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Nightspots in and around Venice can be difficult to categorize. Pubs, of the English or Irish variety, with beer on tap and occasional live music, are easy enough to identify and are especially popular with local and traveling youth. When you're looking to dance, things get murkier: lounge-type piano bars generally have small dance floors, while dance clubs are scarce but may serve snacks and even late-night meals. Bars and cafés are even harder to classify, as availability of snacks, meals, beverages, and music varies with the time of day and the season. Many also decorate their walls with works by local artists, whose paintings are for sale.
The proximity to the university makes Campo Santa Margherita and the surrounding area one of the livelier gathering places in town after dark. The Erbaria, a wide open campo running along the Grand Canal at the foot of the Rialto Bridge on the San Polo side, and the Fondamenta Misericordia in Cannaregio are two other areas that have a happening evening scene.
It's worth noting that during Carnevale many ordinary bars, which close around dinnertime the rest of the year, stay open around the clock.
The Gritti Palace is home to one of the most exclusive watering holes in town (though thankfully open to the public), lined with 18th-century paintings and Murano chandeliers. You can also enjoy your cocktail on the patio with prime views onto the Grand Canal.
Just outside Piazza San Marco (near the Museo Correr), Hotel Luna Baglioni's pleasant bar—complete with 16th-century art pieces and an 18th-century fireplace—is perfect for an intimate chat in the cold winter months.
The sign above the door simply says "CAFFÈ," but it has long since been called "Bar Rosso" for its bright-red exterior. The ideal people-watching spot on one of the busiest campos, it has far more tables outside than inside. A favorite with students and faculty from the nearby university, it's a good place to start the day with coffee and croissant, or later to enjoy a drink.
Although this popular place consists only of a kiosk set up to serve some outdoor tables, it is located on the Zattere and thus provides a wonderful view of Giudecca Canal. It's a handy meet-up spot for locals, especially students from the nearby university, and a useful stop-off for tourists in nice weather for a spritz or a panino. Keep in mind, though, that "the kiosk" exists for quick refreshments and not for lingering. The view and the sunshine (and especially the sunset) are the main draw; the food and drink, while acceptable, are not exceptional.
This Venetian-style dive bar has strong cocktails, a jazz soundtrack, and hundreds of bras hanging from the ceiling. The lively daily happy hour is a great time to visit.
Seeking a laid-back, youthful vibe for late night drinks amid a crowd that spills outside onto a wonderful canal-side terrace in the summer months? Generator is a former warehouse turned hostel with an eclectic bar interior, DJ sets and chat lubricated by a decent selection of drinks. It's also cracking spot to grab breakfast and a beverage during the day.
With plenty of tables outside on Via Garibaldi, this is a popular Castello hangout for drinking and chatting from aperitivo time to late in the evening. It's also got a cracking selection of cichetti—mainly crusty bread topped with meats, fish, and cheese—to help soak up their excellent selection of Veneto vino.
This popular neighborhood hangout is decorated in wood and brick and has a couple of tables that have a great view of the canal. There are beers on tap and plenty of wine and sandwich choices from 10 am to midnight.
Just a few steps from Campo Santa Margherita, this is one of the rare locales that has a kitchen serving until 10:30 pm. It's also a good spot for nightcap—you can expect a fairly lively atmosphere right up until closing time.
At the friendliest of the several bar-restaurants that line the Erbaria, near the Rialto markets, enjoy a cocktail outside, along the Canal Grande, or at a cozy table inside the renovated 16th-century warehouse. Although the food is acceptable, the ambience is really the main attraction. The kitchen closes at 11, and occasionally there is live music (usually jazz, Latin, or rock) on Sunday evening. On summer evenings, especially the weekend, the market area draws crowds of young people from Venice, the lagoon islands, and the mainland.
Modern, hip, and complemented by an internal garden, this welcoming bar anchors the south end of Campo Santa Margherita, the liveliest campo in Venice. You can have piadine (thin flatbread) sandwiches, salads, and drinks while watching soccer games on a massive screen inside, or sit at the tables facing the campo. Despite being close to the university, Orange is frequented primarily by young working people from the mainland and tourists. Open till 2 am every night.
Paradiso Perduto has been catering to night owls since the '80s with drinks, wine, and slightly overpriced fish dishes (a better option is the cicheti). The old piano has witnessed Chet Baker and Archie Shepp jams, and the place still serves up live music—mainly local and international jazz groups. It attracts young people and students alongside tourists, creating a very lively atmosphere. In temperate weather, patrons fill the fondamenta until they're shooed away.
This kiosk bar is very popular on warm summer evenings with Venetians and tourists drinking spritz and nibbling popcorn. It's all about the location under the soaring church of Santa Maria Formosa, which makes it an atmospheric place for people-watching; plus, if you like a boogie, they stage occasional music (mainly reggae and dub) nights, and carnival events. Although there's food, it's mostly limited to conventional Venetian sandwiches and commercial ice cream.
