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    Cantina Do Spade

    4.3 (68 reviews)
    ModerateWine Bars, Venetian
    Open 10:00 am - 3:00 pm, 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM

    Cantina Do Spade Photos

    CANTINA DO SPADE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Cantina Do Spade

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    Closeup - grilled shrimp
    Rod U.

    Serving ciccheti and wine since 1448. The final stop on the ciccheti noshing day and a winner. Why? They have a sit down restaurant where you can supplement those little bites with true Venetian classics. Bigoli in squid ink anyone? Tip: Go at lunch or in the early evening (before 18:00) for the best selection. The sit down restaurant offers sampling plates of cicchetti if dining later in the evening. While it has been discovered by international tourist, you are afforded a very good view into the food culture of Venezia. To start, don't pass on the assortment of ciccheti for two. From perfectly grilled sweet shrimp finished with a lemony EVOO, to blistered but perfectly tender sepia, a squid "meatball" (squid filled with airy meatball), grilled sardines and the item the restaurant is known for, the outstanding sarde in saor (sardines in vinegar) that top hardboiled egg halves. Vinegar has made the sardines tender, onions, add sweetness, great salinity and a strong umami finish. The fritto misto, excellent. Perfect timing on the cook of each seafood item, moistness throughout. Dusted in flour, aggressively seasoned, deep fried to a golden crispness. Shrimp, calamari, lagoon fish, sardines with heads and bones attached, and an unknown fish with the gelatinous texture very similar to that of an eel. All with their own flavor. All great together. Very good selection of wines from the Veneto. Very inexpensive at around €20 - €30 per bottle. Absolutely zero complaints if you follow their suggestions. Casual, energetic, fun service. Fluent English though leading with Italian is welcome. Cash only at the bar. Credit cards accepted in the restaurant. 2 week advanced reservations required that will be cancelled if not confirmed by voice 24hrs in advance. The perfect way to end a ciccheti crawl through the back streets of Venezia.

    Love this place ask for Sofi. She is a wonderful spirit! Mangia mangia
    Bruce W.

    The dinner was wonderful, especially the Veal Milanesa alla Bruche. Sofi and Nella made it a very special first night in Milan.

    Stephanie S.

    Another excellent spot for cicchetti in Venice. It's small but worth it for a stop by. They had a variety of tapas, I liked the fried mozzarella the best. They had a nice selection of wines, paired perfectly with the cicchetti!

    Spaghetti with clams
    Dominic D.

    Truly a gem--MUST TRY!! Thankfully, this restaurant reminded us that Venice doesn't have to be known as the city of "tourist menus" and horrid food. Great food, service and price, but book ahead as it's full typically the day of. I've been to Venice twice in the past few years, and have been victim to horrible food too often. This place was DELICIOUS! The calamari was the best I've ever had (same for my partner). Lightly battered and perfectly salted, a spritz of lemon on top was the ideal finish. The daily risotto (asparagus and shrimp) was well done. The spaghetti with clam was perfectly al dente and balanced in a light butter sauce. The finishing panna cotta with caramel was also great. Drinks were well done, with great alterations to suit any taste.

    Samantha J.

    This little restaurant/bar gets crowded quite easily and be advised that if you're trying to make your own tapas plate at the bar you can only sit at the bar and if you sit in the restaurant they won't allow you to order from the bar. I definitely recommend sitting at the bar to choose from the different tapas they have. The fried calamari on the stick, meatball and grits, and shrimp were my favorites and were all perfectly seasoned. I don't think I've ever had such good calamari. Everything else was also very good. I would definitely recommend stopping by this place for a quick drink/snack.

    Seafood risotto small 6 euro
    Kathleen S.

    Yum! I was recommended here by a local who considered this a cheap but delicious restaurant that has all your typical Italian food needs including plenty of seafood, which was what my friend and I were looking for. We both tried their lunch special, which was a seafood risotto for 6 euro (larger portion for 12 euro). In terms of portion size and price, it was well worth it! It was my first time eating risotto so I didn't know what to expect, but my friend has had that kind of dish before and she really liked the sauce and how they made our dish. We also both got to enjoy a spritz at 2 euro each. So worth it! They also have little fried seafood appetizers at the front to-go. We both got a calamari fritta at 2 euro each, and it was SO good. They also offer fried tuna balls, fried anchovies, fried shrimp, and other delicious goodies for around 1 euro each. Try it while you can! They also speak a little bit of english here which is convenient for some. Also no service charge here.

    Stacy P.

    First, ignore the person from LA who warns Americans about visiting this restaurant. I'm American, and I was treated wonderfully - as was every other customer I saw over the course of the 2+ hours I spent here. The staff are warm, welcoming, and hard working. But, what you really want to hear about is the food, right? Right! Show up at 6pm if you don't have a reservation. Grab a table (if the whole place isn't already reserved), and head up to the bar to order a few small plates and a carafe of prosecco. Then get cozy and check out the menu. I opted for the gnocchi with truffles, and it wasn't the pitiful "truffle oil" we so often see in the US. The gnocchi was perfectly cooked, and perfectly seasoned with actual truffle shavings. Stop here! We were brought in by a local, so we knew it would be good. This is Venice! This is Italy!

