Vino Vero ★ 4.7
20 by the glassCannaregio, Venice
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.
Vinile ★ 4.5
15 by the glassVeronetta, Verona
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.
Cantina Do Spade ★ 4.5
10 by the glassSan Polo, Rialto, Venice
A Rialto bacaro claiming roots to 1415, offering cicchetti and ombra wine pours in a narrow wood-panelled room beside the Rialto market. Venetian house wines and a simple bottled selection; the authentic Venice bacaro experience.
The list: Classic Venetian bacaro with house carafe wines and bottled Veneto selections; vinyl playing softly in the back; Soave and Valpolicella by the ombra glass
Tip: One of the oldest continuously operating bacari in Venice (1415 per establishment lore); the intimate wood-panelled interior with classic Venetian music is the listening-bar atmosphere in its original form.
Osteria alle Testiere ★ 4.8
12 by the glassCastello, Venice
One of Venice's most romantically atmospheric small restaurants, with six candlelit tables in Castello. Famous for fresh Adriatic seafood with a wine list built around Soave Classico, Lugana and Friulian whites.
The list: 200-label cellar with strong Veneto white emphasis; Soave Classico and Lugana are the seafood house wines; candlelit six-table room
Tip: The tiny candlelit dining room has six tables; book six to eight weeks ahead. The sommelier's Soave vertical is the evening highlight.
Ristorante Il Desco ★ 4.9
20 by the glassCentro Storico, Verona
A landmark Verona fine-dining institution with two Michelin stars, housed in a 16th-century palazzo near the Anastasia church. The cellar's Amarone vertical is among the most comprehensive in the Veneto and the candlelit rooms provide a definitive luxury wine evening.
The list: One of the finest Veneto cellars in a restaurant; 1000-plus labels including deep Amarone verticals, prestige Soave single-vineyards; two Michelin stars
Tip: Book the sommelier-led Amarone tasting menu for a candlelit journey through prestige Valpolicella from young Ripasso to aged Quintarelli-level Amarone.
Locanda 4 Cuochi ★ 4.5
10 by the glassCentro Storico, Verona
A candlelit stone-walled restaurant in Verona centro storico with an artisan-wine focus and a thoughtfully curated short Veneto wine list. The four-chefs concept rotates the menu seasonally.
The list: Short but precisely curated list focused on Veneto artisan producers; candlelit stone interior; 10 by-the-glass pours
Tip: The tasting menu pairs regional Veneto dishes with small-producer wines not typically available in larger restaurants; the Valpolicella and Soave section is particularly interesting.