Ciao and welcome to my post on street food in Venice.
Venice is known for its centuries-old tradition of gastronomy specialties.
When walking around the streets of the city of water and bridges and feeling particularly hungry, you can not help but let your sense of smell take over.
If you spot a small crowd of people (speaking Italian) in front of a tiny bar, then it is likely you’re in the right place to try the best street food in Venice!
Venice Street foods
With this post, I’ll share a couple of suggestions on where you can sample a few small bites on the go as you are exploring Venice.
Venice street food is all about fresh ingredients and old cooking traditions.
Venetian people love fried seafood and fish as well the small tapas style ‘cicchetti’, so you can’t miss the chance to feel like a Venetian too by tasting both of them, and much more.
Let’s find out where you can eat delicious street food in Venice and why these places should be on your foodie map.
Scartosso de pesse Frito
The must-eat street food in Venice is the ‘scartosso de pesse frito’. Today, a few shops and bars in Venice specialize in fried fish and seafood served on a piece of paper called ‘scartosso’ in Venetian dialect.
But what’s the origin of this Venetian street food?
In the coastal areas of the Veneto region, in every restaurant and street food stall, mixed fried fish is always on the menu.
In Venice, ‘scartosso de pesse frito’ (fried fish packet) has been served since the 1600s. Its name comes from the typical cone-shaped paper that contains the fried mix that will tantalize your taste buds.
The most common fried mix is squid and shrimps, very often served with a slice of roasted polenta or with battered vegetables. Sometimes you can find cuttlefish and small fishes from the Venetian lagoon too.
Cicchetti
Another unmissable traditional delicacy of Venice are the ‘cicchetti’.
These are small pieces of bread with a huge selection of fresh ingredients ontop.
Some of the main Cicchetti ingredients are:
- Seafood
- Cured hams
- Creamy cheeses
- Roasted vegetables
When it comes to ‘cicchetti’ there’s always something for everyone, this means if you’re vegetarian or vegan, you’re covered too!
Normally, ‘cicchetti’ are served with a glass of red or white wine, Prosecco is quite popular among Venetian people.
Check out this top rated food tour (with Cicchetti tasting) to learn everything about this Venetian street food guided by a local expert.
The places you stop at to have your snack or aperitivo are called ‘bacari’, usually a family-owned tavern with just a few places to sit or with an outdoor space for eating.
Some of them, don’t have space at all, so that’s when your ‘cicchetti’ turn into real street food to have on the go. Read more about the best cicchetti here for more.
Mozzarella in Carrozza
The Mozzarella in carrozza (literally ‘mozzarella in the carriage’) is a classic street food you can find everywhere you stop for a quick snack. It dates back to the 19th century and it’s a traditional Venetian street food.
You can taste the luscious mozzarella in carrozza in the bacari, but you should know that the very first fried mozzarella was invented in Naples to make use of bread and mozzarella leftover.
The dish consists of slices of mozzarella enclosed in two slices of sandwich bread (which act as a ‘carriage’), which are dipped in egg and milk and then fried. Often the stuffed slices are also dipped in flour or breadcrumbs before frying. Instead of loaf bread, it is also possible to use homemade bread.
In Venice, a local variant of mozzarella in carrozza has a rectangular shape and made with half slice of white sandwich bread cut in half vertically, addition of an anchovy or a slice of cooked ham, mozzarella and the other half lice of bread, all dipped in a leavened batter and fried. The mozzarella in carrozza alla veneziana has a golden and puffy appearance, thanks to the use of batter.
Pizza al Taglio
Pizza al taglio is one of the most loved street food in Italy. Even in Venice, you can find places where you can get a delicious slice of pizza. The pizza al taglio can be cut in a rectangular or triangular shape and this slice of pizza it’s called ‘trancio’.
The slice of pizza that it’s just perfect to eat on the go whilst walking around the narrow streets and up and down the bridges of Venice. Usually, just before eating it, the pizza maker heats the slice to order.
Pizza al taglio has different toppings. From the classic Margherita, to ham and mushrooms and vegetarian options, the choice depends on the place you decide to get your pizza. I recommend trying Pizza al Volo in Campo Santa Margherita.
Focaccia
The classic focaccia is flat bread with soft dough similar to the pizza one, but two or three centimetres thick. It generally has the honeycomb looking interior and a very thin golden crust, full of indentations that hold the oil, salt, sugar, rosemary, or whatever other ingredient is added on top.
Don’t confuse focaccia with pizza! Once cooked, focaccia is thicker and softer than pizza. Focaccia is a great healthy street food to try in Venice. If you’re curious about trying focaccia, I suggest getting a slice from a bakery shop called Farini, there are many stores around the city.
This street food doesn’t specifically come from Venice, but from Genoa. There are many versions of focaccia all around Italy and you’ll find it everywhere you go in the country. It’s often prepared fresh, every single day in the morning and sold in small bakery shops along with classic bread loaves and pastries.