    Kenneth P.

    Authentic Italian in Venice alert! Authentic Italian in Venice alert! Sorry, I just have to say it like this because of how prevalent low-quality tourist traps can be in this city. But Cantina Do Spade is a breath of fresh air, and a true taste of Venetian cuisine. This is a BUSY restaurant. Reservations are recommended, particularly for the night, but even during the day from what I saw. I luckily arrived around noon, which was already a crowded time, and got seated right away. But within 30 mins after I arrived, I saw how crowded it got by the entrance! The menu consists of the classic "Primary" and "Secondary" sections that you'll see on most menus in Venice. Italians eat in levels. They focus heavy on seafood also. I saw some other people's plates, and those prawns looked divine. I was on a particular mission though, and that was to try the black ink cuttlefish dish that I saw Andrew Zimmern highlight on Delicious Destinations. Seppie al Nero, is a diced cuttlefish dish where they squeeze all the black ink out of the fish and mix it in as they prepare the meal. Be careful, because it can get messy! As weird and off-putting as it may look, it actually tasted pretty good. Definitely worth trying once to say you did it. But if I came back here again, I'd be eager to try other things on the menu because it looked really good. My waiter was awesome, and picked out a great white wine for me when I was indecisive. He also helped me out by lending his phone so I can use the internet to research some info about my tour. Very kind and very good service. The restaurant also had several locals present, so that's a great sign. This is one of the places to go in Venice!

    Sign
    Joee L.

    This place had the best risotto hands down in Venice. It was perfect, phenomenal, I'm craving it now!

    Brian L.

    Cantina do Spade was labeled as one of the places where locals go eat. Only except I saw nothing but tourists by the droves inside. At this point I feel like tourists make up 95% of the population on any given day in Venice. We were fortunately seated right away since we came around 12. We ordered a number of dishes since we wanted to try everything. Chichettis - Shrimp was so good. Must eat the brains. - Sardines over polenta was also great. Not quite use to the white soft polenta but still good. - Stuffed squid with capers, olives and bread crumbs was nice - The fish was also delicious. I would suggest to try as many Chichettis as you can. They range from €1-3 Euro a piece. -Meatballs were also good over polenta. Pastas - Black ink spaghetti was very tasty. I'm not use to black ink pasta that wasn't already colored or baked into the pasta. Here they use fresh cuttlefish ink. - Shrimp with pesto, potatoes in fettuccine. It was good but lacked a bit of flavor. - Spaghetti with clams was lackluster although the tiny clams were very good. I think we just ordered too much to enjoy the pasta. That or it just wasn't packed as much flavor as I wished.

    Emmie S.

    Visited Venice with a friend and did a tour called "Eat Like the Locals...Authentic Venice Small Group Food Tour" and this was one of our stops. I highly recommend this restaurant, the food was amazing!! After eating like a "tourist" my first few meals in Venice I was sure glad I found a place where the "locals" eat...it was soooooo much better!!!! We had the Mozzarella in carrozza (fried bread and mozzarella), Polpette in umido con polenta (meatballs with polenta), and Risotto scampetti e vongole (risotto scampi and clams)! Everything was delicious!!! I will definitely dine here again the next time I visit Venice!!

    Ravioli
    Joshua W.

    Our airbnb recommended Cantina Do Spade when we arrived in Venice after we asked where to locals go. We tried the second night, and were told we needed a reservation. We returned 7 days later and stopped by and were lucky to get the only open reservation at 7pm. Not only was the mean the best Italian food I've ever had in Italy, it was cheap too! Only 66 Euros for an appetizer, bottle of house wine and three main dishes. The ravioli is to die for! The ingredients are fresh and you can tell that it was made on location. The calamari was also incredible, as well as the pasta with clams. The food is cooked to perfection and you can truly taste every flavor as it's intended. If you're in Venice, I definitely recommend Do Spade. Avoid the tourist traps and eat like a local with the locals. Just make sure you make a reservation first!

    Sandy W.

    We came here for lunch, as I've read many good reviews about their food. As we arrived, there was a line out the door... we decided to wait 30 minutes, and I must say - the food did not disappoint! We ordered so much food, and I everything ordered was amazingly delicious! I think this was one of the best meals I've had in Italy. I highly recommend anyone who loves seafood and pasta to give this restaurant a try! Delicious!

    big prawn , squid , polenta (corn meal cooked in Italian way)

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    2 years ago

    Traditional Venetian cuisine . Felt it was a local spot . They don't take reservations.

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    Cantina Do Spade Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Cantina Do Spade

    After eating like a "tourist" my first few meals in Venice I was sure glad I found a place where the "locals" eat...

