If you are wondering what to eat in Venice, I’ve got you! My last trip to the city of love was purely for a gastronomical adventure. I flew to Venice to explore the traditional Venetian food and find what makes the cuisine in Venice special. I’ve been to markets, spoke to family run restaurant owners and ate as much street food as I could. I discovered how most dishes use few but high quality ingredients, to create flavours that will stay with you for years to come. I still remember the almost sweet taste of the ripe roasted tomatoes in the Linguine alla Busara that I had at a small trattoria in Campo SS. Giovanni e Paolo.
About the Food in Venice
Venetian cuisine is a combination of ingredients and cooking styles that have been shaped over centuries of trade and cultural exchange, with various countries and cultures. Back in the Middle Ages, Venice used to be a major port and centre of commerce. The Venetians were well known for their trading activities, bringing them into contact with different cultures, including those of the Byzantine Empire, the Arabs, and the Turks. These interactions resulted in the exchange of ingredients and culinary techniques that contributed to the development of Venetian cuisine.
Because Venice is a coastal city, fish and seafood have been used in the traditional cuisine for centuries. Many traditional Venetian dishes include ingredients from the sea, from soft shell crabs to langoustines, codfish to anchovies and cuttlefish to prawns.
Another significant influence on Venetian cuisine is the city’s location in the northeast of Italy, which has resulted in the use of ingredients such as polenta, rice, and beans. Venetian cuisine is also characterised by the use of herbs and spices, such as saffron, which is used to flavour different dishes.
In addition to seafood and traditional Italian ingredients, Venetian cuisine also includes dishes from the city’s former colonies, such as spices from the Far East and sweets from the Middle East. “Baicoli,” a type of Venetian biscuit. It is said that this tasty biscuit had been inspired by the “biscotti” that they encountered during their trading expeditions in the eastern Mediterranean.
Finding the Best Food in Venice
You will find a great variety of dining options in Venice. Though I travelled to Venice by myself, I was always greeted with a warm welcome at the eateries around the city.
Trattorias and osterias are among the most popular dining options in Venice. These casual and cosy restaurants serve simple and traditional Venetian dishes such as risotto, pasta, and seafood. They are often family-owned and run, and offer a warm and welcoming atmosphere that is perfect for a casual meal.
If you are looking for cheap eats in Venice, then you should know that there are plenty of places where you can buy pasta or pizza to go. Also, cicchetti is a great affordable option for small bites and a drink in an authentic Venetian bar.
If you have plenty of money to splurge in Venice, book a table at one of the restaurants overlooking the canals, or located in one of the historical palaces. Here you will probably need to book a table in advance, as well as follow a dress code.
In addition to traditional restaurants, Venice also has a vibrant cafe and bar scene. Cafes and bars serve a variety of light bites and snacks, as well as coffee, tea and cocktails. They are often popular meeting places for locals, and offer a chance to experience the lively atmosphere of Venice’s public squares and streets.
From my experience, the food in Venice was exceptional, no matter the restaurant I ate at. The only issue I had was that the portions were on the small side, and the prices quite high. The menu del giorno is a great way to taste the traditional food in Venice on a budget, but you will probably need two to fill up.
What are Cicchetti?
Cicchetti is such a fundamental part of the Venetian social life. It’s like a tradition to finish work in the city and then head over for cicchetti and an ombra in a small bar, called bacari. The tradition of cicchetti and ombra was born centuries ago, when the wine merchants from San Marco Square would stand in the shadow of the Campanille (the Bell Tower), to keep their drinks cold. The small glasses of wine soon became known as “ombra” – which translates as “shadow” from Italian. To this day, if you ask for an “ombra” in a bar in Venice, you will receive a glass of wine.
As Venetians didn’t drink on an empty stomach, the wine merchants started to serve small bites alongside the glass of ombra.
Bacari are small bars with very limited seating inside, that sell inexpensive drinks and cicchetti. Many times customers eat and drink outside, in front of the bars, which make the streets around Venice very animated.
Cicchetti are bite-sized snacks, often served on bread or crackers, and typically accompanied with a glass of wine or spritz. Over time, the tradition of cicchetti evolved from a small snack served in Piazza San Marco by the wine merchants and bars, to offer a wider variety of snacks, including seafood, meats, and vegetables. Today, cicchetti is a staple of the local cuisine and an authentic part of the culture in Venice. Many bars and taverns have become popular meeting places for locals, and it’s not uncommon to see groups of friends sharing cicchetti and drinks while catching up on the day’s events.
Cicchetti can be found all over the city, from the bustling Rialto market to the quiet backstreets of Cannaregio. Some of the most popular cicchetti include “baccalà mantecato,” a creamy spread made with salt cod, “sarde in saor,” a sweet and sour sardine dish, and “polpette,” meatballs made with beef or fish.
Popular cicchetti to try in Venice:
- Mozzarella in carozza
- Crostini
- Nostrano and Sopressa Salami
- Montasio Cheese
- Asiago Cheese
What to Eat in Venice:
Sarde in Saor
Sarde in Saor is one of the most popular dishes in Venice. Sarde in Saor is a dish made up of sardines that are fried and then marinated in a mixture of onions and vinegar, and served with raisins and pine nuts. The dish is typically served cold and is often enjoyed as cicchetti, in a bacari.
