The 23 best bars and cafés in Venice

Discover the best bars in Venice, with buzzy trattorias, cafés with live music, and intimate wine bars - Getty

Conviviality in Venice is understated and civilised. Forget wild clubbing into the wee hours, and think a bottle of wine and a platter of good cicheti (bar snacks) set off by a breath-taking lagoon view. 

Most cafés and bars (in Italian the terms are interchangeable) are multi-functional, beginning in the early hours with coffee and pastries. Evening aperitivi are an important part of the day for Venetians who traditionally retire home shortly after dinner time, leaving the streets of the city echoingly empty. With some exceptions.  

The area around Erbaria in the Rialto market zone attracts all-comers for their pre-dinner meet-up. The vibe around campo Santa Margherita is younger and more studenty, and lasts later into the night. 

From breakfast in your neighbourhood café to evening aperitivi in an intimate wine bar, sipping spritzes at a frescoed late-night hang-out to enjoying live music in a hidden bar in a quiet corner of this busy city – our expert shares her favourite spots for relaxing and catching her breath in Venice. 

For more Venice inspiration, see our guides devoted to the city's best hotels, restaurants, shopping, things to do and free things to do, plus how to spend a weekend in Venice. 

Find bars by area

• San Marco
• Castello
• Cannaregio
• San Polo & Santa Croce
• Giudecca & islands
• Dorsoduro

San Marco

Caffè Florian

This Piazza San Marco café, founded in 1720, is a living museum of Venetian coffee culture, with a jewel-box of an interior dating back to the mid-19th century. During the Austrian occupation, Venetian patriots (and Lord Byron) plotted revolution here over coffee and cakes. Tables outside in the square are classic Venice but be aware: table service (already steep) carries a per-person 'music surcharge' when the band is playing. Head to the bar area at the back, with velvet stools and no table surcharge, for a ringside view of the barmen's Bellini-mixing skills.

Prices: £££

Head to Caffè Florian's bar area at the back to avoid steep table surcharges, for a ringside view of the barmen's Bellini-mixing skills

Rosa Salva

Venice's Rosa Salva empire, which dates back to 1870, now has four cafés as well as running the in-house bar-restaurants at the La Fenice opera house. Two outlets stand out. The original Rosa Salva, in the bustling heart of San Marco, is where locals flock for morning cappuccino and brioche (croissant) and grab a lunchtime salad or panino. The branch in campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo stands out for its wonderful antique café décor, and has space – inside, or on pavement tables by the side of the church – to sit and rest tired feet as you sip a pre-prandial prosecco, an afternoon tea or a pre-dinner spritz. If you're looking for gelato, their homemade ices are some of the best in town.

Prices: £

Marchini Time

Strategically placed near the beginning of the main Rialto-Accademia pedestrian route, this bright, modern daytime café-pasticceria covers all the bases from breakfast to aperitivi. Their cakes and pastries are fresh and delicious; this is also a good place to pick up sandwiches, panini or pizzette (mini-pizzas) to take away. It's generally crowded, and there's nowhere to sit down, but it’s popular for a reason. 

Opening times: Mon-Sat, 7.30am-8.30pm; Sun, 11am-8.30pm

Prices: £

Castello

Da Bonifacio

This tucked-away café, right behind the Doge's Palace, is one of the best places for a coffee in Venice. It's a tiny, neat standing-room-only interior with beautiful terrazzo grossolano floor (think crazy paving with coloured marble), run by local ladies who switch between dialect, standard Italian and passable English as required. When you're having a carb crisis, their pizzette (mini-pizzas) hit the spot, as do cakes like the rather fine almond slice. To find calle degli Albanesi, look for the incredibly narrow alleyway entrance at the side of Hotel Danieli.

