The city of Venice is absolutely iconic. As you approach the city, beautiful palazzi, churches and bridges start emerging out of the Venetian lagoon seemingly from nowhere, with the sense of magic only increasing as you enter the network of canals that crisscross the Venetian island. It’s no wonder that Venice is one of the most popular places to visit in Italy, but it’s not just the history, art and architecture that appeal to people (there’s even a beach!), the Venetian food is absolutely wonderful.

It’s easy to miss out on some of the more traditional dishes of the Venetian cuisine, so keep reading to find out what to look out for.

An Introduction to Venetian Cuisine

While people started living out on the Venetian lagoon during the time of the ancient Romans to escape invaders, Venice really came to prominence in the Middle Ages when its maritime empire rapidly expanded.

In just a few hundred years Venice went from being a relatively isolated city state to the heart of a wide-reaching empire, trading to the south in north Africa and Egypt, and east all along the Mediterranean down to Greece through to Constantinople (modern day Istanbul).

Traders often traveled even further east to China along the famed Silk Road route, bringing back unusual spices, fabrics and other goods.

These traders brought back more than just exotic goods, they brought back new ideas to Italy about flavor combinations and uses for common ingredients which transformed Venetian cuisine.

The maritime empire’s power and reach expanded out into the mainland, with Venice controlling significant swathes of northern Italy, Istria (in modern day northern Croatia) and various Mediterranean islands. As their influence expanded, so did their food, with people adapting dishes even further.

While the Venetian empire eventually fell into decline, its influence on the culinary traditions lives on today with the most important traditional foods on offer in Venice and the surrounding Veneto area.

Venetian Food Traditions

Traditional Venetian cuisine is as much about the routines and rituals surrounding the food as the food itself.

Cicchetti

Take for example the classic bar snack of cicchetti. You will find these small plates of finger food, often fish based, in Venetian bars known as a bácaro, designed to be eaten with a spritz or small glass of wine, and it was this connection to wine that created cicchetti.

Venice wine traders would sell their barrels in public (some say this was in St Mark’s Square, others that it was near the Rialto bridge), giving potential clients tasters of their creations.

Venetian wine was generally pretty strong, so in order to stop people getting drunk, the merchants would hand out small pieces of food to help soak up the alcohol and the tradition expanded from there.

Interestingly, in Venice these small glasses of wine are still known as an ombra, which means ‘shade’ in Italian, relating to the fact that the same wine traders would move their barrels around to keep them cool in the shade and stop the wine going bad.

The Venice Spritz

The strength of Venetian wine also led to the invention of the infamous Venice spritz. In the 1800’s the Austro-Hungarian empire had conquered the Venetian Republic so Venice was filled with their soldiers.

Unused to the strong Venetian wines, the Austrian occupation men started adding water to make it more palatable. Originally a splash of still water, carbonated soda water later became the go-to choice for lengthening a drink.

The pinnacle of the creation of the Veneto spritz came in 1919 when the Barbieri brothers launched Aperol at the Padua World Fair, a liqueur that went perfectly with the original wine and water concoction.

Originally a Venetian food tradition, it was not until much more recently that the spritz spread further afield.

Tramezzini

Foreign influence played a part in the invention of one of the other ubiquitous Veneto snacks, tramezzini.

You will see these small triangle sandwiches made with soft, crustless, white bread everywhere, stuffed full of a wide variety of fillings. The most popular are ham, egg, tuna, mushrooms, prawns and chicken, but you’ll often see more innovative and unusual combinations as well.

In the 1920’s British aristocracy were traveling regularly across Europe, but some were reluctant to give up their afternoon tea traditions, requesting small sandwiches to accompany their pots of tea.

Tramezzini were created as Italy’s answer to the British version, but they became especially popular in Venice because the damp atmosphere stopped the sandwiches from going stale. This meant that even the smallest bars in Venice could offer a wide variety of options each day without having to make them fresh every time someone ordered one.

Veneto versus Venice

Traditional Venetian cuisine is not just about the food you will find in the city of Venice, but also about the food on offer in the wider Veneto region.

