A bacaro is the Venetian wine tavern: a counter where you drink an ombra (a small glass of wine) and eat a cicchetto, standing, among the locals. Al Mercà is one of the most loved near Rialto.

Where is Al Mercà in Venice?

We're at Campo Bella Vienna 213, San Polo, a stone's throw from the Rialto market. "Mercà" is Venetian dialect for "market".

Do you take reservations?

No, it's a bacaro: you just come. Walk up to the counter, order an ombra and a few cicchetti, and stand on the campo. Quick and easy.

What do you eat at Al Mercà?

Cicchetti of the day, small stuffed sandwiches (including creamed cod, baccalà mantecato) and meatballs, also vegetarian. Simple, good food that follows the morning market.

Monday to Saturday, 10:00–14:30 and 18:00–20:00 (Friday and Saturday until 21:30). Closed Sunday. The spritz hour is the best time.

Al Mercà — The Venetians' bacaro

Q: How much does it cost?

Very little: sandwiches and meatballs cost a couple of euros, the wine and spritz are unbeatable. An honest Venetian aperitivo.

The right word

What's
a bacaro

Al Mercà is a historic bacaro a stone's throw from the Rialto Market. "Mercà" is the Venetian word for market. Here you have an ombra, you eat a cicchetto, and you stand in the square. That's it. Info: +39 346 834 0660.

A bacaro is the old-school Venetian osteria, the real thing. No tablecloths, no tasting menus, no theatre. A counter, a chalkboard, and whatever the market brings that morning.

The ombra is a small glass of wine, drunk standing up. The cicchetto is the little bite that goes with it. You chat, you wander, you come back to the counter. It's how Venetians have done aperitivo forever, and at Rialto we do it right here.

Steps from the Rialto Market · loved by Venetians · standing in the square

A Rialto lane at sunset, the lights of the bacari and people in the streets of Venice

How it works

Three things
and nothing else

01

The ombra

A glass of wine, what Venetians call an ombra. White, red or a spritz, at prices you won't find anywhere else around Rialto. Grab it at the counter and enjoy it out on the square.

02

At the counter, standing

No tables, no chairs, no waiting. Order at the counter, take your cicchetto and step outside, standing in the square, glass in hand. It's the Venetian ritual, and it's the whole point.

03

Right by the market

We're next to the Rialto Market, and you can tell. The food is fresh, the buzz is real, the air is pure Venice. What's on the counter follows the mercà, and changes with it.

A glass of wine and a cicchetto resting on the Al Mercà counter at Rialto

From the counter

What's on the counter

Small filled panini, polpette, cicchetti of the day. Simple food, done well, at unbeatable prices. The choice follows the market: it changes with whatever we find in the morning.

Ombra and spritz at unbeatable prices · panini ~€2 · polpette ~€1.50. No surcharges, no cover charge: it's a bacaro, not a restaurant. For info, call +39 346 834 0660.

Take a look

The counter, the case, the square

Tap a photo and look around. The beauty of Al Mercà is that it's all right here, in plain sight: the case of cicchetti, the counter with the panini, the chalkboard of aperitivi. Nothing to hide.

The Al Mercà counter with filled panini and cicchetti of the day, at Rialto

The display case of cicchetti of the day at Al Mercà

The chalkboard with prices for ombre and aperitivi at Al Mercà

A glass of wine and a cicchetto resting on the Al Mercà counter

Small filled panini from Al Mercà, including creamed baccalà

The Al Mercà counter on the square at Rialto with people standing, glass of wine and cicchetto in hand

Take a look

Al Mercà in motion

The counter, the wine, the cicchetti, the crowd. Half a minute and you get the place.

From people who came · ~1,372 reviews

★★★★★ 4.6 on TripAdvisor

"Delicious cicchetti and unbeatable prices. An ombra, a baccalà panino and you're fully in the Venetian spirit. Worth coming back every time I'm near Rialto."

— TripAdvisor review ★★★★★

"The authentic Venetian experience, standing at the counter. No frills, no bookings: you order, you drink, you eat and you chat. Exactly how it should be."

— TripAdvisor review ★★★★★

"The Venetians' bacaro, right by the Rialto market. Packed with locals, honest prices and cicchetti that follow the mercà. A sure thing."

— TripAdvisor review ★★★★★

Read the reviews on TripAdvisor →

Frequently asked questions

Everything you want to know

What's a bacaro?

It's the classic Venetian osteria: a counter where you have an ombra (a glass of wine) and a cicchetto (a little bite), standing up. No tables, no ceremony. It's how Venetians do aperitivo, and Al Mercà is one of the most loved at Rialto.

Where are you?

Campo Bella Vienna 213, San Polo, 30125 Venice, a stone's throw from the Rialto Market. "Mercà" is dialect for market. For info: +39 346 834 0660.

Do you take bookings?

No, it's a bacaro: no bookings, full stop. You just come, order at the counter and stand out in the square. No waiting lists, no cover charge. Drop by whenever you like during opening hours.

What can I eat?

Small filled panini (including creamed baccalà, ~€2), meat or veggie polpette (~€1.50) and the cicchetti of the day, which follow the Rialto market. Simple, good food to go with your ombra.

How much does it cost?

Very little: that's the beauty of a bacaro. An ombra and a couple of cicchetti and you're done for the kind of price you'd hope for in real Venice. Unbeatable prices at Rialto, ombra and spritz included.

When are you open? And aperitivo?

Mon–Sat 10:00–14:30 and 18:00–20:00 (Fri–Sat until 21:30), closed Sundays. Ombra o'clock is always the right time: in the morning after the market and in the evening for aperitivo on the square.