23 Traditional Venice Foods To Try in 2025
If you’re taking a trip to Italy, be sure to experience the unique island city of Venice and the endless variety of tempting Venice foods. Thinking of Venice may conjure up images of mustached men wearing black and white striped tops and red neck scarves as they gently navigate their gondolas down picturesque waterways. When you visit, you'll surely see this vision come to life, but being one of the most quintessentially Italian cities, the City of Water is about so much more.
What is the Venice food scene known for? Are Venice foods different from those found in Rome or Florence? The history of Venice is a story of wealth and power, so many Venice dishes are luxurious and refined. However, there are also street and snack foods that deserve to be explored, too. What all Venice foods have in common is that they are easy to love, meaning you're unlikely to go hungry while you're visiting.
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Get a Taste of Venice, Italy Food
Italy has more than its share of food-centric locales and Venice is one of the best foodie cities in the country. While you’ll find some commonalities across regions, Venice foods are also distinctly different from dishes you’ll find in Italy's south and west.
If you only have a short time in Venice, you’ll want to make the most of every meal. Check out food tours in Venice which are a great way to sample many traditional Venice dishes while learning about local cuisine from an experienced guide.
23 Traditional Venice Dishes To Try
1. Cicchetti
The best way to try Venice foods is to order cicchetti. Cicchetti is to Venice what tapas is to Barcelona — small portion dishes that act like appetizers and are meant to be shared. Ordering cicchetti is similar to ordering antipasto because it differs from place to place but always includes multiple food items.
Some of the most common Venice foods that you can order as cicchetti are crostinis (small toasts with toppings or spreads), panini sandwiches and tramezzini (similar to the little white-bread finger sandwiches served at parties). You’ll see these bite-sized Venice dishes combined with polpettes which are fried balls made with either meat, tuna, cheese or potato.
2. Baccalà Mantecato
Baccalà mantecato is a topping for fried polenta cakes made from a creamy salt cod. Interestingly, salt cod is not native to Italy. It is believed that Italian fishermen learned of cod from foreign fishermen and quickly learned to love it. You’ll find salt cod served in many ways during your exploration of Venice foods, including as part of this popular appetizer.
3. Sarde In Saor
This Venice food is more of an acquired taste than some of the other traditional Venice dishes we’ll explore. Sarde in saor is an antipasto (appetizer spread) but it isn’t made with the traditional meats and cheese that the word antipasto is typically associated with. Instead, sarde in saor combines sardines, onions, pine nuts and raisins.
This Venice dish is believed to have originated from fishermen who used vinegar to preserve fish for their daily lunch while out on their boats. While it’s an intense salt-and-sour combination, it’s worth a try. Just have a piece of crusty bread and some water nearby.
4. Caparossoi a Scota Deo
Caparossoi a scota deo is similar to scampi alla Veneziana but is made with fresh clams instead of shrimp. The “a scota deo” is a reminder that this dish is served right off the fire, so be careful when reaching for a shell.
These briny, plump clams are dressed with nothing but lemon juice and pepper, pairing perfectly with a crisp pinot Grigio. For the best experience, stick to this Venice food from March to June when clams are in season just as you would with shrimp dishes.
5. Risi E Bisi
One of the most traditional Venice dishes is risi e bisi or rice and peas. The region around Venice is known for its rice production so you’ll find many rice dishes and risottos on local menus. This traditional Venice food is somewhere between a risotto and a soup — it’s both hearty and satisfying.
6. Scampi alla Veneziana
You can probably intuit that this Venice food is similar to shrimp scampi, a fairly well-known menu item at Italian restaurants throughout the United States. While most of us expect pasta with our scampi, scampi alla Veneziana is a simple dish of shrimp with olive oil and lemon with no pasta. It makes for the perfect light lunch.
Despite being on the water, Venice has seafood seasons. Shrimp are at their peak flavor from March to June, so you’ll struggle to find this Venice food in the fall and winter months.
7. Bigoli In Salsa
Some Venice foods are very simple. A traditional Venice dish, bigoli in salsa combines pasta with just onions and anchovies. Don’t be afraid of the ingredients. When anchovies are cooked down, they melt away leaving just the tangy saltiness that characterizes the flavor of this meal. The caramelized onions add another level of depth, making this dish especially satisfying.
8. Frittelle Veneziane
If you happen to be in Venice around Easter, frittelle Veneziane is a Venice food to try when you need a little something sweet. These fried dough balls are studded with candied fruits or filled with cream or custard. You’ll spot them piled high in bakery windows during the Carnevale season.
9. Carpaccio
If this list of Venice foods has been mostly unfamiliar, here is a dish that you’ll probably recognize. Though the word carpaccio is now used to refer to anything raw and thinly sliced (including fish and vegetables), it traditionally refers to super-thinly sliced raw beef.
