With that in mind, and especially our own friends who have told us: "We saw the cicchetti, but weren't quite sure how it worked", we decided to open a series of video posts with an introduction to eating in a Venetian bacaro.

​Buon Appetito!  

This video was filmed at SALVMERIA: Bacaro Contemporaneo (Salumeria), in Via Garibadli.  We'd like to thank them for their time, space and food, but most especially for their warm Venetian-bacaro style welcome!

A Bacaro is a traditional Venetian snack bar where both local Venetians and tourists mingle over spritz, wine, snacks and cicchetti.  Visiting a bacaro, whether at lunch time or at cocktail hour can be one of the most fun, the most convenient, and also the least expensive ways to taste some of the best food available in Venice. 

Venetians from all walks of life and, as Giorgio, the owner of SALVMERIA, says it, "also tourists who appreciate the Venetian style ... those who want to know the Venetian style of how to drink, how to eat and how to live". 

"Because in a bacaro we have the best food at the best price and the atmosphere and the company are very friendly."

 Venice is a diverse and exciting city with unique experiences to offer travelers of every taste and budget.  Yes, there are more than a thousand years worth of history to learn about by visiting the historical sites of the City.  But there's more!  Within the many layers of the one-and-only Venice there are myriad contemporary adventures available for foodies, music-lovers, beachcombers, fashionistas and anyone else lucky enough to get their feet onto the cobble stones in this incredible city.  These are fifteen ways in which few people know that its possible to experience Venice today.  

There are rich and delicious culinary traditions to discover in Venice from small bites of cicchetti prepared with regional meats, to local produce, to the cheese stalls at the Lido Market and family-owned pastry shops that have been operational for centuries.  And, incredibly, it is also true that the best foods in Venice are often the most affordable too.  (Tricky tricky Venice!)  So, if you're interested in food, don't wait until your travels take you away from this region of Italy.  Get the right guide and discover the tasty side of Venice! Some Venetian culinary experiences available to travelers are:

• Markets & Shopping for Food.  Explore the historic Rialto fish market, the vegetable market and specialty food shops of Venice.  Sample Veneto area D.O.C. cheeses, wines, breads and sweets.  And learn how to shop from Italian butchers, grocers and bakers.
• Cicchetti Tours.  It is a local tradition in Venice to spend a free afternoon or evening eating and drinking one's way through the city stopping at the best bars along the way.  Don't miss out!  Get out and socialize with fellow foodies over local cocktails and small bites of Venetian eats.
• Cooking Classes.  Cook and enjoy a multi-course Venetian meal under the guidance of one of the best cooks in Venice!  You'll get to shop the markets, learn how to work with ingredients that you might not have at home and eat a homemade Italian meal family-style in Venice. 

Wait a second!  There's a beach?  Where's the beach?!  A shocking number of people come to this city-in-the-sea and never realize that they're only a few minutes away the nearly 11 kilometers of beaches on the Venice Lido.  Yet, somewhere in those 11 kilometers of beach, there is a perfect seaside experience for absolutely every kind of beachcomber.  You could spend a day just luxuriating on a lounge chair outside of your own private cabana, go kite-surfing, take the kids out in a paddle boat, or go hiking and treasure hunting through the dunes in an undisturbed seaside nature preserve.  Some Lido di Venezia experiences to try are:

• Summer Sports on Lido.  Rent a bike, peddle over to the beach and then cool off kite-surfing, kayaking, windsurfing and swimming.
• Eco-Lido. Take a bicycle tour of the island and visit the nature preserves at either Alberoni or San Nicolo.  Explore the dunes and forests on the island and learn about the plants and animals native to the lagoon.
• Beach Clubs & Bars on Lido.  During the summer months, the party never stops on Lido.  Much of the 11 kilometers of beaches are occupied by beach clubs, beach bars and restaurants.  Club members lounge outside of private cabanas by day and move on to the club houses and bars for musical performances, dancing and literary events by night.  Grab your sandals and spend a day meandering up and down the beach exploring the club houses and potentially choose one in which to spend some days in the sun.

