Cantina Do Mori

What a bacaro is, and ombra and cicchetti

A bacaro is a Venetian bar where locals stop for an ombra, a small glass of wine, and cicchetti, the snacks of the lagoon. You stand at the counter, eat a couple of bites and move on. Do Mori follows that tradition closely: there is little seating and no table service to speak of.

The bar is known for francobolli, tiny tramezzini sandwiches named after postage stamps. Other cicchetti are laid out on the counter, and wine comes from large demijohns behind the bar. Prices per glass and per snack are low, so a light lunch here costs little.

Copper pots, old prints and wine jars

Copper pots hang from the ceiling, old prints and photographs cover the walls, and big glass wine jars line the back of the bar. The space feels its age. Legend says Giacomo Casanova drank here.

After the Rialto Market or at early evening

Late morning, after a walk around the fish and produce stalls at the Rialto Market, is a good time, as is early evening when Venetians come in for an ombra. Arrive by 18:30 for the widest choice of cicchetti. Point at what you want, pay as you go, and leave room for another bacaro nearby.