An Evening Among the Bàcari: Cicchetti and Venetian Wine

In Venice the aperitivo has its own name and its own rules. The bàcaro is a small wine bar, often standing room only, where Venetians stop in the early evening for an ombra, a small glass of wine, and a cicchetto: creamed cod on polenta, sarde in saor, a slice of mortadella, a meatball.

This walk takes you through three of them between the station and Rialto, the historic market district where the custom began. At each stop a cicchetto and a glass of local wine are served, with the stories of the places and the people who keep them.

A good way to start an evening in the city before dinner; Ruzzini Palace is a ten-minute walk from Rialto.