The dish was originally created as a way to preserve fish during long sea voyages. The marinade acted as a natural preservative, allowing the fish to be stored for long periods without spoiling. Over time, the dish became a popular snack amongst Venetians, and today it is a staple of Venetian cuisine. The sweet and sour flavours of the marinade complement the oily richness of the sardines, making for a delicious and flavourful dish.
Bigoli in Salsa
Bigoli is a type of pasta specific to Venice. It is as long as spaghetti but much thicker, traditionally made from buckwheat flour. Sometimes, duck eggs are added to the mix. The sauce for bigoli in salsa is simple and uses only a few ingredients: onions, anchovies, white wine and black pepper.
In the past, bigoli in salsa was made with sardines, and it used to be a dish consumed mostly on the night before a big feast, such as Christmas or Easter, for a light supper.
Risotto al Nero di Seppia
Another surprising dish that originated in Venice is the risotto (or the spaghetti) al Nero di Seppia. Also known as squid ink risotto, It is a unique dish that gets its dark colour from the addition of squid ink, which not only adds colour but also enhances the flavour of the dish.
The dish is made using Arborio rice, a type of short-grain rice that is commonly used in the north of Italy. The rice is cooked slowly in a broth made from seafood, onions, and white wine, with the addition of squid ink giving the dish its distinctive black colour. The squid ink also adds a slightly salty flavour to the dish, which complements the sweetness of the onions and the richness of the broth. The risotto is served with grated parmesan and parsley, which are added to the dish just before serving.
Baccalà Mantecato
Another traditional dish that you must eat in Venice is the baccalà mantecato. This dish uses salt cod which is whipped into a cream and dressed with olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. It has a light and creamy texture, which makes it perfect to be spread on bread or on crostini. Whilst most of the time the baccalà mantecato is served as a cicchetti, you can also find it on the menu of different restaurants in Venice serving traditional Venetian food, where it is served alongside polenta.
Risi e Bisi
Risi e Bisi is a typical dish in Venice that was invented to celebrate spring at the Ducal Palace. It was served on the 25th of April, on the feast of St Mark, the patron saint of Venice. The dish was made using the first crops of peas of the year, in the lagoon.
It translates as “rice and peas” and whilst the dish is similar to a risotto, it has a looser and creamier texture, more like a thick soup. It is prepared with local ingredients that grow near Venice such as the Vialone Nano rice and the peas from Lumignano. What is curious is that the entire pea, including the pod, is used in the making of this dish. Pancetta is also used to add a second layer of flavour to the dish.
Fegato alla Veneziana
There is no other humbler traditional food in Venice than the Fegato alla Veneziana. Its origins are in Rome. During the mediaeval times, when nothing went to waste, the rich would get the meat and the poor would make innovative dishes using the leftover offal. You can read more about this in my article about food in Rome by clicking here. The way of cooking offal reached Venice at some point, when the fegato alla Veneziana was born.
The authentic recipe of Fegato alla Veneziana has to have pig liver and sweet onions from Chioggia, a small town south of Venice. The sweetness of the onion is a great way to balance the strong taste of the liver. The other ingredients used in this dish are butter, olive oil, and parsley. It is usually served with polenta.
Fritto Misto
Fritto Misto is a very popular street food in Venice. Fritto misto is a mix of fried fish and seafood such as sardines, prawns, cuttlefish, and sometimes even scallops. They are lightly coated in flour, deep fried, and seasoned with plenty of salt.
The traditional way to serve fritto misto is wrapped inside a newspaper cone, just like fish and chips in England.
Moleche
You have to be lucky to visit Venice in the right season if you want to try Moleche, a speciality of the area. The Moleche is a type of green crab which grows in the Venetian Lagoon. They are picked during their moulting season, when the males leave their shell, before forming a new carapace. This is the time when they are picked, which is very short – only a few hours!
The crabs are cooked in a very simple way – passed through flour and then fried entirely. Because they are soft, you don’t have to open or peel them, just eat the crabs as they are. The Moleche is only available during spring and autumn.
Risotto de Gò
Another great dish to eat in Venice is the risotto de Gò, a fish that grows in the nearby lagoon. The fish based risottos are a specialty of Venice, because both the rice and the seafood are native to the area. This risotto is made using the local Vialone Nano rice, which is cooked in a stock cooked from the goby fish. This is a very small fish, similar to whitebait.
It is interesting to know that this dish was invented at the beginning of the 15th century, by the fishermen in Burano. It has since become a staple of the cuisine in Venice.
Polenta e Schie
Polenta e Schie is a classic Venezian appetiser. It consists of a bed of creamy polenta topped with local shrimp cooked in a white wine and garlic sauce. The Schie shrimp is native to the Venetian lagoon. They are very small and are considered to be a delicacy, even if there is very little meat on them. You can’t find this type of grey shrimp outside of Venice.
