The Best Cicchetti Crawl in Venice: My Favorite Way to Eat Through the City
- Jennifer Borgkvist
- Apr 2
- 6 min read
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There are very few things I love more than small bites done well.
Tapas, charcuterie, a long tasting menu, cicchetti. If a city gives me a reason to turn a meal into a progression, I will almost always do it. I love stretching out a tasting over a few hours, walking in between stops, seeing more of a place as I eat my way through it, and quietly convincing myself that the extra steps somehow justify the extra glass of wine.
So naturally, I turn things into a progressive tasting every chance I get. A crawl, yes, but the civilized kind. The kind with good snacks, better scenery, and just enough walking to pretend we planned it for wellness.
I have done it with wine windows in Florence, pizza, gelato, pastel de nata, and of course cicchetti in Venice. And Venice might be one of the very best cities in the world for it. Bonus! Kids love this cicchetti crawl too!
Because cicchetti are not meant to be rushed. They are not a formal sit-down meal. They are little bites, little pours, little pauses. You drift from one bacaro to the next, order whatever looks best, stand shoulder to shoulder with everyone else doing the same, and let the city unfold between stops. That is the magic of it.
A proper cicchetti crawl is one of my favorite ways to experience Venice because it feels equal parts delicious and cinematic. You get the food, the wine, the atmosphere, and the city itself, all at once.
Want the Actual Crawl Planned for You?
If you love the idea of a cicchetti crawl but do not want to spend your afternoon guessing which bacaro comes next, I created a Venice Cicchetti Crawl Guide with three planned crawls plus a bonus route. It gives you the stops, the order, what to order, and how to make the whole thing feel effortless.
What cicchetti actually are
Cicchetti are Venice’s signature small bites, traditionally served in bacari, the city’s casual taverns and wine bars. Visit Venezia describes bacari as small, rustic Venetian taverns where you drink ombre, small glasses of wine, or spritz, alongside cicheti like fish balls and little sandwiches. The same tourism source also describes cicchetti as one of Venice’s most iconic forms of street food, often served on bread or crostini with toppings like creamed cod, cuttlefish, vegetables, or meatballs.
They are often compared to tapas, which is useful, but not quite complete. Cicchetti feel more Venetian than that. More tied to place. More tied to the rhythm of aperitivo, the Rialto markets, the lagoon, and the city’s centuries-old relationship with wine and seafood. Visit Venezia traces bacari and cicheti to the long gastronomic history of the Serenissima and notes that the word bacaro may derive from Bacchus, the god of wine, or from the Venetian phrase far bacaria, meaning to celebrate noisily.
A little history, because it makes the crawl even better
Part of what makes cicchetti so interesting is that they are deeply tied to working Venice.
For centuries, the Rialto area was the commercial heart of the city, and the fish market became one of the defining food spaces of Venice. The current Pescheria building dates to the early 20th century, with the market inaugurated in 1908, but the food culture around Rialto is much older.
That matters because cicchetti were shaped by the ingredients moving through Venice every day, especially seafood. One of the most classic examples is sarde in saor, a sweet-and-sour sardine preparation that multiple sources trace back to fishermen, who used onions and vinegar to help preserve fish before refrigeration.
That is why a cicchetti crawl near Rialto makes so much sense. You are not just eating snacks. You are stepping into a food tradition built around merchants, fishermen, wine, and quick, flavorful bites meant to be enjoyed standing up, talking, and moving on to the next stop.
What is a cicchetti crawl?
A cicchetti crawl is basically Venice’s version of a progressive tasting.
Instead of sitting down for one long meal, you move from one bacaro to the next, ordering a few small bites and a small glass of wine or spritz at each stop. Think of it a little like a pub crawl, but much more Venetian, much more food-focused, and ideally much more charming.
The point is not to race through as many places as possible. The point is to let the experience unfold. You stop somewhere for baccalà mantecato or sarde in saor. You walk a few narrow streets. You cross a bridge. You find another counter, another glass, another bite that looks too good to pass up. By the end, you have not just eaten. You have wandered through a little slice of Venice.
That is what makes a cicchetti crawl so special. It is part meal, part walk, part aperitivo, part neighborhood tour. And when it is planned well, it becomes one of the most memorable ways to experience the city.
My cicchetti crawl philosophy
This is exactly the kind of eating I love most.
Not one heavy meal. Not one table for three hours. A series of bites. A little walk. Another glass. Another stop. Another favorite.
It is one of the best ways to see Venice because the city reveals itself in the gaps between bacari. One narrow lane, one tiny bridge, one canal turn, then suddenly another counter lined with beautiful things to eat.
And here is one of my biggest tips: these places generally do not take reservations. You just show up. That is part of the charm. Most of them are teeny tiny. You will be lucky if there are a handful of crowded chairs, and in many of the best ones, standing is really the point. All’Arco, for example, is widely known for its very small footprint and limited seating, with reviews repeatedly noting that most people stand.
So do not approach this like a polished restaurant itinerary. Approach it like a graze. A wander. A progressive tasting through Venice.
What to look for on the counter
If you are standing in front of a bacaro counter wondering what is actually worth ordering, start here:
Baccalà mantecato
Creamed cod on bread. This is one of the most classic Venetian bites and one of the easiest to love.
Sarde in saor
A true Venetian signature, with roots in the city’s fishing tradition and historic preservation methods.
Polpette
Often one of the most crowd-pleasing options on the counter.
Anchovy crostini
Salty, rich, and exactly right with wine.
Fried seafood
Especially smart near Rialto, where the market influence is strongest.
Want the actual crawl planned for you?
Knowing how cicchetti work is one thing. Knowing where to go, in what order, what to order, and how to make the route feel effortless is where the magic really happens.
I created my Venice Cicchetti Crawl Guide for exactly that reason. It includes three planned cicchetti crawls, plus a bonus option, so you can experience Venice through its bacari without standing on a bridge trying to cross-reference maps, reviews, opening hours, and whether the place you picked is actually on the right side of the canal.
My best cicchetti crawl tips
Go earlier than you think.
The best bacari can be busy, and some are more lunch-and-aperitivo places than late-night places. All’Arco is especially known for daytime hours rather than long evening service.
Do not expect reservations.
You show up. You order. You squeeze in where you can.
Do not expect much seating.
A handful of crowded chairs is a luxury. Standing is normal.
Do not order like you are at dinner.
One or two bites per stop is the move.
Leave room for spontaneity.
The best thing you eat may be the one you did not plan to order.
Want to Order Better in Italy?
Cicchetti are just one small, delicious corner of eating well in Italy. If you want to understand what to order, what to look for, and how to move through meals with more confidence, my Italy Food Guide was made for exactly that. Think of it as your cheat sheet for eating beautifully without overthinking every menu.
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