5 Cheap Eats in Venice

Affordable pizza, sandwiches, and cicchetti in a city full of expensive restaurants.

Venice is full of restaurants selling overpriced pasta dishes, so how do you afford to eat during your trip to Venice? Are there any cheap eats in Venice? Yes! Here are 5 of the places we frequent when we visit.

I do want to say—to be fair to restaurants in Venice—that I'm sure the rent is high, plus the city is sinking and repairs due to water damage are inevitable. Some restaurants truly serve fresh local dishes worth their high price tag, but we (Nathaniel and I) typically can't afford that.

Our list is made up of restaurants where locals eat, some with fresh local ingredients, and all with an affordable price tag.

Bacareto da Lele

Food: light bites and wine

Neighborhood: Santa Croce across the river from Giardini Papadopoli and the bus station

A famous spot for €1.50 wine and meat heavy bites. Neighbor to Arcicchetti Bakaro, it's easy to think the two are actually one bar. Bacareto da Lele isn't just for budget travelers, locals frequent this spot for a glass of wine and a cheap bite after work. Unlike most cicchetti spots which offer a variety of cicchetti, Bacareto da Lele seems to offer one option per night; sometimes it's a small cheese and meat plate, other times its a small sandwich. Warning to vegetarians and vegans, whatever food was available always included meat. No seating is available and the tiny interior is always packed. Patrons tend to stand near the canal to eat and drink. Check the hours of Bacareto da Lele before you go, we often found them to be closed.

Arcicchetti Bakaro

Food: Cicchetti and wine

Neighborhood: Santa Croce across the river from Giardini Papadopoli and the bus station

Neighbor to Bacareto da Lele, both typically have long lines, but are worth it for the ultimate budget traveler. Arcicchetti Bakaro seemed to be a little more popular with young people and travelers. We both loved the sparkling white wine on tap here. At Arcicchetti Bakaro you can order a glass of wine in three sizes, between approximately €1.50 and €4.00 in 2025. There were vegetarian cicchetti here, however, all had mayonnaise on them (so they won't be vegan). There is some outdoor seating here. Do not take your food and drink to sit on the steps of the nearby church, this is illegal in Venice. Be aware that Arcicchetti Bakaro closes early on Sundays.

Pizza a Volo

Food: Pizza

Neighborhood: Dorsoduro near Campo Santa Margherita

At Pizza a Volo you can order pizza by the slice from any of the freshly-made pizza available in the case or order a whole pizza from their huge menu of options. This is a great spot for a quick slice (which is large) at about €3.00 each. There is no seating and limited space to stand inside. Instead, find a bench in the piazza, but do not sit on the nearby well. It is illegal to sit on wells, church steps, and bridges in Venice.

Bar Alla Toletta

Food: Sandwiches, tramezzini, little bites

Neighborhood: Dorsoduro

The aesthetic, which is authentic, is 1980s Italian diner. The food tastes homemade in that it's not mind-blowing, but very satisfying after a long day walking around Venice. Sandwiches are around €6.00 while a tramezzino at the bar can be less than €3.00. (A tramezzino is like a 1950s-style white bread sandwich with various fillings like egg salad.) Seating is available inside. Be aware that they close at 7:30pm. Bar Alla Toletta is just next to Pasticceria Toletta where you can find great pastries!

Doner & Kebap

Food: Falafel and kebabs (Halal)

Neighborhood: Castele near Libreria Acqua Alta

There are several falafel and kebab shops in Venice, we happened across this one after visiting the famous Acqua Alta book shop. Coming down from a sugar and caffeine crash after lots of frittelle and coffee, it was great to split a falafel and have some "real" food. Was it the best falafel ever? Probably not. But the chefs were very nice, it was affordable at €4.50 per falafel wrap, and there was a small bar to sit and take a load off.

Bonus:

Rosticceria Gislon

Food: Pasta, veggies, meat, and fried bites

I love a tavola calda which is like an old fashioned lunch counter. Fresh, hot, homemade style food a la carte. A rosticceria and a tavola calda are almost synonymous, however when I think of a rosticceria, I think of rotisserie chicken, but that's just me. Rosticceria Gislon is a famous and popular spot for hot, fresh, daily meals from little fried bites to vegetable, meat, and pasta dishes. It wasn't the most incredible food we'd ever had, but it was hot, made-in-house, and affordable. Bar seating is available along the front of the restaurant plus there is seating around the side. There are two counters when you enter, to the right is pasta and fried food, to the left is vegetables. In fact, we didn't even see the vegetable dishes until we had eaten and left because it was so crowded! Be aware, it will be crowded.

We hope that this list keeps you from going hungry on your trip to Venice! It can be an incredibly expensive place to visit, but there are some gems that won't break the bank. One of our travel tips is "don't travel on an empty stomach." It is incredibly important to be fed and hydrated while traveling, but it takes effort to find the places that are affordable.