    Mentioned in 25 reviews

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    Vino Vero - Yum, first round

    Vino Vero

    4.3(54 reviews)
    1.5 km
    €€

    We do love Cicchetti and some bar-hopping. And this is a new place we've discovered this time…read morearound in Venice. Location is very nice, right at a pretty trendy canal, filled with lots of restaurants and bars. Right next to is an excellent gelato place. It's quite small inside with few tables, many just hang around outside - and why not, the location at the canale is a pretty spot. We did manage though to get some seats inside. Our Bulldog was very welcome here as well. The various cicchetti are presented at the counter. There are some classics of course, but also some very innovative creations. We went for the latter. There was gorgonzola with strawberry, radicchio with brie cheese, pesto topped with an anchovie and mushrooms, mashed fava beans with pulp and mashed fava with goats cheese and a cherry. All really wonderful combinations. Our favorite were the radicchio and the fava/goat cheese. Surely something to recreate back home. Staff was very friendly, we felt very welcome here. And instead of focussing on Aperol, Select and Prosecco, it's mostly about white and red wine here. And they have an excellent selection of wine. Not all cheap, but definitely worth the money. We especially loved the Pinot Nero "Terre di Giotto". A brillant cicchetti bar. Definitely a place we come back to next time in Venice.

    A hip wine bar with great energy and young crowd. Their chicettis were 10/10. Nicely toasted with…read morelots of cool flavors. Wines were also great; they mainly focus on natural wines. One downside is how small the space is. Completely packed most of the time with only a few outdoor tables for seatings so be prepared to stand and eat.

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    Vino Vero
    Vino Vero
    Vino Vero - Best staff to help you pick the best one for you

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    Best staff to help you pick the best one for you

    All'Amarone Wine Tasting - The bruschetta tasted quite fresh... highly revommended.

    All'Amarone Wine Tasting

    4.7(121 reviews)
    1.3 km
    €€

    We went walking down some random allies and stumbled across some random restaurants. Vineria…read moreAll'Amarone was one probably the best dining experience we had in Italy. Upon arrival, the owner was sitting at a table drinking wine. There weren't any people dining, so we were the only ones. The servers and cooks were very attentive. We were immediately greeted and seated while our drink requests were taken. We always choose still water. Today, we decided to try a wine tasting, which included a blend of whites of reds from the region. The waiter explained in detail the type of wine, where it is made, what type of grapes it is made with, and the year it was made. All of the wines were very delicious. Italy takes great pride in their wines and rightfully so. We requested bruschetta and presciutto. We were given fresh, warm bread, which we mixed with salt, pepper, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. The bread was amazing. It had a soft, warm inside and a crunchy outside. Isn't that they way bread should be served? The bruschetta was delicious as was the presciutto. The food, wine, and service were superb. We vowed that we would return for dinner, but alas, we didn't make time to do so. This is a great restaurant!

    Stopped in on a whim and super happy we did. Amazing wine flights and Simone helped us and he has…read moreamazing knowledge of the wines. This is a must stop if you like wine. I had the red flight and my wife had the white. Just amazing! And a nice quaint place to have a glass or five.

    Photos
    All'Amarone Wine Tasting - Inside restaurant.

    Inside restaurant.

    All'Amarone Wine Tasting - The Caesar salad had huge chunks of Parmesan and bits of chicken and an overload of coutons.

    The Caesar salad had huge chunks of Parmesan and bits of chicken and an overload of coutons.

    All'Amarone Wine Tasting - Delicious cicchetti

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    Delicious cicchetti

    Al Timon

    Al Timon

    4.4(114 reviews)
    1.2 km
    €€

    Al Timon was the culinary highlight of my visit to Venice. We went for Sunday lunch-- restaurant…read morewas quite busy; there were a few tables inside. Servers were welcoming and answered questions my friend and I had about the menu. The steak platter was AMAZING. 10/10. Truly such a memorable meal. I loved the chips and tzatziki-like sauce that were served alongside the meat. The complimentary limoncello at the end of our meal topped off our incredible experience. Would travel all the way back just for this gem of a spot. Thank you!

    HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! Definitely get the Lombatello steak if you are feeling carnivorous…read more Throngs of lively people sipping wine and snacking on cichetti late into the evening along the canal. The cichetti selection looked very good (variety thinned out throughout the night), but our party of 3 was starving and we opted to sit inside for a late ~8:30pm dinner. We got one order of grilled lamb and the Lombatello steak for 2. The lamb was also good, no gamey taste. The Lombatello steak was simply fantastic, choose this cut specifically!! A heaping pile of medium-rare meat (cannot buy single portions) that was very tender and flavorful. It's cushioned with steak fries and grilled veggies on the side. Paired with two glasses of house wine, this meal was fantastic. Ended up with a to go box of steak and fries. Servers are very busy, bustling around clearing tables, taking orders, etc, but they are vigilant if you need anything. We saw one table of ~10 order a steak platter, and it was a sight to behold - a massive wooden cutting board packed with steak, transported by two waiters.

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    Al Timon - Ambiance interior

    Ambiance interior

    Al Timon
    Al Timon - Wine

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    Wine

    Cantina Do Spade - wine_bars - Updated May 2026

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