 Those who stay on the main streets miss out on the vast majority of all the amazing shopping there is to do in Venice.  They may even get the sad misimpression that Venice is homogenous with other cities, or worse, that "Venetian" shopping is limited to souvenirs and chotsky.  Don't fall for it!  Take one on or two turns away from that main street, and you'll discover a universe of treasures for the taking.  Antique books and furnishing, vintage shops, jewelry, leather goods, handmade shoes, italian designer clothes... Any kind of shopping that you'd care to dream up or imagine can be done in Venice!  Tell a Venetian friend what you're interested in and let them help you find it, or try:

• Artisan Shops in Venice.  Venice is rich in artisan traditions including the famous Murano glass and also tapestry, hand-pulped paper goods, paper machee, beading, jewelry making, wood carving and sculpture.  And, far from being stuck in the past, contemporary Venetian artisans bring a decidedly modern flare to their work.  Go see what's being made in Venice now and go home with works of art worthy of being passed down for generations.
• Antique Venice.  Venice is full of re-discovered treasures awaiting their second life.  In every district of the city you can discover the shops and workshops of restorationists who have antiquities from throughout the ages on offer.  Discover furnishings, scultpures, clocks, mirrors and myriad pieces of decorative arts that were built to withstand history.
• Vintage Venice.  Rummage for vintage designer clothing, shoes and accessories in Venice' vintage shops and neighborhood markets.  These stores were once such well-kept secrets that most Venetians didn't even know they existed.  Now, they're popping up all over the city and each is vying to outdo the other withe fabulousness of their collections.  

The Castello district of Venice is widely known as "The Venice of Venetians".  But the lagoon, much of it only accessible by private boat, is really the Venetian's Venice!  Though both Venice and the lagoon are part of the world hertitage site of Venice - The architectural feat of the historic center of Venice could not have been accomplished in another natural environment. - most visitors miss the chance to enjoy the natural wonders and seafaring lifestyle of the lagoon.  Don't be one of them!  Hire a captain, or just a guide and a taxi, and get out on the water in Venice.  You might try:

• Pescaturismo, Fishing Tours in Venice.  If you've read a menu in a Venetian restaurant, or visited the Rialto market, then you know that fish are extremely important to Venetian cuisine.  But, did you know that you too can go fishing in Venice?  There are fishermen in Venice who will take you out into the northern lagoon in a professional fishing boat and show you how they bring in their catch.  Some even offer your opportunity to cook and enjoy your own fresh fish.
• Historical Island Tours.  No need to feel guilty about spending much of the day relaxing on a boat. There is sightseeing to be done in the lagoon too!  You can visit the islands of San Francesco Del Deserto, where Saint Francis of Assisi is said to have performed his first miracles, and Torcello which hosts the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, the most ancient religious structure in the lagoon. Go with a knowledgable historical guide and you will get an incredible amount of learning out of your day at sea.  
• Agricultural Island Excursions.  Yes, there is farmland in Venice!  As difficult as it is to imagine while walking the cobblestone streets in the center of town, there are a significant variety of fruits and vegetables being cultivated right here in the lagoon.  And, of course, there are local wines too! On an excursion between the islands of Sant'Erasmo, Vognole and Mazzorbo it is possible to visit a farm, shop and a local farm stand, learn tricks for cooking local produce, and visit a restaurant that serves only lagoon-grown food and wine.  You do need a boat.  But, there is no more down-home Venetian experience than this!  

Whoever said, "You can't have it all" must never have spent a night in Venice.  Between musical and theatrical performances, regional food and drink, art exhibitions and the sheer pleasure of strolling through the nearly-empty streets of the most beautiful city in the world with nothing to disturb you beyond the gentle lapping of waves against the sides of the canal, Venice really does have it all.  Here in the labyrinth there is nightlife galore, from sleek and sweaty disco dancing to opera that one imagines only angels could sing.  The trick, as with everything else in Venice, is finding the Venice-by-night that's right for you.   Some nightlife experiences you could enjoy in Venice include:

