My daughter and I have been inspired by Rick Steves' Venice (2007) book re doing a "pub crawl" one night for cicchetti and house wine. But, we'd like to stay off the "beaten path".

Can anyone suggest any of their favorite bars/osterias that served wonderful cicchetti?

I will list his suggestions here, just as an FYI. If you feel strongly, one way or the other, about any of <i>these</i> places, please do comment.

RS Suggestions:
Pasticceria Ponte delle Paste
Osteria al Portego
Ostaria ai Storti
Antica Ostaria Ruga Rialto
Osteria al Diavolo e l'Acquasanta
Al Marca'
Bancogiro (Osteria da Andrea)
Osteria Naranzaria

Thanks!
Paula

toppin'. NOBODY?

I'm sorry I can't comment on any of the places you've listed. We started off with every intention of doing a proper pub crawl and our first – and only stop – was the Cantina del Vino Gia Schiavi (#992) on the San Trovaso canal in Dorsoduro. We filled ourselves full of mozzarella and tomato, capicolli and a delicious cheese that tastes like a creamy cheddar, artichoke hearts, anchovies with onions and capers, creamed salt cod – all served on small pieces of French bread - and vino and didn't have any room left to go any further.

The other places were were going to try out, after doing a lot of research, were:

Ai Promessi Sposi, Calle dell’Oca 4367, Cannaregio. Suppose to be one of the best - and cheapest - cichetti spreads in Venice.

Osteria da Alberto, Calle Giacinto Gallina 5401, Cannaregio.

Osteria &quot;Alla Botte&quot;, Campo San Bartolomeo.

Hope someone else can provide more help. Have a great trip and remember to post your adventures when you get back.

One of my very favorite bacaro that I visit whenever I am in Venice, and have mentioned several times on the board is &quot;Ai Promessi Sposi&quot; a tiny bacaro on a narrow dark little calle (but had a huge write-up in the NY Times a few years back) I know the owner, the people who work there, the locals who come in at the aperitivo hour, everything-I have actually chatted and gossiped here! The cichetti is excellent, and VERY reasonably priced, which is why there are so many Venetians that crowd in, and out on the calle in the late afternoon. The sarde en saor (my favorite Venetian dish) the octopus salad, the grilled vegetables, potatoes, granceola (a kind of tiny crab)-simply yummy. You can also opt for eating a full meal in their cheerful and unpretentious little dining room, where only the freshest seafood dishes are served, with daily specials-this bacaro/restaurant is an excellent value, with local color thrown in. It is located on the Calle dell'Oca- (goose street!) just across from a well-rated two star hotel Bernardi-Semenzato, and across the calle from yet another excellent local trattoria for pizza and pasta-&quot;La Casa Mia&quot;-this place is always crowded (my apt. was only about 150 feet from these establishments, so I know them well). My American ex-pat friend who lives in Cannaregio and has a Venetian boyfriend likes &quot;La Casa Mia&quot; very much. There is also a good internet point located alongside &quot;Ai Promessi Sposi&quot; as well. This little calle is located just off the Campo SS Apostoli, about a 5 min. walk from Rialto via San Giovanni Crisostomo, across from the Antico Doge Hotel, or a 2 min. walk down the Strada Nova from Ca d'Oro vaporetto stop-turning left onto to the Strada Nova.

Another must-visit bacaro that is essential to any Venetian bacaro crawl is the ancient CANTINA DO MORI-which has been around since the 1500's and is very atmospheric, with its wooden beams and copper pots-lots of tourists here, (but also lots of Venetians) for a reason, it's a bit more expensive, but the cichetti and atmosphere here are excellent.

You must order the drink of Venice &quot;lo spritz&quot; with Aperol, the orange flavored digesetive that is mixed with prosecco-you'll see everyone drinking these from morning on.

In San Polo, you can make a bacaro crawl by going to Al Marca, Bancogiro, and Cantina do Mori, which are all in and around, or just off, the Campo San Giacometto, with its ancient church and big clockface, right behind, and to the side of the Rialto fish and vegetable market.

Thank you both!

girlspytravel...these sound great! And I think we're not too far. Well, I think. We are at Corte B&amp;B 1321, which owner says we are only 5 mts from Rialto bridge, I believe in San Polo area.

So cool! Thanks bunches! I'll make sure I post trip report.

Paula

A Venetian Pub Crawl - what a great idea! I'll definately do this next month when I&quot;m there.