When visiting Venice many people never venture away from the lagoon but there is so much more on offer in Veneto. While there are similarities in culture and language, the wider region has other traditional recipes and ingredients to try.

Each of the other major cities in Veneto; Verona, Padua and Vicenza, have their own long history and were independent city states at various points, meaning they have an identity separate from Venice which is proudly maintained even today.

Seafood dishes are of course extremely common in Venice, but inland you’re more likely to find hearty, rich cooked meats. Polenta in Venice is usually a white, more delicate variety but in Veneto tends to be a yellow, coarser version. Cheese was always imported into Venice as they didn’t have land to farm cows and sheep, but in other parts of Veneto local cheeses are abundant.

Exploring Veneto

There is so much to explore in Veneto outside of Venice, which is why we spend so much time there on our Veneto and Slovenia tours.

Getting out of Venice means being able to see stunning architecture, idyllic hill towns, and unique experiences, such as the life-size chess games held in the town of Marostica every other year in a special September festival.

Taking place in the shadow of Marostica’s medieval castle on a permanent chess board in the town’s central piazza and featuring hundreds of characters, this festival is the perfect example of what makes Veneto so interesting – which is why we include it on our Veneto and Slovenia tour when possible to do so.

If you want to explore the wider Veneto region (which we highly recommend doing), Padua is an excellent place to start. Easily reached by train from Venice, you can then go even further afield into the surrounding countryside as well.

Why Padua?

Immortalized in Shakespeare’s ‘The Taming of the Shrew’, Padua is home to the second-oldest university in the world and the medieval city center reflects its longstanding wealth and influence.

The Scrovegni chapel, markets, Basilica of St Anthony and botanical gardens are just some of the attractions of this charming city, but when it comes to food and drink, you’ll have plenty to choose from.

One place you should not miss is Caffe Pedrocchi. Originally opened as a coffee shop in the 1770’s, it was expanded in the 1830’s to become the grand establishment you see today.

More than just a bar however, Pedrocchi was the meeting place for intellectuals, writers and politicians and until 1916 it prided itself on staying open day and night – the risk of leaving lights on during World War I proved too great to keep this tradition going.

Pedrocchi is still serving excellent pastries and coffee, with its speciality Pedrocchi mint coffee being especially tasty, and they also have a restaurant and bar to serve its customers long into the evening. While it no longer stays open all night, you can still capture the feeling of what it must have been like in the past when enjoying an after-dinner drink on their terrace.

Explore further afield into the nearby Colli Euganei, ancient volcanic hills dotted with small towns, vineyards and fields.

The hilltop village of Arquà Petrarca was where the poet Petrarch lived the last years of his life, and his tomb still stands in the small piazza. Dine at the nearby restaurant Ser Petracco who serve Venetian specialities accompanied by excellent local wines.

More interested in the drinks? The town of Torreglia is home to the Luxardo liqueur brand, which is the aperitivo liqueur of choice for bars in the Padua area. Famous for their maraschino cherries and more, you can visit their shop in the grounds and taste some of their many products.

Relax at the nearby Bar La Torre with a perfectly made spritz before heading back to Venice.

Venetian Wine

It would be impossible to talk about authentic Venetian food without also talking about some of the wonderful red wine and white wine varieties on offer, as well as grappa, which is created by distilling the discarded pulp, skin and stems leftover from the winemaking process.

Amarone is the king of the red wines in Veneto, but the Valpolicella and Bardolino varieties are also excellent. Amarone is the key ingredient in risotto all’Amarone, a risotto made with the rich red wine, taking on a distinctive flavor.

Veneto also produces excellent white wines, both still and sparkling. You can now find Prosecco all over the world, but until you’ve had a glass of the perfectly balanced, crisp authentic variety in Veneto you don’t know how good it can be.

Still white Veneto wines are predominately Soave or Gambellara. They are both made with the Garganega grape but the difference comes in how this grape is blended and aged, and are both absolutely delicious.

Venetian Food Dishes to Try

When you’re visiting Venice, here are some of the traditional Venetian dishes to look out for on restaurant menus. While you may see some of these on the tourist trap restaurants in central Venice, try exploring the back streets for a more authentic dish.

