Venice: Private Food Tour with 10 Tastings & Local Bacaro

Summary

Venice’s flavors unfold between secret corners and lively bacari

You’ll follow your local guide through Venice’s winding streets, tasting everything from mozzarella sandwiches to cicchetti in historic bacari and finishing with gelato from an 80-year-old shop. Expect laughter over spritzes, stories behind each bite, and glimpses of daily life tucked between city highlights — all at an easy pace that lets you soak it in.

What’s the experience like?

We met our guide, Marta, right under that stubbornly leaning statue at Campo Manin. She waved us over with a grin and before I could even get my bearings, she was already handing me an orange spritz — not the touristy kind, but something sharper, almost herbal. The glass sweated in my hand while she explained how locals actually drink it (less sweet, more bitter). I tried to repeat the name of the olive snack we had but just got a laugh from Marta and a gentle correction. It felt like someone had let us into their own routine for the day.

The streets twisted tighter as we walked — you know how Venice feels like it’s folding in on itself sometimes? We ducked into a bakery where the smell of fried mozzarella in carrozza hit me before I saw it. Hot, salty cheese and bread that left oil on my fingers (no napkins offered — just eat). At another stop, an old man behind the counter sliced cheeses for us to try. He nodded when I said “buono,” but didn’t smile until I tried the blue-veined one and made a face. Marta told him I was “learning.”

I lost track of time somewhere between the wine bar (the oldest bacaro in Venice, apparently) and the tramezzino we ate sitting on cold stone steps near Frari Church. Pigeons eyed us hopefully. The prosecco was crisp; my partner said she could taste green apples but honestly I mostly tasted bubbles and sun. There was no rush at any point — we wandered past La Fenice Opera House and then down alleys so narrow my shoulders brushed both sides. Sometimes Marta would pause to point out something small: a faded shop sign or a woman hanging laundry overhead.

We ended up at this gelateria that’s been open since before WWII — pistachio for me, lemon for her. The owner barely looked up from his newspaper but handed over our cones with this tiny nod like he approved of our choices. Walking back toward St Mark’s Square with sticky hands and tired feet, I caught myself thinking about how food tours in Venice aren’t really about eating — or not just eating anyway. It’s more like being let in on how people actually live here, which is harder to find than you’d think.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Venice private food and city tour

• Meet local foodie at Campo Manin
• Enjoy Aperol Spritz and Italian aperitif
• Taste Mozzarella in carrozza
• Sample local cheeses at family shop
• Wine tasting at oldest bacaro
• Try cicchetti bites
• Enjoy seafood selection
• Taste Tramezzino with basilica view
• Drink Prosecco
• Eat crostino
• End tour with authentic gelato

Top questions

How many tastings are included on this private food tour?

You can choose either 6 or 10 tastings depending on your booking option.

Does this Venice food tour include vegetarian options?

Yes, vegetarian alternatives are available if you message your host about dietary needs.

Is pickup included for this Venice food tour?

No hotel pickup is included; you meet your guide at Campo Manin in central Venice.

Are drinks included on the tour?

Yes, local drinks such as spritz and prosecco are part of the tasting experience.

Is this tour suitable for children or those with strollers?

Yes, infants and small children can join; strollers are welcome.

What landmarks will we see during the food tour?

You’ll pass sites like Ponte delle Tette, La Fenice Opera House, St Mark’s Square, Frari Church, and Bovolo Staircase.

Will we visit any traditional Venetian bars?

Yes, you’ll stop at one of Venice’s oldest bacari (wine bars) for wine and cicchetti bites.

What’s included

Your day includes a private multilingual foodie guide leading you through Venice’s best local spots for 6 or 10 tastings (depending on your choice), including classic Venetian snacks like mozzarella sandwiches, cicchetti at a historic bacaro, cheese sampling at a family-run shop, spritzes or prosecco to sip along the way, plus gelato from an old-school gelateria — all woven together with stories and city highlights between each stop.