicchetti in Venice.
In the 1300s there were more than 20 bacari (small wine bars) surrounding the Rialto Bridge in Venice. By adding little bites, the bars would keep people drinking for a little longer. Eventually these wine bars got quite a scruffy reputation and went out of style.
But like everything that was once old, it is new again: eating small plates of cicchetti has become fashionable as the evolution of tapas in Spain. The cicchetti have gotten a gourmet makeover and the wines have started to flow again, a new era has begun. Today, eating cicchetti in Venice, mainly based on seafood, is practiced by tourists and locals.
How to order wine in a Bacaro
Then you are in a bacaro, a wine bar. Naturally, you think you throw the bar and order a glass of wine, a di bicchiere wine. Yes, you can, but really, what you really want to do is ask for an ombra .
“Un bicchiere di vino” will probably give you a higher priced glass of wine (not necessarily local). Order an ombra and you will get a small glass of local wine. It is likely to be quite inexpensive.
Ombra means “shadow.” The use of the word to define a glass of wine dates back to the days of wine merchants who used to settle in Piazza San Marco, changing the location of their products to follow the shadow of the bell tower from the heat of the sun would ruin the wine. The name stuck, and a small glass of local wine in Venice is still an ombra .
How to order food in a Bacaro
The food that you will find in a bacaro reflects the food that you will find in a Venetian kitchen. For the most part, there are shellfish in various forms. There will almost always be traditional staples like baccala butter , a salty creamy cod served on a wedge of polenta. You will also find baked cuttlefish or shrimp and even small meatballs.
Recently, Italians have become big fans of raw fish, the new culinary sashimi makers of the world. Therefore, there is likely raw fish as an option.
Food is usually placed on large plates behind glass on shelves above the bar. You go to the bar (usually making your way through crowds of people) and order by pointing out what you’d like. Each serving will probably cost you 2-4 euros.
Vecia Carbonera winery
Direction
Canneregio 2329 , 30100 Venice VE , ItalyGet directions
La Vecia Carbonera is a great bácaro to order food and an ombra. The name of the bar is a nod to the history of the location; it was once used to store coal or carbons in Italian.
At Vecia Carbonera, you walk in, order food and drink, and then find a seat in the back, where there are long communal tables. Some people spill out front too. They have a good selection of food, and the location is convenient. Cannaregio, a pleasant working-class neighborhood, is also a great place to find accommodation.
The Sbarlefo
Direction
30121, Salizada del Pistor, 4558 , 30121 Venice VE , ItalyGet directions
Telephone
+39 041 523 3084
Web
Visit the website
Venetian blogger Monica Cesarato says El Sbarlefo has the best baccala butter in town. It is difficult to decide what to order from the meatball in tomato sauce, artichokes, polenta and herring, and Sarde in Saor traditional, sweet and sour sardines in onion sauce served cold.
It is a small and crowded place. You’ll have to fight your way through the crowd to order, and then compete for a table outside like everyone else. A plate of food and drink for three people will cost about 25 euros.
The Cellar
Direction
Cannaregio, 3689 , 30121 Venice VE , ItalyGet directions
Telephone
+39 041 522 8258
Web
Visit the website
The lively La Cantina is known for its selection of wines and the freshness of its fish. At this bacaro, you can get a good taste of wines from Veneto and beyond, and get acquainted with some raw branzino. After you’re done there and if you find that you’re still hungry, you can see if you can get a reservation at the nearby Vini di Giglio, one of Venice’s best restaurants in a comfortable tavern.