Opening times: Mon-Wed, Fri, Sat 6am-5:30pm; 6.30am-6pm; Sun 6am-4.30pm

Prices: £

El Refolo

If you're visiting the nearby Art or Architecture Biennales, this wine and cocktail bar in the wide pedestrian street of via Garibaldi makes for an excellent post-culture pitstop. Good wine, good draught beer, good spritz and quality cicchetti at reasonable prices make El Refolo a runaway success. The small brick-lined interior is very cosy, but unless it's pouring with rain most habitués choose the outside tables, where you can eat and drink for no extra charge. Food consists of platters of salami and cheese from small, slow-food-style producers, plus panini with interesting fillings such as bresaola and truffle.

Opening times: Daily 12.30am-midnight

Prices: €€

El Refolo makes for an excellent post-culture pit stop if you're visiting the nearby Art or Architecture Biennales

Vincent Bar

Sometimes what's lacking in high-density Venice is an ordinary neighbourhood bar: the kind you can sit outside with a cappuccino, writing postcards and watching the world go by. Vincent Bar is exactly that. In Venice's leafy, easternmost Sant'Elena district, this good-value, all-day bar does the usual Italian bar beverages, pastries, sandwiches and toasties, plus homemade gelato, and a decent range of salads and simple pasta dishes. If you have children, it's a godsend: the park in front of the bar has swings, slides and climbing frames so they can work off energy while you enjoy that spritz in peace.

Opening times: Tue-Sat, 7am-10.30pm, Sun, 8am-10pm

Prices: £

Cannaregio

El Sbarlefo

In an area not well-furnished with good evening bars, El Sbarlefo provides cichetti like baccalà mantecato (creamed salt cod) on warm polenta, or polpette (breaded morsels) of meat, cheese or tuna, to accompany wines from an extensive list (on my last visit, they served me a really excellent Pinot Noir from Trentino). Prices are reasonable, with only a small mark-up for table service. The soundtrack is mostly jazz, and they host occasional live concerts. There's a second branch across the Grand Canal in Dorsoduro.

Prices: ££

Torrefazione Cannaregio

This historic torrefazione (coffee roastery) has been going since 1930 and is the only one still operating in central Venice. The aroma hits you from afar but it just gets better when you actually taste one of their espressos – worth trying it milk-free for the full olfactory high. They also do incredibly chocolate-y hot chocolates, served with proper, fresh whipped cream, and a tiramisù that's made while you wait. The natural décor is in keeping with their artisanal approach to coffee excellence, dominated by jute coffee sacks, stripped wood and a row of traditional coffee-bean dispensers.

Prices: £

Torrefazione Cannaregio has been going since 1930 and is the only one still operating in central Venice

Dal Mas

If you approach Venice by train make your first stop on arrival and last before departure this lovely century-old cake and coffee shop on the main lista di Spagna pedestrian route, two minutes from Santa Lucia station. True to Venetian form, there's nowhere to sit down, but you'll still come out refreshed and ready to go after a good coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, plus a little sweet indulgence. Next door they recently opened a 'Cioccolateria' selling treats like handmade chocolates, marrons glacés and a range of liqueurs.

Prices: £

Dal Mas is a lovely century-old cake and coffee shop on the main lista di Spagna

Bar Puppa

Pass by at a quiet moment and you wouldn't give this simple little bar a second look. At busier times, however, crowds spilling out the door can make it difficult to get along the street. Fantastically friendly host Masud, who also heads up nearby sister restaurant Spicy Puppa, mixes a champion classic spritz and riffs expertly on the theme with a variety of alcoholic elements. Also on offer, at prices that are difficult to beat, are huge portions of fresh pasta, Masud's trademark hamburgers and cichetti, including deliciously un-Venetian samosas.

Prices: £

San Polo & Santa Croce

Al Prosecco

Away from the main tourist routes, campo San Giacomo hosts local children playing tag and dog-walkers catching up on gossip – 'street theatre' which is best enjoyed from the tables outside Al Prosecco. They take wine seriously here, despite the early closing hour, and the daily by-the-glass selection always contains a few off-the-radar surprises. The Veneto's famous sparkling wine, prosecco, is an evergreen classic, but order a 'prosecco fermo' to discover the still version. Cicchetti here are more pan-Italian, with a good salami, cheese and smoked fish selection, served with assorted veg.

