Venice Street Food: Delicious Budget Friendly Bites

When you think about Venice you don’t automatically associate the city with street food. I certainly didn’t when I first visited. But there are plenty of delicious choices if you are looking for street food in Venice. The city is not just romantic restaurants by the water that will charge you an arm and a leg. In fact, street food in Venice is more than affordable! Let me take you on a journey along the canals, to find all those great eateries and corner shops from where you can enjoy the most authentic food in Venice.

Is There Such a Thing as Street Food in Venice?

I associate street food mostly with Asia, where I know I’ll find the most delicious dishes cooked in giant pots by the side of the street. Whilst the street food in Venice is not cooked in a similar way, it’s still plentiful and diverse, with more than enough choices for all tastes.

Venice has its own culture of street food, dating from the medieval times when the wine merchants would come to San Marco square and sell their produce alongside a small snack called cicchetto.

Go for Cicchetti

Cicchetti is a great way to sample some of the best flavours of Venice without spending too much money. These small bites are typical of the small bars called “bacari”, and are a usual accompaniment to a glass of white wine, also known as an “ombra”.  When the merchants came to Piazza San Marco, they would sit in the shade of the Bell Tower. In Italian, “ombra” means “shadow”, and the name stuck. Even now, if you order an “ombra” in a bacari in Venice, you will receive a small glass of wine.

The cicchetti come in different forms, but they all have one thing in common, they are tiny snacks that cost between 1-2 euros. They can be fried croquettes, baguette slices topped with ham, cheese, or an assortment of salads, bite-sized portions of traditional Venetian dishes, and even halved boiled eggs.

Cicchetti are meant to be eaten whilst standing outside, drinking wine. The typical bacari are very small, with only one or two barrels as tables – usually outside in front. Most groups of friends stand in front of the bar, drinking and enjoying cicchetti.

Pasta to Go? Yes Please!

Another great street food in Venice is pasta to go. There are several places from where you can buy freshly cooked pasta smothered in a delicious sauce such as cuttlefish ink, seafood, or the classic tomato.

The typical pasta shape of Venice is the bigoli. It is a thick, long pasta, similar to spaghetti in length. Because it is usually made from buckwheat flour, it has a rough texture, which makes the sauce stick to it better.

There are several places where you can buy pasta to go in Venice, from the famous Bepe Bigoi which has a shop in San Polo, to the more traditional Dal Moro’s in Castello.

Take a Pizza to Go

Pizza al taglio is a great street, found everywhere in Italy, and Venice is no exception. There are plenty of places from where you can buy a slice of pizza for a few euros. Some places charge per 100 grams, whilst others charge per slice, so always be aware.

When you order a heavy loaded pizza at a place that charges per grams, you may pay more than a Margherita for example, which only has tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. A great place to buy slices of pizza at a fixed price is Farini. They have a few locations around Venice. Pizza al taglio is a fantastic cheap eat in Venice.

A Cone of Fried Fish

 Another traditional street food in Venice is fried fish, or seafood served in a paper cone. You can choose between a cone of fried cod, fried calamari, or mixed which consists of prawns, anchovy and squid.

One of the most popular places to buy fried fish from is Frito Inn, in Cannaregio. Their prices start at 5 euros for cod, 8 euros for fish and seafood mix, and 10-11 euros for prawns and calamari. The portions are generous and the fish delicious.

A Carriage of Mozzarella – Mozzarella in Carrozza

Mozzarella in Carrozza is a dish that comes from Napoli, but Venice has put its own stamp on it. This dish translates as a deep fried slice of Mozzarella cheese, which is extremely stretchy when you bite into it. The Venetians have added anchovies to the mix, giving it a unique flavour. The anchovies are put in the centre of the cheese, before it is deep fried. It gives the cheese a very strong, umami flavour. I loved it, but I know that not everyone is a fan of anchovies. If you love salty fish, you will love Mozzarella in Carrozza.

One of the most famous places in Venice to buy Mozzarella in Carrozza from is Rosticceria Gislon, near Rialto.

Bakery Delights 

I love that Venice has so many bakeries selling not just sweet pastries, but savoury delights as well. They are a great option for when you want a snack, or just want to try the local specialities.

There are quite a few pastries typical to Venice, such as the bussolà (a sweet vanilla crumbly biscuit from Burano), the zaletti ( cornmeal raisin cookies), the fritole (delicious round donuts covered with powder sugar), the pinza veneta ( a rustic cake made with polenta and filled with candied and dried fruits, as well as fennel seeds), or apple fritters.   

When it comes to savoury, you can buy fresh bread, focaccia, spinach and ricotta cakes, or tomato and mozzarella pizzette. 

Don’t Miss the Gelato

I never know when my next trip to Italy is going to be, so every time I get the chance, I will treat myself with gelato. My two go-to flavours are pistachio and amarena – and I can always tell how good a gelateria is just by tasting the flavour of the pistachio.

Gelato is one of the best sweet street foods in Venice. It’s creamy, tastes great, and cools you down when it’s hot. For me it doesn’t matter if it’s warm outside or not, if it’s sunny or rainy, I will still buy gelato and enjoy it whilst sightseeing.

I actually had a bit of a challenge finding good gelaterias in Venice. My go-to place is Pasticceria Rosa Salva in Campo SS. Giovanni e Paolo, in Castello. Every time I am in Venice I make sure to pop in for a cone of pistachio gelato, which is exactly as it should be: creamy and extremely tasty.  

Aperol Spritz to Go

You may be surprised to learn that you can have a glass of Aperol Spritz near Rialto bridge for only 3 euros, at the now famous Al Merca’ in Campo Bella Vienna. There are quite a few bacari that will sell Aperol to go, for only a few euros. In general, if you see a crowd of people enjoying drinks in front of a small bar, that’s a good place to go for an affordable spritz. As I mentioned before, most of the bacari will not have tables or chairs, and the space inside will be very small. 

For a more authentic experience, head over the Cannaregio. This is where the locals actually live and go out for drinks. Try to avoid beer, as it is usually very expensive in Venice.

Extra: The Supermarket

Not really a street food, but you can always make your own picnic by raiding the supermarket – there are plenty in Venice. If you are vising Venice on a budget, this is a great way to keep your costs down whilst still enjoying delicious Italian delicacies. Just keep in mind that eating in the main squares or sitting down on the canals is not allowed. There are however plenty of smaller squares with benches where you can enjoy the Prosciutto Crudo and the Asiago cheese that you have just bought from the supermarket.

For more similar articles about Venice check my recommendations below:

• Traditional Venetian Food – What to eat in Venice
• My favourite restaurants in Venice
• Cheap eats in Venice
• Explore the hidden corners of Venice

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