Cicchetti are tapas like morsels - enjoyed in many of the bars, enoteche and bacari in Venice. It is a very social way of eating - most places you are standing rubbing shoulders with the locals or fighting your way to the counter for that last piece of Baccala. These places are also where you will experience the local food of Venice - very often in small tasty bites. Cicchetti comes in many forms, some on a stick, some on some pieces of bread or it could be as small deep fried polpette....
The fully enjoy your cicchetti - you need an "ombra" - this is the local slang for a glass of vino - named after the shadow of Piazza San Marco's clock tower, that the wine sellers used to follow to keep the wine cool. And if you are a serious eater - well then you head out for a "giro d'ombra" - a kind of a pub crawl - where you visit a number of selected bacari - because each place is of course better at doing a specific cicchetti......and then there is the pronunciation -
it's called.......( chi-KET-tee) - here is some of our favorites - and spaced out in most of the city - so you always have a place to go - if it gets too cold.......
Vino Vero
Cannaregio has also been our favorite area of Venezia - here you are off the beaten track - you often wonder the streets, calle or canals all by yourself - this is the area together with Castello, where most of the venetians actually live.....a great spot...
Vino Vero - real or true wine - is a new spot right in the middle of Fondamenta delle Misericordia - here you wouldn't ask for a Spritz - this place has a great number of organic/natural wines by the glass - and then there is the counter with the cichetti - at least 20-30 different types. Here the ciccheti takes it's form as a slice of dark bread - and then with various toppings - but all kind of traditional venetian dishes - but with a twist.
We had great Baccala mantecato, seppia cooked in red vine, raddichio in saor, cime di rapa e anchovies and then some really tasty polpette di bollito - deepfried breaded balls of braised beef.....
We are going back.....
www.vinovero.it
All the food in made in house - as always - we enjoyed the baccala Mantecato, then a baccala as they do it in Vincenza, where they cook it with onions and anchovies, then the classic alice e burro - and the star of the show - small octopus still with the eggs inside - gently braised and then simply cut in half - and you eat it all - true Umami.......and to finish of the good local organic red from Veneto and cicchetto with Roccoverano - goat cheese for Piemonte with fresh truffle.....
All'Arco
Calle de l'arco 436
San Polo
Here the specialty is small rolls stuffed with all the goodness you can imagine; baccala, shrimps, artichokes, raddichio, different cheeses, truffles, salumi and a very nice porchetta.....wine wise - there is a great selection of bio dynamic wines from the area - and they make a killer Spritz.....try and ask for one made with the local Select - like Campari - but less bitter.....
Next door is a great cheese shop - and a little bit further a great place for coffee....
Al Merca
Campo bella Vienna
Alla Vedova
Ca d'Oro 3912
Cantine vino gia Schiavi
Fondamenta Namilla
Dorsoduro
This was actually our very first drink in Venice, when we first came here almost 20 years ago and it's still the first drink, as we jump of the train.....a great selection of - guess what - Prosecco - but not the standard type - but interesting organic types from small producers and bottle fermented. But this is also the place where you can get the € 1 glass of local vino and a great chat with the local craftsmen from the small workshops in the area..food wise there is a great selection of cicchetti or selections of local cheeses or salumi........
Enoteca Al Prosecco
Campo San Giacomo dell'Orio
Santa Croce