Dperry-you can pay a lot of money to Venetian tour operators (like 50 Euro or more) to do exactly the same thing in an evening that you can do on your own for nothing-by just walking to the bacari (wine bars) of San Polo, which are all close together, in and around the Rialto market-just behind it, and on, the atmospheric Campo San Giacometto-one of my favorite spots in Venice. The Campo is crowded with locals most every evening at the aperitivo hour socializing with their glass of &quot;ombra&quot; (wine) or &quot;lo spritz.&quot; The space around the arches is known as the &quot;Erbaria&quot;-people sometimes hold meetings, or have speeches in this area. Here's a good photograph of the Church of San Giacometto, and the campo:

http://www.cheapvenice.com/san-giacomo-di-rialto.htm

To the left of the church are the referenced bacari (Bancogiro, Al Marca) Cantina do Mori is on its own ancient calle-Calle do Mori-around the corner-Do Mori is a must-visit bacaro on any bacaro crawl):

From vaporetto stop San Silvestro, all you have to do is walk along Ruga Rialto-and you will hit the Calle do Mori, and the Cantina, first. Also close by the Rialto Fish Market (Pescaria) is the &quot;Osteria del Sacro e Profano&quot; (Sacred and Profane) -another good wine bar/osteria in the area, known for its &quot;polpetti&quot; (meatballs).

In addition, two other bacari for any proper crawl: DO SPADE-very famous, like Do Mori, also dating to ancient times, located just behind the fish market, to the left under Sottoportego do Spade-an excellent lunch spot (where all the Venetian legal crowd goes) also for dinner. They have a website:

http://www.dospadevenezia.it/

Last but not least, any proper Venetian pub crawl will have to cross over to the other side of the Grand Canal, to Canneregio, to go to the world-famous Trattoria Ca'd'Oro, otherwise known as &quot;Alla Vedova&quot; -very easy to find-get off at Ca d'Oro vaporetto stop, walk straight-do not turn onto the Strada Nova- cross the Strada Nova and walk down -and at the very end of the calle, you'll see all the people crowded inside-that's Alla Vedova. Excellent cichetti, if a bit more expensive, and crowded with tourists-as this one's in all the guidebooks. From there, you can walk down the Strada Nova to Campo SS Apostoli, turn left at the Campo, and on the other side of the Farmacia (pharmacy) located on the Campo, you'll see the tiny Calle d'Oca, where &quot;Ai Promessi Sposi&quot; is located.

If you keep walking about 5 mins. more, from Campo SS Apostoli, towards Rialto Bridge, at the foot of Rialto-Campo San Bartolomeo-you will get to &quot;Osteria Alle Botte&quot; -a very popular osteria/bacaro that is worth visiting for the local color and great Venetian cuisine-it is very crowded around the aperitivo hour, like Alla Vedova, and it too, has a website:

http://www.osteriaallabotte.it/

After you do this proper Venetian bacaro crawl, you'll be just like a local...

Will be in Venice on 9/21 &amp; 9/22 and would also like to experience this. How exactly do you do a crawl or rather order once in a place? Do you order the cicchetti from behind a counter or from something like an appetizer menu? Are you served at a table or do you stand at the bar and order. What time should one plan for this? Thanks.

I have always stood at the bar. You can ask what is on offer, or just point at the dishes on display. This is making me very hungry!

I also like a place called Alla Vedova..

In 2005 we went to just about all of Rick Steve's suggestions for cicchetti over our 4 nights in Venice and really enjoyed them all!

Job-it's very easy. You walk in, you see the counter filled with all sorts of dishes-sarde in saor (Venetian specialty-delicious) octopus salad (my favorite-fresh cut up with celery, olives) granceola crab, grilled eggplant and zucchini slices, &quot;polpetti&quot; -many dishes-look at the website above that I linked to for &quot;Osteria alla Botte&quot;-you'll see the cichetti counter filled with the different dishes. There are LOTS of tourists in these places-not to worry. Just ask for a glass of wine, and then point to what you want-you can make a nice plate of different cichetti, like I like to do, or just take one or two, like the Venetians do, eat with your fingers and or a napkin, drink their glass of wine or a &quot;spritz&quot; then move on to the next place.

dperry...maybe we'll bump into each other in one of these places! We will be in Venice 10/18-10/20.

See ya there!!

Paula