Baccalà Mantecato

‘Baccalà‘ is the word for cod, or stockfish. Dried and salted cod was a common feature on the Venetian trading ships, and baccalà mantecato was devised as a way to use up this fish.

The salted fish is soaked in water before being poached and then whipped up into a creamy consistency. Often served with crispy pieces of polenta or with bruschetta, baccalà mantecato is equally at home as a snack at a local bar or in a fine dining restuarant.

You may also see Baccalà alla Vincentina on offer, which is a version where the salt cod is cooked slowly with onions, milk and cheeses, resulting in a rich stew, generally served on a bed of steaming polenta – definitely more of a winter dish.

Moeche

These small crabs are native to the Venetian lagoon, and are traditionally eaten simply fried and topped with lemon juice. The crabs shed their hard shells in March-April and again in October-November so can only be eaten at these times of the year. For the freshest fish in Venice, it should be sourced from the Rialto market.

Sopressa

You will likely see sopressa many times during your Venice trip. The tasty cured meat is found in many forms, sometimes in very thin slices as part of a cicchetti spread, sometimes as a main course in bigger portions.

Sarde in Saor

Nothing represents Venice’s history as traders more than sarde in saor, sardines marinated in a sweet and sour sauce.

‘In saor’ is a method to preserve fish by frying it with onions and vinegar, which sailors used so they could bring it on long sea expeditions. As trading expanded their culinary horizons, raisins and pine nuts (eastern additions to the Venetian palate) were added to the mix for an enhanced flavor.

Lots of different fish were used but nowadays sardines (sarde) are the main component used in sarde in saor. The sour and sweet taste combines with the oily sardines perfectly.

Polenta e Schie

Another one of the beloved dishes in Venetian cuisine, this dish is deceptively basic. Small shrimp (schie) from the lagoon are cooked, either deep fried or boiled and then served on top of the delicate soft white polenta you will see all over Venice.

Bigoli

Bigoli pasta originated in Veneto, its thick strands of pasta are perfect for holding onto the strong flavors of Venetian cuisine. Bigoli is used a lot but the main pasta dish varieties you’ll see are bigoli in salsa and bigoli d’anatra.

Bigoli in salsa is made with a version of the sarde in saor sauce, and bigoli d’anatra is with a rich duck ragu.

Risi e Bisi

A cross between a risotto and a soup, this simple dish is more exciting to the taste buds than it first appears. Delicate and fresh, this dish was traditionally served to the Doge of Venice as part of the yearly celebrations of the city’s patron saint, St Mark on April 25. Best tried in the spring when fresh peas are in season.

Risotto

Venetians tend to favor rice (and polenta) over pasta compared to other parts of Italy, so there are lots of risotto dishes to choose from.

Two of the most popular are risotto alla Trevigiana and risotto al nero di seppia. Alla Trevigiana as a dish originated in nearby Treviso, using their famous bright red radicchio leaves as the basis for this simple meal. The risotto al nero di seppia is made with black squid ink, which gives the dish a unique taste and look.

Folpetti

Folpetti are very simple, but one of the most popular food options in Venice for a quick snack. Baby octopus are simmered until tender before being chopped up and tossed with salt, pepper, oil and lemon.

Fegato alla Veneziana

Using every part of the animal is common across Italy, and in Venice it is no different. Fegato alla Veneziana combines slow cooked white onions with fried calves liver for a satisfying main course, generally served with polenta

Fritole

If you’re lucky enough to visit Venice during Carnival season, you are in for a treat. Fritole or frittelle are deep fried balls of sweet dough dusted with plenty of icing sugar.

Sometimes raisins and pine nuts are stirred into the dough and sometimes the small donuts are filled with custard or chocolate. Different bakeries have their own local recipe but they’re always delicious.

Venice’s history has long meant that this almost impossible floating city has been at the heart of innovation and adaptation when it comes to food and drink. Some of the best food on offer today was directly inspired by the city’s history, so when exploring Venice it is impossible to separate out the two elements.

Want to learn more and taste some of these dishes for yourself?