Bar · Venice
Cantina Do Spade
Choose a day and party sizeInformation
- Price
- €€€€
- Where
- Venice
A bàcaro with more than five hundred years of history
Cantina Do Spade is on the street and sotoportego that bear its name, in San Polo, a couple of steps from the Rialto Bridge and the market. On its website the house relates the history told by Giuseppe Tassini in Curiosità veneziane: already in the late 15th century there was an osteria here with the sign of the swords, and in 1566 the land register lists it as property of the Foscari family, rented to an innkeeper called Battista. The sign of the two swords was the symbol of the innkeepers' guild, which met in the nearby church of San Matteo.
Today it works as a traditional bàcaro: a bar at the entrance with display cases of cicchetti, wine by the glass and, behind, tables for sit-down meals with seasonal Venetian dishes.
What to order
The house says it is known for its fried cicchetti to have at the bar: order a few with a glass of Veneto or Friuli wine, which on its list costs €4 to €5. Ask the waiter about the day's offerings, because they change.
If you sit down, the menu is short and very Venetian. For starters, baccalà mantecato with polenta (€16) and sarde in saor, sardines in a sweet onion marinade (€17). For first courses, spaghetti with cuttlefish ink or alla busara (€17), bigoli in salsa, the thick pasta with anchovy and onion (€16), and the house risotto, made with a Slow Food Presidium rice (€18). For main courses, fried fish (€22), Venetian-style liver (€17) or cuttlefish in its ink with polenta (€18). Desserts are homemade: panna cotta, tiramisù or the Venetian biscuits, essi, bussolà and zaleti, for dipping.
In autumn 2026 the house began a cycle of twelve cod recipes, one per month, to make use of the whole fish.
When to go and how to book
It is open every day, from 10:00 to 15:00 and from 18:00 to 22:00. For the bar no reservation is needed; for a table, the house recommends booking ahead, by phone, from 10:00 to 16:00 and from 18:00 to 23:00, or through its website. As it is open on Sunday and closes no day of the week, it is a good fallback for lunch on a sightseeing day.
To get there, cross the Rialto Bridge towards the market and enter through the Sotoportego de le Do Spade. The nearest vaporetto stop is Rialto Mercato, on line 1.
What is nearby
Rialto and the fish market, which opens in the morning, are a minute away. If you carry on along the Grand Canal, line 1 of the vaporetto stops at Rialto Mercato. And the rowing lesson with cicchetti is another way of touring the bàcari.
What to order: fried cicchetti at the bar with a local wine by the glass; at a table, sarde in saor or bigoli in salsa
Practical details
- Phone
- +39 041 521 0583
- Opening hours
- Mon–Sun10:00–15:00 and 18:00–22:00
- Cuisine
- Venetian, cicchetti
- Bookings
- Book a table on their website
House specialities
- Fried cicchetti
- Baccalà mantecato with polenta
- Sarde in saor
- Bigoli in salsa
- Fegato alla veneziana
Tips
- Start at the bar Two or three fried cicchetti and a glass, standing, as is done in Venice.
- Book to sit down There are few tables: call ahead.
- Open every day Including Sunday, at lunchtime and in the evening.
Frequently asked questions
Is it open on Sundays?
Yes, every day from 10:00 to 15:00 and from 18:00 to 22:00.
Do I need to book?
Not for the bar. For a table, booking by phone or on its website is recommended.
What are cicchetti?
Bites eaten at the bar with a glass of wine, cold or hot, on bread or on their own.
Where is it?
In San Polo, on Calle de le Do Spade, beside the Rialto market.
As a family
