Eating in Venice: the back story

About Eating in Venice: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Venice Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Venice eats from the lagoon. The fish market at the Rialto sets the menus of the city’s trattorie, the bacari serve cicchetti, small bites eaten standing with an ombra of wine, and the starred dining rooms of 2026 range from Glam in Palazzo Venart (Two MICHELIN Stars) to Oro, Quadri, Local, Wistèria and, out on Mazzorbo, Venissa (One Star each).

The bacari

Venice’s wine bars serve cicchetti at the counter, from crostini to fried fish. Cantine del Vino già Schiavi, opposite the San Trovaso gondola yard, is one of the classics.

The trattorie

Many of the city’s best-loved dining rooms are in the MICHELIN selection without a star: Osteria da Fiore, Al Covo, Corte Sconta, Antiche Carampane and Osteria alle Testiere among them.

Book ahead for dinner, everywhere; and go to the Rialto in the morning to see what the city will eat that night.

The starred tables

In the 2026 MICHELIN Guide, Glam Enrico Bartolini holds Two Stars; Oro at the Hotel Cipriani, Quadri on Piazza San Marco, Local in Castello, Wistèria in San Polo and Venissa on Mazzorbo hold One Star each.

Our advice: lunch at a trattoria, dinner at a starred table, and cicchetti in between.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Eating in Venice: the back story before you go.