Drive-In Duo

There’s only a way to *taste* the real Venice and it’s called ‘bacari’.

The ‘bacaro’ is basically a traditional wine bar, so the very foundation of our lifestyle. Here we drink, nibble and chat; if the weather is good we can sit down for a 10 minutes, but if you have to spend only one day in Venice, you should go from one bacaro to the next one. This is called ‘the Bacaro tour’ (even in Italian) and it’s going to be one of the best experience of your life.

If you’re searching for stylish bar or fancy locations, than you can stop reading right now. Bacari are old fashion, small, dark and crowded (it sound worse than it actually is…) but full of amazing stuff. Eating stuff, of course (again: it sound worse than it actually is. You’re gonna love our cicchetti).

My beloved bacaro is Osteria al Squero: there is no other place in the city that allows you to drink a glass of wine and meet up with friends looking at the same time the construction or restoration of the gondolas. Trust me: sit outside and enjoy the canal and the squero. Squero (not square) is the typical rowing boatyard in the city of Venice; basically if you google that, all the pictures are about THIS squero, called San Trovaso.

It’s a real hidden treasure, do yourself a favor and come here. By the way, nearby you can visit also the Accademia brige, the dome of Santa Maria della Salute, The Peggy Guggenheim collection and the church of Gesuati/Santa Maria del Rosario (don’t miss this one!). So that’s perfect!

Another supercool bacaro (can I say ‘supercool’ about something that old? Well, this is my blog so I’m going with supercool…) is Osteria ai Pugni: I have to mention it for tons of reasons.
First one: great wine and great chicchetti.
Second one: have you ever seen ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’? (Of course you did…). Well, San Barnaba Church was the setting of an imaginary library. And in that square Indiana emerge from a manhole. A manhole from where? This is Venice, there is no underground, no basement, no cellar!
Third one: Osteria dei Pugni means ‘Tavern of the fists’, and it’s in front of Ponte dei Pugni (Bridge of the fists). It comes from an ancient tradition (yeah, I know…) when two opposite factions challenged themselves with their fists on the bridges. You can still see the footprints on the ground.
Fourth one: nearby you can visit the Basilica dei Frari and Palazzo Grassi (that’s way better than the fists reason, I know…).

Actually you can choose any bacaro you like, but the real question is: what to eat and drink?
That’s easy:
– DRINK: a glass of white wine (Prosecco is my favourite) or a spritz with Select (only in Venice you can find Select, so don’t miss it)
– EAT: anchovies, half a egg, olives, tramezzini (little sandwiches), baccalà (fried salt cod), dried tomatoes, rissoles, croquettes, octopus, fried prawns… Basically everything you’ll see.

You’re welcome.