San Polo & Santa Croce
Famously mentioned in Casanova's memoirs, cosy 'Two Spades' was founded in 1488 and continues to keep Venice in good spirits with its bargain Tri-Veneto…
Must-see nightlife in Venice
San Polo & Santa Croce
An hour's changeover is all it takes for historic Caffè dei Frari to transform itself into its night-time guise as Venice's best cocktail bar. If you can…
Venice
Gritti Palace's beautiful Bar Longhi may be pricey, but if you consider your surrounds – Fortuny fabrics, an intarsia marble bar, 18th-century mirrors and…
Venice
Find a spot in the wood-lined interior or, in summer, on the boat moored out the front along the canal, and watch the motley parade of drinkers and…
Venice
Lining the exposed-brick walls of this canalside bar are small-production wines, including a great selection of natural and biodynamic labels. The cicheti…
Venice
With its wooden bar and gleaming brass beer taps, this Anglo-Venetian hostelry certainly looks authentic. Marciano takes booze seriously, stocking craft…
Venice
The oldest still-operating cafe in Europe and one of the first to welcome women, Florian maintains rituals (if not prices) established in 1720: besuited…
Venice
Powdered wigs seem appropriate inside this baroque bar-cafe that's been serving happy hours since 1638. During Carnevale, costumed Quadri revellers party…
Venice
Wine lovers should stake out a place in this small, upmarket and extremely welcoming bar and let owner Francesco guide them through the range of naturally…
Venice
There’s something of a mini beer craze developing along Fondamente dei Ormesini, and Birreria Zanon is the latest contender, wooing customers with its…
Venice
There may be flocks of tourists outside, but the Londra Palace is a haven of serenity and its sleek bar, decked out in wood and white leather, is like a…
Venice
Get here early for first crack at marinated artichokes and sarde in saor (sardines in sweet and sour sauce), and to claim a few square inches of ledge for…
San Polo & Santa Croce
A living room where drinks are served, this locals' hang-out comes complete with creaky sofas, free wi-fi, abandoned novels and the occasional live-music…
Venice
Opera composer Richard Wagner had the right idea: when Venice leaves you weak at the knees, get a pick-me-up at Lavena. An espresso at the mirrored bar is…
Giudecca, Lido & the Southern Islands
Sunset photo ops don’t come any better than on the terrace of the Habsburg-era Villa Laguna, with views over San Marco framed by a blushing pink sky…
Venice
There's always a party on at Strani thanks to its excellent selection of beers on tap, well-priced glasses of Veneto wines and platters of sopressa (soft…
Venice
Although the bars along Via Garibaldi may look interchangeable, the queue for El Rèfolo’s pavement tables says otherwise. Part of the draw is the ever…
Venice
So much more than a cafe, Le Café serves everything from croissants to pasta to cocktails – but the real reason to come here is to enjoy a drink at the…
Giudecca, Lido & the Southern Islands
This bijou bar serves sandwiches and substantial snacks throughout the day, alongside an excellent selection of wine. Large windows make the most of the…
Venice
Hidden behind the SS Apostoli church, this bar-cum-restaurant has a contemporary baroque style with wood beamed ceilings, a signature red banquette, and…
San Polo & Santa Croce
You'll feel like you've stepped into a Rembrandt painting at venerable 'Two Moors', a dark, rustic bar with roots in the 15th century. Under gleaming,…
Venice
Centuries ago, brawls on the bridge out the front inevitably ended in the canal, but now Venetians settle differences with one of over 50 wines by the…
Venice
For over a century, Rosa Salva has been serving tea, pastries and ice creams to the passing trade on Campo Zanipolo. Inside the 1930s throwback interior,…
Venice
A top-notch cocktail bar-cum-brewpub, Bariolè serves 40 craft beers alongside a well-curated selection of speciality spirits from which they conjure…
Venice
The only micro-roastery in Venice, this brick-lined cafe perched on a sunny canal bank is filled with house-made roasts including the flagship Remer, an…
San Polo & Santa Croce
The warm wood-panelled interior and huge selection of Veneto wines by the glass are just part of the popularity of this friendly bar-cum-restaurant. Other…
Venice
On weekdays this hip and surprisingly spacious cafe keeps the university crowd watered and fed, with espresso served in dainty china, homemade cake,…
Venice
Marco Nordio has filled his jam-packed wine store in characterful Calle de le Botteghe with a stash of unusual Veneto and Italian wines, as well as some…
Venice
Gondolas glide in to dock along the quay, while across the lagoon the white-marble edifice of Palladio’s San Giorgio Maggiore turns from gold to pink in…
Venice
Not to be confused with it's large sister bar-restaurant Bakarò on the corner, this trendy, pocket-sized bar is so small that the crowd inevitably spills…
Venice
This wine bar boasts a small but impressive restaurant, but the focus is very much on all things oenological. It hosts regular wine-tasting evenings, as…
Venice
This laid-back bar is all bare brick and low lighting; it's one of a handful that remain open until the early hours. Enjoy a selection of drinks, snacks…
Venice
Entire university careers and international romances are owed to Al Parlamento's powerful espresso, happy-hour cocktails (6pm to 9pm) and excellent…
Venice
This walk-in closet somehow manages to distribute wine, craft beer and cicheti to the overflowing crowd of young Venetians in approximate order of arrival…
Venice
After a stroll along the Zattere, retreat to this snug local drinking hole, right opposite the city's oldest functioning gondola workshop. Wines are well…
San Polo & Santa Croce
Sniff your way to the affable Doge, where dedicated drinkers slurp their way through the menu of speciality imported coffees, from Ethiopian to Guatemalan…
Venice
San Marco has its glittering cathedral, but beer lovers prefer pilgrimages to this shrine of the ‘Holy Drinker’ for 20 brews on tap, including Trappist…
Venice
Affectionately known as Il Rosso, this red-fronted cafe has been at the centre of the bar scene on Campo Santa Margherita since the late 1800s. It's at…
San Polo & Santa Croce
Pocket-sized Da Lele is perpetually jammed with students and workers, stopping for a cheap, stand-up ombra (small glass of wine; from €0.70) on their way…
Venice
Just gritty enough to be bohemian without being divey, this dark-beamed drinking den offers a long list of cocktails, Guinness on tap and cheap wine by…
