Italy is of course infinately famous for the food. However, while all absolutely delicious, not all Italian food is the same. Geography of Italy heavily dictates the cuisine in any particular region. With this in mind, it is important to note that Venice has a very unique set favors and dishes that make it distinctly its own. If you’re headed to Venice - I urge you not to leave without trying some of the below.

Nero di Seppia

This literally translates to “black from the squid”, or less awkwardly - squid ink. Nero di seppia pasta is the staple dish on Venice. The black squid ink can also be found across various dishes, but the squid ink spaghetti are a timeless classic.

Venetians bring this delicious sea flavor into pasta sauces, risottos and even the pasta dough itself. Do yourself a favor and try one or two.. or even seven dishes out of this. If you like seafood - there is a good chance this might be your new favorite.

Typically, the sauce is tomato basted and then flavored (and colored) by the addition of squid ink. This creates a very unique flavor balance of earthy, rich Italian tomato-based sauces as well as the delicate and distinct flavor of the sea.

While perhaps not the most appetizingly looking meal (depending how you see it, I am personally quite a fan), I can unwaveringly recommend it for the taste.

This being the staple of Venetian cuisine, you can find these on the menu all of the city, but for best versions of this do try to find a cozy Osteria somewhere a street or two away or so from the main walks.

Wine suggestion:

This dish is well complimented with one of the medium bodied whites from the Veneto region, like a Soave or a Chardonnay. I would especially recommend a medium white if you are going for any of the non-tomato based sauces or just the black pasta dough dishes.

However, if you are trying the rich sauce dish, I personally prefer to pair it with one of the wines that are very characteristic of the Veneto region - Pinot Nero. Oh perhaps better yet - Valpolicella Ripasso. This wine is particularly interesting because of the way that it is made. Ripasso translates to “passed again”, and this refers to the fact that before the wine goes into the barrels, Valpolicella wine is macerated for about ten days on the marcs of dried grapes which were previously used for the production of wines such as Recioto or Amarone. This allows the wine to pick up new flavors and enriches the pallet of flavors.

Seafood in general

Of course squid ink is not where this collection of islands decided to take a bow in their culinary adventure. Venice takes full advantage of its sea-bound geography and heavily leverages it to its (and everyone else’s) advantage. Needless to point out - seafood here is amazingly fresh and is not to be missed.

If you wake up early in the morning (7:00-11:00) and feel like seeing one of the nerve centers of the city - head over to the fish market Mercato di Rialto by the famous Rialto Bridge.

There you will see endless rows of fresh seafood and many locals picking out their meal for the day. Visiting the local market in the morning is one of my favorite things to do in any Italian city, and Venice certainly does not disappoint. Here, the market overflows with bounty from the sea more than any place I’ve ever seen. In fact, there is a good chance you’ll see something entirely new to you on the stalls.

In Italy, much of the local socializing goes on around food, and morning markets make up a large part of these interactions. Generally, Italians don’t buy food in bulk for many days ahead and typically head to the market on the daily basis to pick up something fresh for the day. This creates a continuous turnover of product, always guaranteeing fresh items at the marker. Also, this creates an opportunity to see the bloodline of the city and gives one a chance to observe the pulse of everyday life (and maybe pick up some delicious snacks while at it).

cicchetti

One word says it all - cicchetti is a Venetian must. These are small food bites (similar in style to Spanish tapas) that are sold out of the Bacari. Bacari are wine bars and both them and the cicchetti can be traced back all the way to 1300’s. The Bacari used to be based around the Rialto bridge back in the day and the shop keeps started to offer small bites to their customers in order to entice them to stay longer and drink more wine.

There was a period in time when this format of eating went “out of fashion”, but luckily we all came to our senses and they are back into style, also similar to the Spanish tapas culture.

Seafood everywhere!

…And you will not catch me complaining!
True to its culinary calling, the bites are also mostly seafood focused. Cicchetti hopping is a favorites with locals and tourists alike. Particularly on a good night, do not be afraid to follow your nose and grab a glass of local wine (or an Aperol Spritz) and a few bites to enjoy outside of the packed bar before you move on to the next Bacari to do it all again. It is really a fantastic way to enjoy spending some time in the many quaint piazzas around town.

Sarde in saor

While it often looks less that perfectly appetizing, this fishy, sour and sweet dish is a great Venetian staple! It also happens to be one of my favorites.

This dish comes from Middle Ages, when this technique was used to preserve the fish for the sailors for their journeys. The sardines are typically fried and then marinated with while onions in vinegar. Typically, raisins or pine nuts are also added to the mix.

Do give this one a go while you’re wandering around. This snack can be easily found in most cicchetti spots.

**Baccala mantecato**

This dish is prepared by soaking and poaching the cod and blending it with olive oil, salt and pepper into a mousse that can be spread onto pieces of bread. There are variations to this dish of course (most commonly garlic may be added) but this is yet another venetian staple.

HOme-made pasta

Whenever you’re in Italy, do try to have some home made pasta while you are in Venice. While this is not solely a Venetian thing, it is certainly worth having!
This particular dish was actually one of the best meals I’ve had on this trip and it was a fresh pasta with duck and orange ragu. Again, not incredibly distinctive of the “region”, but do keep in mind that Venice was a huge port city, so realistically it is a wonderful melting pot of everything!
This amazing dish was from a great spot we stumbled upon largely due to the amazing aroma coming from the establishment. This turned out to be Antica Adelaide, a really wonderful restaurant (with a very cute bar, too!) that served me some one of my favorite meals in Venice.

Venice is a culinary gift

For anyone who enjoys seafood, particularly fish, this should be a must-visit destination. This is a perfect blend for anyone who loves Italian food but also enjoys a lot of fishy flavors. Each time I go back I find a new spot or dish in one of the many alleys of the city, particularly as the city changes what is widely offered, depending on the time of year. I definitely cannot wait to go back and find some new favorites.

That being said, some things are almost a tradition to me: grab a tomato/cheese snack and a Venetian Aperol Spritz in one of the spots in San Marco square and just enjoy the people watching, stunning architecture and live music!

The Must-Try Venetian bites