The most celebrated cicchetti bacaro at Rialto market in Venice, open since the 1950s. Tiny standing room only; quick wine pours with exceptional cicchetti bites from the owners Francesco and Matteo Pinto.
The list: Short but precise by-the-glass list; majority Veneto and Friulian whites and reds; the focus is on the cicchetti snack pairing
Tip: All'Arco closes early by nightlife standards but is the essential bacaro experience; the Soave and Valpolicella pours pair perfectly with the daily-changing cicchetti.
Address: Calle dell'Ochialer 436, 30125 San Polo, Venezia, Italy, Veneto
One of Venice's oldest bacari, in operation since the 19th century and still serving the traditional cicchetti and ombra wine pours from the bar in Cannaregio. The wine list is simple and local.
The list: House carafe wines (Veneto reds and whites) plus a short bottle list; cicchetti paired with ombra pours
Tip: Order the polpette (fried meatballs) and a small ombra of Soave or Valpolicella at the bar; this is old-school bacaro culture at its best.
Verona wine bar and restaurant on the historic Piazza dei Signori, with a strong Veneto wine focus and late-night hours in the summer season.
The list: 350-label list focused on small Veneto producers; 15 by-the-glass pours at any time; open terrace on Piazza dei Signori until midnight in summer
Tip: The terrace directly on Piazza dei Signori is one of the best outdoor wine spots in northern Italy; summer evenings start with Prosecco Superiore and pivot to Amarone as the night progresses.
One of Venice's most wine-serious bacari in operation since 1936 near the Rialto. The 1400-label cellar is far beyond typical bacaro scope; by-the-glass pours rotate constantly.
The list: 1400-label cellar; 20-plus by-the-glass pours; one of Venice's deepest bacaro wine lists; open until midnight
Tip: The late-opening Venetian bacaro with the most serious wine list; staff recommendations at the counter are reliable for uncovering smaller-production Veneto bottles.
A neighbourhood wine bar beside the Romanesque Basilica di San Zeno in the quieter western quarter of Verona. Solid Veneto wine list with a bias toward small family estates in Valpolicella and Soave.
The list: Veneto-focused wine list with around 250 labels; 10 by-the-glass; tucked beside the basilica of San Zeno in a quieter Veronese neighbourhood
Tip: An alternative to the crowded Arena district bars; the wine list features many small Valpolicella estates not found in the centro storico enoteche.
Vino Vero is Venice's most respected natural wine bar, opened in 2013 on the Fondamenta Misericordia. The wine list is exclusively natural, biodynamic or organic, with heavy representation of Veneto producers. Cicchetti service in the evening.
The list: All-natural wine list of 300-plus bottles; by-the-glass selection changes frequently; low-intervention Italian and French wines exclusively
Tip: Natural wine on the Misericordia canal in Venice, where the canal-side tables are among the most atmospheric wine-drinking spots in Italy. A vinyl record plays softly; the mood is quieter than the Rialto bacari.
A natural wine and vinyl bar in Veronetta, the artsy neighbourhood east of the Adige. Combines a curated natural wine list with a serious vinyl record collection; low-lit and intimate with 25 seats.
The list: Natural and biodynamic wine focus; vinyl record soundtrack; intimate 25-seat space with a rotating by-the-glass selection curated by the owners
Tip: Vinile curates pairing evenings where a vinyl record era is matched to a wine era; the 1980s Amarone alongside New Wave is a recurring evening.