Cantine del Vino già Schiavi

The Verdict

A glass of Veneto wine and a plate of cicheti at Schiavi will cost you a few euros; making it one of the most honest-value drinking stops in a city that routinely overcharges for far less. If you've been to Venice once and spent your evenings at tourist-facing bars near San Marco, this is where to go next. The crowd here is local, the pace is unhurried, the format; stand at the counter, pick your cicheti, pour your wine, is exactly what a Venice bacaro should be.

Who Goes Here

Schiavi sits on Fondamenta Nani in Dorsoduro, one of the few sestieri where working Venetians still outnumber tourists in meaningful numbers. The clientele reflects that: you'll find academics from the nearby university, neighbourhood regulars who've been coming for decades, a small contingent of well-directed visitors who found it in a guidebook rather than a hotel concierge's recommendations. It is not the place for a long sit-down, seating is minimal and the real action is at the bar and along the canal-side fondamenta outside. If you want a table and a full dinner, consider Al Covo or Al Covino instead. If you want to drink and graze standing up among people who actually live here, Schiavi earns its reputation.

Atmosphere and Timing

The feel is old-school bacaro: bottles stacked floor to ceiling, a narrow counter loaded with cicheti, a low-level hum of Italian conversation. It is not loud, but it is not quiet either, the kind of ambient noise that facilitates drinking and grazing without requiring you to shout. Come at aperitivo hour, roughly 6–8 PM, when the crowd peaks and the cicheti selection is freshest. Arriving later means a thinner spread and fewer locals. The canal-side position on Fondamenta Nani gives it an outdoor option that most bacari in tighter calli cannot offer, which matters in warmer months. For a broader sense of what the city's bar scene looks like, see our full Venice bars guide.

Practical Details

Reservations: Not required and not applicable, this is a walk-in bacaro. Dress: No expectations; come as you are. Budget: Among the lowest price-per-drink options in Venice; a glass of wine and several cicheti should cost well under €15. Getting there: Dorsoduro, a short walk from the Accademia bridge, direct to reach from most central hotels. If you want to plan the wider trip, see our Venice restaurants guide, our Venice hotels guide, our Venice wineries guide, and our Venice experiences guide. For a different style of bar experience entirely, craft cocktails in a more formal setting, Bar Leather Apron in Honolulu, Lost & Found in Nicosia, and 1930 in Milan show what a dedicated cocktail program looks like by comparison.