• A Musical Evening.  Non solo Vivaldi!  Be it rock, jazz, classical or opera, there is guaranteed to be a musical performance that will blow you away happening during your stay in Venice.  Unfortunately, because there is no one portal where musicians and venues publicize events, it can be challenging for visitors to discover the performances that will be most moving to them.  A local friend with an ear to the ground of the Venice music scene can let you know about performances happening during your stay and take you to the best shows.
• Wines and Cheeses of the Veneto.  Take a cicchetti tour to the next level.  Dispersed among the thousands of bacari in Venice, there are some excellent wine bars that specialize in regional and Italian wines and gourmet snacks.  Spend a relaxing evening exploring Venice sampling Italian wines, cheeses and specialty foods with a knowledgeable companion.
• Night Walk In Venice.  Venice is a wonderfully safe city, and there is no better time to explore and admire the historic center of Venice than late in the evening.  After the souvenir carts have been put to bed and before the fishermen start arriving at the market, you will find yourself in a silently proud wonderland of of architecture, history and art all illuminated by moonlight.  Bring your camera and get enviable uninterrupted shots of the places that deserve their fame, but can be nearly impossible to truly appreciate during the chaotic and crowded days.

You can now book all of these, and more, unique experiences of Venice through OG Venice Travel Guide! Many of these are exclusively available to OG Venice readers, and there is virtually no limit to the custom experiences that we can design for you.  We work with intelligent, outgoing and enthusiastic people who know contemporary Venice love to share their knowledge of and passion for Venice with visitors. Contact us, tell us what you're interested in, and we will show you your Venice!

The most important things to pack for a trip to Venice don't take any space at all in your luggage and don't weigh a thing.  They are:  Your sense of adventure and your sense of humor.  Venice is a kind city that will give you a wonderful experience so long as you understand that she doesn't care at all about your plans.  

Yesterday afternoon I left home near Bragora with the ambitious idea of walking the length of La Giudecca before attending a concert at Serra Dei Giardini and then crossing town to attend another concert at Movie Bistro in San Marco.  If all had gone as planned, this wouldn't be too unreasonable.  I could have taken a vaporetto to the far end of La Giudecca, walked, taken another vaporetto back to Castello, then walked to San Marco.  But, this is Venice.  That is not what happened at all!

The first ticket machine couldn't give change.  The man behind the ticket counter closed up shop, an hour early, right in front of my smiling face.  I went and got change.  But, the coin drop on the second ticket machine was blocked.  I decided to walk to the Zatere and take a walk there.  (Yes, in Venice, one walks to the places where one plans to take a walk.)  But, no sooner had I turned in that direction than a million or so students came streaming towards me.  I turned a corner to keep up momentum and found myself back on Salizada dei Greci, no further than fifty yards from home. Accepting that I had been thwarted, I drank a spritz at Pasticceria Pierino and pondered the existence of God.  (There is definitely a touch of divinity in the home made bread sticks that they serve with drinks...)  Then, powered by a few ounces of Campari, I decided that, if there were a God, it must have been telling me to just go to Serra.  But, this is Venice.  That's not what happened at all!

No sooner had I crossed one bridge than I met a group of travelers desperately seeking Celestia.  It's a rare request deserving of attention!  So, I walked them 90% of the way there, past the point of possibly getting lost, then turned off to head towards Giardini.  But, for reasons I'll never understand considering the hundreds of times I've walked that same route, I took a wrong turn in Campo Do Pozzi and ultimately took myself to Celestia! 

There was nothing left to do but have a good laugh at myself, and stop fighting Venezia.  Clearly, I was destined to stay "home".  I ambled back towards Bragora and happened upon A La Scuela where "Frito Misto" was playing a mixture of folk music and classic rock and all the neighbors, and most of their pets, were enjoying 1 euro ombri of the house wine and dancing in the street.  There were all of four other out-of-towners there, all also present due to the conspiracy of circumstances, but we were all swept into the merriment as though we also had lived next door for years.  I watched as my new friends forgot about asking for directions back to San Marco and fell in love with Venice in way they may never have done had they been where they intended to go.  And yes, over a few ombri, a few songs and conversations with a few strangers, I also fell back in love with Venezia.

I'd like to pretend to be sorry that I missed out on each of the events that I promised to attend that night, but I'm pretty sure that the conspiracy of circumstances lead me to the best possible evening I could have had.  I wouldn't trade those few hours at A La Scuela for all the Carpaccio at Cipriani.  I am however still waiting for A La Scuela to serve up their locally famous spleen cicchetti... eh hem!

If you'd like to visit A La Scuela, and circumstances have not conspired to take you there by accident, it is also possible to go there on purpose.  A La Scuela has been added to the Castello Bars section of OG Venice Travel Guide.