Opening times: Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm

Prices: ££

Osteria Bancogiro

The cramped premises under the arches of the 16th-century 'Fabbriche Vecchie' building were once used as storerooms by market traders, but became nightlife central in the early 2000s. Mostly a restaurant these days, the trailblazing Bancogiro is still a good spot for joining locals for a glass from the wine selection in the tiny downstairs bar, or, in summer, at a table on campo Erbaria outside, with its superb Grand Canal view. Order a bottle and a plate of good cichetti and you're in aperitivo heaven. 

Prices: ££

Caffè del Doge

Caffè del Doge opened in the 1990s, giving Venetians their first chance to get a caffeine fix in a bar where they could choose between different varieties, from Guatemalan Huehuetenango to Ethopian Yirgacheffe Abaya Lake. Take your pick to sample single blends or single plantation varieties. Their 'signature' blends are the milder arabica-robusta mix Doge Rosso and the stronger 100 per cent arabica Doge Nero. They also do a range of herbal teas and fresh fruit juices, and sell whole or ground coffee beans by weight.

Prices: ££

Caffè del Doge's opened in the 1990s, giving Venetians their first chance to choose between many different varieties from all over the world

All'Arco

There's hardly room to swing a squid in this compact bar, where aside from a few tables in the lane outside, it's standing room only. That doesn't put off the Venetian punters who crowd in for some of the best fish-based cichetti in town, from baccalà mantecato (creamed salt cod) to crostini (mini-bruschettas) every which way. Wine is the beverage of choice, with a good selection of whites and reds, mostly from smaller producers in north-eastern Italy. The market traders who lunch here are hungry folk: by around 1.30pm they've hoovered up most of the food, so come early.

Opening times: Mon, Tue, Thur-Sun 10am-2.30pm

Prices: £

Al Mercà

For the past two decades the Rialto market area has been a hopping Venetian social hub. This tiny hole-in-the wall bar has been here from the start, the default option for locals stuck for a place to meet. There's nowhere to sit or stand except out in the square – so everyone does – winter and summer, drinking spritz or wines by the glass, and munching on cichetti. Among the latter, the lightly-fried polpettine (breadcrumbed morsels) of beef, tuna or aubergine stand out.

Contact: 00 39 346 8340660

Opening times: Mon-Thur 10am-2.30 pm, 6pm-9.00pm, Fri-Sat, 10am-2.30 pm, 6pm-9.30pm

Prices: £

Bacareto Da Lele

Lele's little bar is a Venetian institution. Students and boatmen stop off here on their way to or from work (often both) for a little 'ombra' (a small glass of wine), perhaps accompanied by one of their famous mini-panini, which come with simple, fresh fillings. They're not the only thing that's mini: with more than eight people standing in the elevator-sized interior, you're gasping for breath. Most punters spill outside. Prices are seriously low: a small glass of Chardonnay costs €1, and you can have a good stand-up panino lunch here, with wine, for around €5 a head.

Prices: £

Il Mercante

For cocktail aficionados, Il Mercante is a must. By day this is the Caffè dei Frari. Come aperitivo hour it’s transformed into a low-lit Art Nouveau-style speakeasy with wooden fittings and comfy sofas, where bar staff mix cocktails with specially brewed and fermented ingredients, served alongside carefully matched snacks. The cocktail menu is seasonal. There are non-alcoholic counterparts for many of the creations. Space is tight: large groups will be turned away. 

Prices: ££

Giudecca & islands

Skyline Rooftop Bar

You may not be staying at the Hilton Molino Stucky, the hotel that dominates the western end of the Giudecca island. But it's worth heading here for a panoramic sundowner in the Skyline Rooftop Bar. The view from the outside terrace stretches across the whole of Venice and the southern lagoon. Drinks are pricey, but think of it as a view surcharge. It's worth reserving if you want a table with a view – the other advantage being that if you tell the driver you have a booking, you can take the free hotel shuttle boat from Zattere.