Beef carpaccio is served with a sauce made from mayo, mustard, cream and tomato, though you’ll also see it served with capers and shaved aged Parmesan cheese. If you’ve never tasted this dish in the United States, be sure to put this on your list of Venice foods to try.
10. Pincia
Not visiting during Carnevale? No worries! Try pincia, another traditional Venice food that is served for dessert. This is Venice’s answer to bread pudding. You’ll find many varieties of pincia throughout Venice including some made with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, as well as fruits. These dessert breads pop up in greater quantities around the holiday season.
11. Moeche Fritte
Being essentially a port town, seafood is very common on Venice restaurant menus. Moeche fritte is a simple snack made of soft shell crabs that have been battered with eggs and deep-fried. This Venice food is dressed with just lemon juice and salt and is enjoyed during the soft shell crab seasons of early spring or late fall.
12. Polenta e Schie
Polenta is starch used throughout Venice and is common as a side dish or as a base for protein. Its use is similar to mashed potato in the United States. The humble polenta e schie is a simple preparation of seasoned boiled shrimp served on a plate of polenta and can be served for lunch or dinner.
13. Fritto Misto
Fritto misto is a catch-all term for any kind of seafood that has been battered and fried. You’ll find these Venice foods on just about any menu in the city and on street vendor carts. Fritto misto refers to a mix of fried seafood that may include anchovies, scallops, calamari rings, sardines, mussels or any other in-season seafood.
14. Antipasto di Frutti di Mare
Antipasto di frutti di mare is an appetizer platter made exclusively from seafood (frutti di mare translates to "fruits of the sea"). This classic Venice food platter will include seasonally fresh seafood like baby octopus, mussels or shrimp dressed in a simple lemon vinaigrette.
15. Nero di Seppia
While not the most attractive dish you’ll come across, nero di seppia is a delicacy nonetheless. This Venice food features cuttlefish (similar to calamari) braised in a sauce made from its own black ink. You’ll often see nero di seppia as a risotto or served in pasta. Its rich flavor is an acquired taste for some, but it’s definitely a Venice food worth trying.
16. Fegato alla Veneziana
This traditional Venice dish is reminiscent of your grandma's liver and onions. It’s made with calf’s liver, which is sauteéd with fresh parsley and onions, and it’s commonly served alongside polenta cakes. Be sure to order a full-bodied red wine to wash down this traditional Venice food.
17. Tiramisú
Here’s a Venice food that most people will recognize. Tiramisú is a popular dessert made from ladyfinger cookies soaked in amaretto liqueur and then layered with sweet mascarpone cheese and dusted with powdered chocolate. You’ll find variations on this classic throughout the region, but each is equally satisfying.
18. Buranelli/Bussolai
Good food doesn’t have to be complicated and that’s the case when it comes to buranelli or bussolai. Both of these terms refer to a biscuit-like butter cookie flavored with vanilla and lemon zest. They're often ring-shaped, but you're also likely to find some shaped like an "S."
Similar in taste and texture to an English shortbread, this traditional Venice food pairs perfectly with tea or coffee in the afternoon.
19. Gelato
Although gelato originates in Rome, it is still a common and popular Venice food. This creamy, utterly delicious cousin to ice cream tends to come in more fruit-forward flavors and is a great way to cool off on hot Venice afternoons.
20. Prosecco
We’ve covered a lot of iconic Venice foods so you may be getting thirsty by now. One of the quintessential beverages of Venice is prosecco, Italy’s answer to Champagne. This sparkling alcoholic beverage is light and fruity and goes with anything from salad to seafood.
21. Spritz
For those who prefer a little more flavor with their libation, try a spritz. This beverage combines white wine or prosecco with herb bitters and soda water for a fizzy sip. Like prosecco, it pairs nicely with most Venice foods.
22. Bellini
Another Venice food to try is the Bellini, a cocktail made from local prosecco and pureéd peaches. This cocktail was made famous by the likes of Truman Capote, Orson Wells and Ernest Hemmingway. Try one and you’ll see why they loved it.
23. Grappa
Our final Venice food also falls into the beverage category. Grappa is found all over Italy, but it’s especially popular as an aperitif or an after-dinner digestif. Grappa is a liquor made by distilling the byproducts of winemaking. It has a strong sour plum flavor and many Italians swear by it as a cure for many common ailments.
Traveling to the City of Water is a chance to explore a historic region and also an opportunity to sample iconic Venice foods. While many cities in Italy are focused more on meat and pasta, Venice’s port location means you’ll find many classic seafood dishes. You'll also find a host of delicious meat-based cuisines, a bounty of beverages to pair with your meals and unbelievably decadent sweet treats to round it all off. As we said before, when you visit Venice, you're unlikely to go hungry!
For even more ways to explore Venice foods, check out other experiences happening on Cozymeal.
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