Venice isn't cheap. 40 Euros for 3 days of ferry rides. 9 Euros for a public toilet pass. While we'd never deviate from our goal to sample the authentic local fare wherever we go, it took some effort to find good quality at our moderate budget (final tally: 15 Euros per person per meal). Reviewed below are 6 eateries that fit our criteria, though some were better value than others.
BACARETO DA LELE
Located on Campo dei Tolentini; 3 minutes walk from Piazzale Roma bus terminal
This was by far our cheapest meal in Venice, and in fact the cheapest of our 23-day journey across Italy. You absolutely can't beat 2.5 Euros per person for a light lunch ... including wine!
Bacareto Da Lele is exactly what it calls itself -- a tiny, no frills Bacaro tucked away on an obscure piazza at the far edge of Venice. While it's far from the tourist circuit, it was perfect for us stepping off the airport bus at Piazzale Roma.
Don't expect any chairs, and the only tables came in the form of two weathered wine barrels outside the shop. Small panini were 1 Euro each, large panini cost 1.8 to 2.3 Euros, and every local wine from Refosco to Friulano to Prosecco were all priced between 0.6 to 1 Euro. I had never seen anything cheaper in Italy. Period.
We snatched up the last 3 panini of the day as we arrived for a late lunch, though wine was free-flowing as always. A little prosciutto, a little roasted porchetta, a couple glasses of Friulano and Prosecco, all served on the front steps of San Nicola da Tolentino under the blue Venetian sky. The only catch is that one should plan to arrive early -- the last edible tidbit was scooped up by 12:45 on this day.
Bill for Two Persons
| Small Sandwich with Prosciutto and Giardiniera | 1 Euro |
| Small Sandwich with Porchetta and Mustard | 1 Euro |
| Small Sandwich with Speck and Cheese | 1 Euro |
| Glass of Friulano | 1 Euro |
| Glass of Prosecco | 0.9 Euro |
| TOTAL | 4.9 Euros (CAD$6.9) |
OSTERIA ALLA CIURMA
Calle Galeazza 406; in a small alley just southwest of the Rialto Market
Out of the four popular cicchetteria we tried during our stay in Venice, this tiny Bacaro was my personal favorite. You'd be lucky to claim one of the four or so tables at lunchtime as the place seemed perpetually packed, and for good reasons.
A long wine list, great food, all at reasonable prices especially for Venice. Not quite as dirt cheap as Bacareto Da Lele, but you could get a Friulano for 1.5 Euros or a Valpolicella for 2.5. It's also one of the rare Bacari that actually listed the prices of its Cicchetti offerings. And why not? Almost everything was under 2 Euros anyway!
A variety of seafood Cicchetti, some crunchy Crostini, and a couple glasses of Spritz Veneziano to round off the meal.
The Polpetta and Arancino were nice and filling, the stuffed Fiori di Zucca were better, but the best were the Mediterranean prawns peeled and deep-fried in batter, so fresh that one could taste the seawater inside. This place was cheap, but they certainly did not cheap out on ingredients.
Another of my favorites was the Crostini with Prosciutto Crudo, Gorgonzola and Arugula. The final bill for a satisfying lunch at the heart of infamously expensive Venice? 21 Euros for two including wine, within a few minutes walk from Rialto Bridge. This is a Bacaro I fully recommend ... just be prepared to stand and eat outside.
Bill for Two Persons
| Polpetta and Arancino | 3 Euros |
| Fiori di Zucca x 2 | 3 Euros |
| Deep-Fried Prawns x 2 | 3.6 Euros |
| Crostini x 2 | 3 Euros |
| Spiedini x 2 | 3.5 Euros |
| Spritz x 2 | 5 Euros |
| TOTAL | 21.1 Euros (CAD$29.6) |
OSTERIA AL PORTEGO
Located on Calle Forneri; just across the bridge north of Campo San Lio
While Alla Ciurma was crowded enough, we could barely find a spot to stand inside the impossibly crammed Osteria Al Portego on a Saturday night. This place was actually minutes from our apartment, but we never came back for the simple reason that it's near impossible to find a table.
We ended up standing outside and putting our plates on an old barrel-top that we shared with some Italian neighbours. Most of the crowd didn't even get half a barrel-top to place their drinks ... it's THAT crazy. This little Bacaro must be doing something right.
Vinegared Sardines. Cuttlefish stewed in ink. Octopus Salad. Crostino with Creamed Baccala. All Venetian favorites designed to be washed down with the Ombre from the bar.
While the variety of offerings was broader compared with Alla Ciurma, honestly I thought the quality was just half a notch below. Nevertheless we're talking about the rock bottom price of 11 Euros per person for dinner, including wine, at one of the world's premier tourist destinations. Nobody should be able to complain.
Bill for Two Persons
| Sarde in Saor | |
| Seppie in Umido con il Nero | |
| Crostini di Baccala Mantecato | |
| Polpo Insalata | |
| Polpette | |
| Ombra di Vino x 2 | |
| TOTAL | 22 Euros (CAD$30.8) |
CANTINA DO SPADE
Calle delle Do Spade 19; just south of Campo Beccarie
This is probably the oldest restaurant we've ever visited, anywhere in the world. We're talking mid 1400's, before the fall of Constantinople and the subsequent decline in Venetian fortunes. It may not look its age, but for nearly 600 years this Bacaro has stood tall as a local institution, serving its faithfuls since the age of Titian and Tintoretto.