Pasta e Fasiòi
Everybody has heard about pasta fagioli, from the famous Lino Toffolo song. But did you know this dish is a staple of the cuisine in Venice? Considered to be a poor man’s food because of the inexpensive ingredients that go in, the pasta e fagioli is a thick bean soup.
Traditionally in Venice, pasta e fagioli is linked to the annual slaughter of the pig. Pasta fagioli used to be made using cheap cuts of the pork such as lard, pancetta, rind, and sometimes even trotters. It is a dish popular more in winter, when the temperatures drop and all you want is a warming up, hearty dish.
Moscardini alla Diavola
This typical Venetian dish is a delight for the taste buds. It consists of baby octopus cooked in a spicy tomato sauce with garlic and white wine. It is usually served alongside creamy white polenta, which is typical to Venice.
Usually the octopus is cooked entirely for this dish, and not chopped.
Linguine alla Busara
If you are still wondering what to eat in Venice, don’t miss this fantastic tasting dish, Linguine alla Busara. The “Busara” literally means throwing something together quickly, which is the sauce of this dish. The base of the sauce is made with onions, garlic, white wine and olive oil, to which tomatoes and shellfish are added and cooked fast – so the seafood doesn’t overcook. The shellfish used to make this dish is usually big prawns as well as langoustines.
Despite the fact that there are only very few ingredients used to make this dish, the taste comes from the quality of the produce. The tomatoes are ripened on the vine in the Italian sun, the white vine comes from the Veneto region, and the prawns are freshly caught in the nearby Adriatic Sea.
Castradina
If you happen to visit Venice in November, look for restaurants offering Castradina on their menus. This soup is specific to the celebration of Madonna della Salute, one of the biggest feasts in the city, celebrated on November 21st. This dish has its origins way back in the 12th century.
Castradina is a meaty soup, made with mutton leg which has been cured in salt water then smoked. As with all other traditional Venetian dishes, there are very few other ingredients that make this soup: onions, carrots, celery, cabbage, and peppercorns.
Tiramisu
The region of Venice has given Italy its most famous dessert: the tiramisu. The dessert was invented by a pastry chef named Roberto Linguanotto, who worked at the Le Beccherie restaurant in Treviso. Linguanotto created the dessert by layering coffee-soaked savoiardi biscuits with a mixture of mascarpone cheese, eggs, and sugar. And the rest is history!
Buranelli
Buranelli are small, crispy biscuits usually shaped like rings and made with a combination of flour, sugar, eggs, and butter. The name of the biscuit comes from their ring shape, with “busa” meaning hole in Italian.
Buranelli are believed to have originated in the island of Burano, a picturesque island located in the Venetian lagoon. Burano is known for its colourful houses and lace-making tradition, but it is also famous for its delicious biscuits.
These biscuits were traditionally made by the women of Burano and were often made by fishermen’s wives for them to take with them on their long sea journeys. The biscuits were appreciated for their long shelf life and their ability to provide sustenance during the long periods at sea.
Today, Buranelli are sold in bakeries and pastry shops throughout Venice and the surrounding areas.
Fritole Veneziane
If you are visiting Venice during the Carnival, you must taste the Fritole Veneziane, which are a special treat for this time of the year. The dough is flavoured with lemon zest and raisins, and the pastries, resembling doughnuts, are powdered with icing sugar. This typical Venetian sweet is related to the Lent period. As the Carnival was a way to celebrate before a period of abstinence before Easter, the Venetians would indulge in rich and delicious foods before starting the 40 days of Lent.
Pan del Doge
Pan del Doge is a very intriguing pastry that you will find all over Venice. However, it’s impossible to find what exactly it is, and the bakeries are very secretive about it. They also look different from bakery to bakery, and everyone seems to have their own recipe for it – which again is kept secret.
For more similar articles about Venice check out my recommendations below:
Like it? Pin it!
Disclaimer: Some of the links on this website are “affiliate links.” This means that if you click on the link and do a purchase, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost for you. This helps me keep my website running and continue to share my travelling knowledge with you. I thank you for booking your flights or hotels using the links on my website. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.
Great information, the dishes look fantastic and I love how you’ve gotten into the nitty gritty of what locals do! I’m so hungry now lol.
I loved this post of yours. Not the usual local food list but a whole cultural angle to it. In particular, loved the tale of cicchetti and Ombra. And to think of it, most of us pass the Campanille without knowing these smaller tales. These are the stories that make the local cuisine so appealing and whether you are vegetarians or non vegetarians, you still want to see these historic dishes. Very well done!
Whenever I think about food in Venice, I would simply think of pasta and pizza but I am happy to learn that there are many other dishes that are a must-try. Polenta e Schie looks really good, especially to a seafood lover like me.
Also, Fritto Misto seems delicious. I love that they serve it in a newspaper cone making it the perfect street food. Will make sure to try them once we have a chance to visit again.
This is an amazing post – as I feel that you described the origins of the spices used in the dishes so well. I appreciate the historical aspect that you intertwined into the delicious dishes of Venice. I do love Linguine Busara and the Creamy polentas too. Such a great list to go through when in Venice.