Cantina Do Mori

Cantina Do Mori claims the title of Venice's oldest bacaro, said to have been pouring wine since 1462 in a narrow calle steps from the Rialto market in the San Polo district. Dark, low-ceilinged and atmospheric, with burnished copper pots hanging overhead and no seating to speak of, it is the archetype of the standing wine bar that gave Venice its enduring eating culture. Legend has it that Casanova was a customer, and the room has changed little in feel over the centuries. The draw is the ritual of ombra e cicchetti: a small glass of wine taken at the counter with a few bite-sized snacks. The house is famous for its francobolli — tiny postage-stamp sandwiches filled with ingredients such as anchovy, prosciutto or vegetables — alongside baccalà mantecato, mozzarella in carrozza and a rotating selection of crostini, most priced from one to a few euros. Wine is the other half of the experience, with a well-chosen list of Veneto and Italian labels available by the glass, poured by staff who keep the queue moving. There is no table service and no kitchen for full meals; this is a place to stand, snack, sip and move on, ideally as one stop on a giro di ombre between several bacari near the market. The bar is busiest in the morning around the Rialto market trade and again at aperitivo time. It closes on Sundays and tends to shut by early evening rather than running late. For travellers, Do Mori offers not just good cicchetti and wine but a tangible link to more than five centuries of Venetian drinking history.