Cicchetti and the giro di ombre

What it is

Cicchetti are small snacks priced by the piece. Many are served on a slice of bread or a square of grilled polenta: whipped salt cod, sardines in sweet and sour onions, cured meats, small fried things, a meatball, half a boiled egg with an anchovy. A bàcaro is usually a narrow room with a counter, a few barrels or shelves and little or no seating. People eat standing, or outside on the edge of a canal with the glass in hand.

Where it comes from

Venice was a trading port, and its bars fed workers, porters and merchants who wanted something quick. The word ombra means shade. One common account is that wine sellers in Saint Mark's Square moved their stalls through the day to stay in the shadow of the bell tower, so a glass of wine became a shade. The oldest bàcari are near the Rialto market, where fish and vegetables still arrive by boat each morning.

How it works

The round happens late in the morning and again in the early evening, before dinner. You point at what you want in the glass case, and the staff put it on a plate. An ombra is a small glass of house wine, white or red. Many people now order a spritz instead. You usually pay when you order or when you leave, depending on the bar. Two or three cicchetti and a glass at each of three bars makes a light dinner.

How to do it

1. Start near the Rialto market or in Cannaregio, where bàcari are close together.
2. Ask for un'ombra, a small glass of house wine.
3. Point to two or three cicchetti in the counter display.
4. Eat standing at the bar or just outside.
5. Walk on to the next bàcaro.

Good manners

• Return your glass to the bar if you drank outside.
• Do not sit on bridges or doorsteps to eat. Venice fines for it.
• Bàcari close early by Italian standards. Many shut by nine.

What is eaten

Sarde in saorFried sardines layered with marinated onions, pine nuts and raisins from VeniceTramezzinoItalian sandwich made with soft white bread and a range of fillingsPolentaBoiled cornmeal porridge from northern Italy, served soft or set and slicedCrostiniSmall slices of toasted bread topped with cheese, meats, or vegetablesCarrozzaMozzarella cheese sandwich coated in egg and fried until crispMeatballGround meat shaped into balls and cooked by frying, baking, or braising in sauce

Also part of it, and being written: Baccalà mantecato.

Sources and further reading

• Cicchetti on Wikipedia
• Venezia Unica (City of Venice): Bacari and cicchetti