Venice Food Tour: Cicchetti & Wine Tasting San Polo

Four Bacaro, Seven Tastings: How Venetians Actually Eat

You walk four bacaro in San Polo and Dorsoduro with a local English-speaking guide, tasting seven cicchetti and other Venetian specialties paired with four drinks: spritz, prosecco, wine, and gelato. The group stays under ten people, and your guide shows you how Venetians actually eat instead of where tourists go. It's a full meal spread across the evening, and you leave knowing which places to return to alone.

Step-by-step itinerary

Venice food tour with local guide

• Meet guide in San Polo neighborhood
• Introduction to Venetian foods and flavors
• Enjoy cicchetti and spritz at wine bar
• Walk past Campo dei Frari and Scuola Grande di San Rocco
• Share cold cuts and cheese with prosecco
• Taste fried cicchetti with local wine by canal
• Eat traditional pasta with wine in Dorsoduro
• End with gelato at iconic shop

The experience

You land in Venice thinking you'll grab pizza by the canal, and then your guide walks you past the crowds into San Polo and you realize you've been eating it wrong the whole time. The cicchetti tour starts with a local who actually lives here, not someone who memorized a script, and within twenty minutes you're in a modern wine bar holding a spritz and two small plates of bread-based cicchetti, the kind of thing Venetians eat standing up between errands. Your guide explains what you're tasting as you go, which sounds simple until you realize most food tours just hand you a plate and move on.

The route takes you through four different bacaro, each one a different style of eating. After San Polo, you walk past the Scuola Grande di San Rocco and Campo dei Frari (you see them from outside, which means you're not stopping to queue), and land at an osteria in a restored building where cold cuts and cheese come with prosecco. Then there's the fried cicchetti place on the canal, where locals actually go, and your guide talks about how sharing food works in the lagoon while you taste a few pieces and drink local wine. The group stays small, under ten people, so nobody's jostling for space or waiting while someone takes photos.

By the fourth stop in Dorsoduro, you're eating a proper plate of Venetian pasta with a glass of wine. This is a full meal spread across the evening, not just bites. The last thing is gelato from one of the city's iconic shops, which feels like the tour knows when to stop talking and let you just enjoy something. The whole thing is about two and a half hours of walking at a moderate pace, and your guide tells you where to come back alone, what to order when you're hungry, and how to eat like you belong here instead of like you're visiting.

If you have dietary needs (vegetarian, pescatarian, dairy-free, non-alcoholic), you need to contact them before you book so they can adjust the stops. Vegan and gluten-free aren't available due to cross-contamination risk and the nature of the venues, so that's worth knowing upfront. The tour runs in English, and it covers a full meal's worth of food and drinks, which is why the price makes sense when you add it up.

What’s included

Your evening includes a local English-speaking guide, seven cicchetti and food tastings across four bacaro stops, four drinks (spritz, prosecco, local wine, and gelato), and walks through San Polo and Dorsoduro neighborhoods with exterior views of the Scuola Grande di San Rocco and Campo dei Frari. Dietary adaptations for vegetarians, pescatarians, and dairy-free diets are available with advance notice.

Options for this experience

2 options

Venice at Sunset: group tourGuide in English · 17:00 and 17:30

Venice at Sunset: private optionGuide in English · 17:15, 17:45 and 18:15In this exclusive private option, explore the remarkable cuisine of Venice tucked away just beyond the main tourist routes, on a cicchetti, food and wine tour.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day5 departure times: the first at 17:00, the last at 18:15

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (15 and older) · Child (2 to 14 years) · Infant (under 2)

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Moderate physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Devour Italy Food Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to eat like a Venetian instead of a tourist and don't want to figure out which bacaro to visit or what to order. The guide handles the route, the stops, and the explanations, so you just show up and taste your way through the city.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (2 to 14 years); Infant (under 2).

How long is the Venice food tour?

Approximately 2.5 hours of walking and eating across four bacaro stops.

What's included in the tour?

Seven food tastings, four drinks (spritz, prosecco, wine, and gelato), a local English-speaking guide, and a small group of up to 10 people.

Can I do this tour if I'm vegetarian or have dietary restrictions?

Vegetarian, pescatarian, dairy-free, and non-alcoholic options are available if you contact the tour operator before booking. Vegan and gluten-free are not available.

Is this tour suitable for people with mobility issues?

No. This is a walking tour with extended standing periods and is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments, wheelchairs, or strollers.

Which neighborhoods does the tour cover?

San Polo and Dorsoduro, including views of the Scuola Grande di San Rocco and Campo dei Frari from outside.

What if I don't drink alcohol?

Non-alcoholic alternatives can replace any alcoholic drink upon request.

Is the tour affected by high tide in Venice?

High tide may prevent certain parts of the tour, but the route will be adjusted for safety and comfort. No refund is provided in this case.

How many people are in the group?

Small groups of up to 10 guests.