Prices: £££

Getting in: Reservations essential

It's worth heading to the Skyline Rooftop Bar for a panoramic sundowner - Mirco Toffolo /Mirco Toffolo

Dorsoduro

Adriatico Mar

Set on a quiet corner five minutes’ walk from piazzale Roma, this favourite on Venice’s aperitivo itinerary is a world apart from the messy revelry of nearby student nightlife hangouts. Strictly speaking, the Adriatico Mar is not a bacaro but a malvasia – traditionally, a bar serving the prized eponymous vintage rather than cheap swill. Those lucky enough to find a spot in the cozy interior or on the tiny canal-side terrace can sample malvasia from an excellent selection of wines and delicious snacks (the polenta is a particular winter must). 

Prices: £

Caffè Rosso

Campo Santa Margherita is the classic Venetian student nightlife hangout, and the Caffè Rosso – also known simply as 'Il Caffè' – is a campo classic. The mirrored interior, with its old-fashioned, still-functioning brass coffee machine, is boho-decadent. But most customers spill outside, occupying a pavement table or just standing around looking hip. For all their trendsetter status they're also serious about quality, with a better-than-average selection of wines by the glass, including a deliciously grassy Cabernet Franc. Food consists mostly of tramezzini (sandwiches).

Opening times: Mon-Sat, 7am-1am; Sun, 10am-10pm

Prices: £

Caffè Rosso is serious about quality, with a better-than-average selection of wines by the glass

Cantinone - Già Schiavi

This ultra-traditional daytime wine bar just by the bridge that leads across to the church of San Trovaso is the sort of place you might pop in for a quick drink around 6pm and end up reeling out to dinner at closing time with a bunch of new friends. The clientele is a mix of Venetians, visitors, and bohemian ex-pat residents – including some of the pillars, and decorative frills, of the city's Anglo-American community. The good-value bar snacks and sandwiches are surprisingly gourmet – see for example the crostini (mini-bruschettas) topped with ricotta, pesto and sun-dried tomato.

Prices: £

Osteria ai Pugni

This buzzing bar by the 'bridge of the fists' (Ponte dei Pugni), is a lively, friendly place to stop off for a drink if you're in the area, and prices are low. You can knock back a couple of glasses of wine, hoover up a bar snack or two – don't miss the polpette di melanzana, delicious aubergine balls in breadcrumbs – and still come away with change from €10 (£9). Occasional DJ sets and live rock and jazz sessions keep things loud, but even without them the joint is usually hopping.

Opening times: Mon-Sat, 11am-11pm

Prices: £

Occasional DJ sets and live rock and jazz sessions keep things loud, but even without them Osteria ai Pugni is usually hopping

Osteria al Squero

This compact bar is across a canal from one of Venice's few remaining squeri, or gondola workshops. You can stand outside, and cradle a glass of good wine while observing craftsmen at work in the open-to-view boatyard. The other reason the place is worth visiting is because they take their wine and cichetti seriously. They have some good mountain wines from Alto Adige and Friuli, and the friendly owner seeks out hard-to-find cheeses, salamis and other treats from small organic producers, particularly in the Carnia region of Friuli. The crostini (mini-bruschettas) – pumpkin, porcini mushrooms and smoked ricotta, for example – are delicious.

Prices: £

How we choose

Every bar, venue or experience in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, who has visited to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets and styles, from casual pubs to exquisite cocktail bars – to best suit every type of traveller – and consider the service, drinks, atmosphere and price in our recommendations. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up to date recommendations.

About our expert

Anne has lived in Italy for almost 40 years – first in Rome, now deep in the Umbrian countryside. But her first love is Venice, where she still manages to lose herself in the beautiful backstreets. 

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