Where to drink in Venice

Where can a thirsty visitor get a drink in Venice? Continue reading to learn about our local recommendations for the top five bars. With our expert guide to the Venice bar scene, you can avoid the crowds and explore the most fashionable spots for aperitifs, wine, cocktails, and nibbles.

Bar L’incontro

This chic bar is a fantastic spot for an evening aperitif. The superb service is in keeping with its position within the 5* Ca’Sagredo Hotel. The unique décor ensures that Bar L’incontro stands out as a hotspot in its own right. The furnishings are bright and open, with plenty of character; drinks are prepared on a small brass cart, and the seating is charmingly mismatched. However, it remains very polished; the gold leaf, white marble, and elegant piano music give enough glitz to keep things from becoming too bohemian.Order a gin martini: a classic drink served flawlessly.

Harry’s Bar

Harry’s Bar, a national treasure that is now legally designated as a national landmark, is the place to go for a drink with a feeling of occasion. This magnificent institution on St Mark’s waterfront, known as the home of the bellini, was created by Giuseppe Cipriani in 1931 and has ruled supreme over the city’s cocktail culture ever since. As one of the grand old ladies of Venice nightlife, it’s no wonder that the pub has drawn many a lyrical soul. It was Ernest Hemingway’s favorite hangout for a while, yet it welcomes everyone
The famous peach-and-prosecco cocktails are a must-try.

Enoteca Al Volto

Evening drinks don’t have to be cocktails, and that’s where this great wine bar shines. Enoteca Al Volto, another pub with a long history, has been hosting oenophiles since 1936. The simple and pleasant settings of Calle Cavalli, only a few steps from the Rialto Bridge, are the ideal antidote to the throng and tourist traps of downtown Venice. Al Volto’s extensive wine cellar beckons you to enjoy it in a space festooned with vintage wine labels, a testament to the restaurant’s many years of supplying fine vintages. The continual arrival of interesting findings, along with the proprietors’ enthusiasm for their topic, ensures a memorable tipple.

Best advice: To truly feel like a local bar-hopper, take a seat at the bar and order some cicchetti.

Bar Canale @ Bauers L’hotel

Venice does opulent grandeur better than almost anyplace else. This bar amid the luxurious environs of the Bauers L’Hotel exemplifies the city’s wholehearted embrace of refined splendor. Bar Canale borders the Grand Canal, Venice’s renowned major canal, and is an exquisite refuge from the city. The enormous outdoor terrace is its greatest beauty. It’s an enticing sanctuary for well-heeled sightseers to enjoy breathtaking views of the Grand Canal and the Chiesa della Salute.

Top tip: At sunset, the terrace is a particularly lovely spot to gaze over Venice’s ancient roofs. Watch gondoliers glide by in the company of your amato.

La Bottega Ai Promessi Sposi

If you’ve always wanted to wander the streets of Venice and stumble across a wonderful pub hidden away in a maze of passageways, this is your opportunity to not miss out. La Bottega ai Promessi Sposi appears to be a hole-in-the-wall tavern at first look. However, the nightly crowds of residents that flow out the door and stand on the street drinking wine and eating cicchetti, Venice’s answer to tapas, give it away. It’s the type of place you’ll tell your friends about when you tell them about the “Real Venice” you discovered; tucked away and hidden from the tourist crowd.

Top tip: Try the delectable polpette — you won’t be disappointed!