With a wide range of Cicchetti as well as some Primi and Secondi offerings, Cantina Do Spade is now somewhat halfway between a neighbourhood Bacaro and a full-scale Osteria. It's just as popular as Al Portego, only more difficult to find -- forget the official address (San Polo 860) and look out for the street sign of "Calle delle Spade."
Polpo in Umido, Sarde in Saor, Gamberoni, Merluzzo Gratinato ... it's difficult not to splurge on all this Venetian seafood when everything was priced at a couple euros each. My favorites were probably the grilled calamaro and the Fiori di Zucca stuffed with Baccala.
We ended up with 15 Cicchetti (14 of which were seafood!) and 2 drinks for what would be our most expensive Bacaro visit ... if 15 Euros per person could be considered expensive anywhere in Italy.
Bill for Two Persons
| Polpo in Umido | |
| Sarde in Saor | |
| Gamberoni Fritti | |
| Merluzzo Gratinato | |
| Calamaro Grigliata | |
| Fiori di Zucca | |
| Filet of Sole | |
| Baccala Fritti | |
| Grilled Goby | |
| Crab Claw Rissole | |
| Melanzana Gratinate | |
| Ombra di Vino x 2 | |
| TOTAL | 30 Euros (CAD$42.0) |
ANTICA TRATTORIA BANDIERETTE
Located on Barbaria delle Tole; 100m east of Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo
Our best meal in Venice was served by this unassuming trattoria, recommended to us by the owner of our apartment. Situated in a residential neighbourhood about 10 minutes walk north of San Marco, Antica Bandierette is ranked #457 on TripAdvisor and doesn't even seem to be on Google Maps at the time of writing. That's how underrated this place is. But if you trust my tastebuds, I can honestly say that our meal here was probably the best we had in Venice.
Though the trattoria did serve a few Cicchetti items at the bar, most of the clientele seemed to prefer sit-down dinners. We ordered one Antipasto, one Primo and one Secondo to share, starting with this plate of baked scallops in butter. We had a split decision on this one -- my wife remembered the freshness of the scallops fondly while I thought it was the least spectacular of the three courses. The better dishes were still to come.
I loved these Spaghetti con Canocchie. Not only was this great pasta, it might just be the best Mantis Shrimp dish I've had, of any nationality and culinary tradition. While I do enjoy Mantis Shrimps especially in East Asian dishes (Shako in Sushi, Stir-Fried with Chili and Salt in Cantonese Dai Pai Dong), I sometimes overlook them due to their blander flavor compared with prawns or scampi. But this Sugo di Canocchie was anything but bland -- in fact the entire dish of pasta, not just the sauce itself, tasted of the essence of the sea. That's why I love Mediterranean seafood: the salt content of the seawater makes a world of difference in the flavor of its produce.
Equally impressive was the Seppie Veneziana, little morsels of cuttlefish stewed tenderly inside its own ink. We previously had the same dish at Al Portego but this was absolutely better by miles. As with any seafood ingredients freshness was the key, and this ink sauce was as fresh and flavorsome as we could expect.
Did I mention the 1/2 bottle of Valpolicella for 7 Euros? And that they didn't charge us Coperto? For anyone seeking an authentic Venetian trattoria on a modest budget, this little mom-and-pop operation would be my recommendation, as long as you're willing to stray 10 minutes from San Marco.
Bill for Two Persons
| Tris di Capesante | 12 Euros |
| Seppie alla Veneziana | 12 Euros |
| Spaghetti con Canocchie | 13 Euros |
| 1/2 Bottle of Valpolicella | 7 Euros |
| TOTAL | 44 Euros (CAD$61.6) |
6342 A LE TOLE
Located on Barbaria delle Tole; just 20m east of Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo
One evening we headed for Antica Bandierette again but found it closed on Mondays. Half a block away we saw a Spaghetteria completely packed with diners, with an open kitchen where pasta was being handmade. We weren't aware at the time, but this turned out to be the immensely popular Spaghetteria 6342 a le Tole.
Still salivating for the Seppie Nero at Bandierette's from the other night, my wife ordered the Spaghetti Nero half-expecting another miracle. While the pasta's texture did come out perfect, everything else was frankly disappointing -- the scallops tasted of frozen seafood, the sauce was underflavored, and there just wasn't enough ink to bring the dish together.
My Spaghettoni con Scampi was better, as I certainly expected when paying 18 Euros(!) for a Primo. But the Scampi still weren't the freshest, and while the portion was generous I'd much prefer Bandierette's version with Canocchie at 2/3 the price. And considering the overpriced house wine at 4.5 Euros a glass, it really made me question the popularity of this place.
Bill for Two Persons
| Spaghetti Neri | 15 Euros |
| Spaghettoni con Scampi | 18 Euros |
| 2 Glasses of House Wine | 9 Euros |
| Coperto x 2 | 4 Euros |
| TOTAL | 46 Euros (CAD$64.4) |
The size of our meals usually left us with no room for heavy desserts. Luckily in Venice a Gelateria is never far away, and around our apartment the neighborhood Gelateria was a refreshing little shop called Mela Verde, serving excellent artisan Gelati centered around a killer Mela Verde (green apple) flavor. Spending 2 Euros for a small Gelato, perhaps holding a 1.5 Euro Crostini from a nearby Bacaro in the other hand, savoring Venice doesn't always mean breaking the bank.
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