Venice is a dream destination for so many travelers, and while it has a reputation for being expensive, I actually found our trip surprisingly affordable. We went in November, during shoulder season, and it was perfect. I absolutely loved my time in this city. It wasn’t crowded, the atmosphere was still incredible, and we managed to stay right in the heart of Venice at a beautiful hotel without blowing the budget.
On top of that, we found some great cheap eats in Venice. No matter what time of year you’re visiting, there are plenty of ways to save money on food here. Below are my top picks for cheap eats Venice has to offer. Each spot is linked directly to its Google Maps listing for easy saving & planning.
📍 Quick Picks: Best Cheap Eats Venice
Short on time? Here are a few of my top budget friendly spots in Venice:
- 🍽️ Spicy Puppa – Cozy Italian restaurant with great atmosphere and delicious food
- 🍕 Farini – For some truly cheap pizza with seating
- 🥂 Arcicchetti Bakaro – Wine bar and cicchetti at great prices
- 🍝 Dal Moro’s – Cheap pasta on the go
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Cheap Eats Venice Tips
Here are a few simple tips that will help you while eating your way through Venice.
Avoid tourist traps: Restaurants right in the center of popular areas, especially around Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge, often charge much higher prices. Wander just a few side streets away and you’ll usually find better food for less.
Check menus before sitting down: Most restaurants display their menus outside. Take a minute to scan the prices so you don’t get stuck with a surprise.
Know how to order water: In Italy, asking for “tap water” doesn’t really work. The normal thing is to order acqua naturale (still) or acqua frizzante (sparkling), which comes in a bottle or carafe for a few euros.
Try cicchetti: Venice is known for its cicchetti. These are small plates, usually bread with various meats or cheese on top, that are perfect for a snack or light meal.
Visit a bacaro: Bacari are traditional Venetian bars where you can order cicchetti and pair them with a glass of wine or a spritz. Prices are usually just a couple of euros per plate, making this one of the more affordable food experiences in Venice.
🍝 Budget Sit-Down Restaurants in Venice
For when you want a full meal on a budget.
Orient Experience – €10–20. Cozy, casual restaurant with delicious Middle Eastern and southeast asian dishes. Portions are hearty with great prices.
Trattoria – Pizzeria La Perla Venezia – €10–20. A casual sit-down option with a big pizza menu as well as salads, meat and fish dishes.
Rosticceria Gislon – €10–20. Casual place with counter service. This is a reliable pick for cheap Venetian comfort food. It’s quick, busy, and perfect for grabbing a plate of pasta.
Pizzeria Birreria Barbanera – €10–20. Traditional restaurant with pizza, pasta, meat and fish dishes. We had a lovely, delicious dinner here.
Spicy Puppa – €10–20. A classic italian restaurant with yummy food, friendly staff, and a great vibe. We had a really lovely dinner here for our anniversary and I still think about it to this day.
Farini – €1–10. A pizzeria chain with counter service and several locations in Venice. The pizza here is super affordable, we went to this one, and unlike many quick stops, they have a pretty good size indoor dining room. note: the other locations look like they are smaller with more limited seating.
🍷 Bacari (Traditional Venetian Bars with Cicchetti)
Classic Venice: small plates + a spritz.
Arcicchetti Bakaro – €1–10. A tiny hole in the wall bar, known for super affordable drinks and cicchetti. Outdoor seating.
Bacareto da Lele – €1–10. A true local favorite. This spot is famous for its €1 glasses of wine and cheap sandwiches. It’s small and standing-room only, but the prices can’t be beat.
Cantine del Vino già Schiavi – €1–10. With cicchetti only €1.60 each and great selection of glasses of wine this place is hard to beat. Right on a canal, and pretty good size indoors with standing room only.
Cafè Noir – €1–10. Popular with a younger crowd with plenty of indoor seating and casual vibe. They have a large cocktail menu and serve larger sandwiches than just cicchetti.
Osteria Al Squero – €1–10. Great location right on a canal to watch the world go by – if you are lucky you can grab a seat inside. It is quite popular and gets busy but the line moves fast.
Ostaria dai Zemei – €10–20. A lively spot with outdoor seating. Not the cheapest cicchetti on this list but still great prices.
Corner Pub – €1–10. Paninis, cicchetti, and drinks. Small space with limited seating but great atmosphere. Can take your food outside to have on the steps.
Osteria da Filo – €1–10. A cozy wine bar frequented by locals with a friendly atmosphere. They have live music some nights of the week and indoor and outdoor seating.
Magna Bevi Tasi – €10–20. A lively spot with indoor and outdoor seating and cicchetti and drinks. A little more expensive than the others on this list but it’s close to San Marco if you’re in that area. Aperol spritz is €5.
Ai Stagneri – €1–10. Right near Rialto bridge. A few tables but mostly standing room only. The classic wine bar & cicchetti.
Al Mercà – €1–10. Famous spot near Rialto bridge with small sandwiches and quick bites. Standing room only, good prices.
Bar Tiziano – €1–10. A simple café-bar with indoor seating. Larger menu than just cicchetti.
🍕 Quick Bites & Takeaway
Antico Forno – €1–10. Super popular takeaway counter for pizzas in Venice. Rave reviews for how delicious the pizza is.
Dal Moro’s – €1–10. Honestly the sheer amount of reviews say it all. Famous for fresh pasta served in takeaway boxes. It’s quick, filling, and cheap, making it one of the most popular cheap eats in Venice.
Fried Land – €1–10. Great for fried seafood snacks or pasta to go. Affordable and tasty.
Cheap Eats Venice Map
Map Key:
- 🟨 Yellow = Sit-down restaurants (budget friendly meals where you can linger)
- 🟥 Red = Bacari (traditional Venetian bars serving cicchetti with wine or spritz)
- 🟩 Green = Quick bites & takeaway (pizza slices, pasta to go)
Save at Grocery Stores
One of the easiest ways to keep your food costs lower while traveling is by picking up items at the grocery store. I don’t usually cook when I travel, but I’ll often grab things like breakfast bars, and premade sandwiches or salads to save money on meals. Cooking at your accommodation or dealing with leftovers isn’t always realistic, but even just 1x per day or every other day eating one of your meals from the grocery store can make a big difference on your travel budget.
In Venice, the main supermarkets are Despar, Conad, and Coop.
Venice may have a reputation for being expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. There are plenty of cheap eats in Venice with cicchetti bars, takeaway pasta shops, and a handful of budget-friendly restaurants. You can definitely enjoy Venice without blowing your travel budget on food.
🏨 Budget Stays Venice
Looking for more ways to save?
Accommodation is often the biggest portion of travel costs, so keeping this cost on the lower end is one of my favorite ways to save money on travels. If you haven’t already booked a place, I’ve done what I do best and gathered some of my top picks to save you the time (and headache) of sorting through it all.
💡 Budget Picks
Here are my budget picks for Venice. They are in great locations and the prices are fairly consistent throughout the year. As always I recommend traveling in shoulder or off-season for the best deals.
- Best Holidays Venice – This hotel is located in a historic building with a great central location near Rialto Bridge
- Hotel dalla Mora – Great quiet location between the train station and more bustling part of Venice.
- Ca’ Amadi – For a budget-splurge stay in the shoulder season, this is the place. We stayed in Venice over our anniversary and chose to stay here. This place is absolutely gorgeous from the rooms to breakfast area. Even just the standard room we stayed in was beautiful. We paid just €82.00 per night to stay here in November of 2024. The location was perfect as well.
