Cicchetti: Venetian Tapas

I admit that when I think of tapas, my mind immediately goes to those small savory dishes from Spain.  Yet, tapas have become quite popular in Venice.  They are called cicchetti, pronounced chi-keh-tee.  These small plates are excellent for lunch, afternoon snack or light dinner -- a nice alternative to some of the more expensive dining options in Venice. Some cicchetteria (tapas bars) have open food cases from which you make your selection, while others offer menus listing out various plates.  Cicchetti are so popular that now many restaurants offer them as an appetizer option.  Learn more about cicchetti in this video:

A few of my favorite cicchetti include baccala mantecato (salt cod whipped to a creamy paste in olive oil), castraure (fresh young artichokes), and a pistachio-cheese cream crostini.  For the more daring foodie, try fopeti (baby octopus), sarde in saor (sardines marinated in vinegar, pine nuts, onions and raisins), masanelle (tiny green crabs, eaten shells and all).

If you're now ready to try cicchetti on your next trip to Venice, give one of these cicchetteria a try -- you can find their locations on the map below or here:

Cantina Do Mori (San Polo)

Un Mondo Divino (Cannaregio)

Enoteca Mascareta (Castello)

Al Pesador (San Polo)

View Cicchetteria in Venice in a larger map