Tramezzini Veneziani
Originally from Turin, the most popular accompaniment to a proper Italian aperitivo is the tramezzino! They say that in the Venetian Lagoon, thanks to the humidity, the taste of the tramezzino is better than in other parts of Italy and the is bread softer.
You will find that the original tramezzino is served cold, but you can easily find the warm version. Inside the two soft and white slices of bread there are many combinations of ingredients that can be added.
Popular combos include: prosciutto e funghi (ham and mushrooms), tonno e cipolline (tuna and pickled onions), pomodoro e mozzarella (fresh tomato and mozzarella) and polpa di granchio e uova sode (crabmeat and boiled eggs). A layer of mayonnaise or soft cheese like Philadelphia or robiola is also added.
But what is the difference between the classic tramezzino and ‘el tramesin’, the Venetian tramezzino? The Venetian tramezzini are always cut into a triangle, but what makes them so unique compared to tramezzini of other cities is the super abundant filling which gives the Venetian tramezzini the typical pot-bellied shape.
Where can you find the best tramezzini in Venice? That’s an easy one! During lunch you can just head over to the Bar Rialto da Lollo near the Rialto Bridge.
Pastry and Ice cream
The art of pastry and ice cream making in Venice has a long history. The city is also known to be the cradle of sorbet, the ancestor of ice cream.
As for the traditional desserts, cakes and biscuits of Venice, there’s an immense selection of mouthwatering pastries to eat whilst walking around the streets and piazzas of Venice.
The ‘frittella’ is the classic Venetian dessert that is prepared in all pastry shops during the Carnival days.
There are many types of ‘frittelle’ but which are the traditional ones?
The classic recipe for the ‘frittella’ includes a filling of raisins and pine nuts. These pastries are always soft and fragrant and with an irresistible taste.
Where to find Venetian Street Foods?
So, now you have a better idea of what to eat while you are in Venice, let’s look at some of the best places to enjoy the best Venetian street foods.
Pasticceria da Tonolo
Since 1953, Pasticceria da Tonolo has been the most famous pastry shop of Venice, and the best place to find the queen of sweet street food in Venice: the Carnival ‘frittella’!
If you’re in the Dorsoduro neighbourhood and looking for a place where to have breakfast, then this ‘pasticceria’ is the perfect spot in town.
It’s a short walk from the Santa Lucia railway station or Piazzale Roma, and having a sweet treat here will make you feel recharged straight away.
Apart from the typical ‘frittella’ with pine nuts and raisins.
However, you can try the following:
- With custard as well as shortbread
- Petit four, dry pastries
- Custard and fruit baskets
- Cream puffs, diplomatics
- Meringues
- Croissants and kipfel
The price for a pastry is around 2 and 3 euros.
Pasticceria da Tonolo:Calle San Pantalon Dorsoduro 3764, 30123 Venice
Frito Inn
One of the best places for fried food on the go is Frito Inn. The small bar is based in the Cannaregio neighbourhood, quite far from most tourist crowds.
This is the perfect place to enjoy some of the most delicious street food in Venice, while in more peaceful surroundings.
The fried fish mix and vegetables served here are prepared in order to take them away with you. So if you’re on a rush and want to visit the next museum or art gallery but are feeling hungry, then Frito Inn is your place!
Quality and fresh ingredients are the main reasons why this takeaway is so popular.
Try the meatballs, squids and sardines as well as its seasonal vegetables for the best lunch break in Venice. The price range for a fried seafood ‘scartosso’ is around 8/10 euro.
Frito Inn: Campo San Leonardo Cannaregio 1587, 30121 Venice, Italy
Al Mercà
In the San Polo district, a few meters away from the crowded Rialto bridge, there’s a small shop that sells directly on the street: Al Mercà.
This is a famous ‘bacaro’ and one of the most loved by Venetian people in the Rialto market area. There’s no space inside to take a seat, but you should definitely stop by as the quality of the food and wines are excellent.
The price for one ‘cicchetto’ is around 1 or 2 euros. One of the most popular ‘cicchetto’ is the one with creamy cod on top, a typical Venetian specialty.
If you’re looking for a great place for your aperitivo on the go in Venice, then Al Mercà is your next ‘bacaro’ destination.
Al Mercà: Campo Bella Vienna San Polo 213, 30125 Venice, Italy
Venice Street foods
Now you know a few places where you can try the best street food in Venice.
But as I said, this is just a short list and that’s much more you can find strolling around the streets of the city.
If you see local groups having ‘aperitivo’ in a tavern or bar with ‘cicchetti’, you’re likely in the right place to enjoy some of Venice’s finest foods.
From here I invite you to read my must-eat food in Venice post to get even more culinary inspiration and learn what more you can eat in Venice.
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