Cantina Do Spade

Good local find. Staff are friendly and service was efficient. We walked in at around noon and didnt have to wait. Try the local specialty that is cichetti - we got 3 of them for a decent price. Their mixed fish platter (includes octopus, scallop, lots of squid) and beetroot saffron risotto were great.

Although there were a lot of people here for the cicchetti, the food here was absolutely delicious and was the best meal I had in Italy! The seafood was so fresh and delicious. I didn’t have a reservation for lunch but went around 12:30pm and was able to get seated. Highly recommend the mussel stew which I didn’t get a chance to take a picture of. The squid ink pasta and fried calamari dishes were divine. Highly recommend if you’re in the area!

We went into this restaurant for lunch as it had a good selection of fish dishes. I was very pleased to see they had some local Italian wine to choose from on the menu. The first staff member that served us was very friendly and helpful. Towards the end of the meal another member of staff took our food away and when they came to bring the coffee they slammed it onto the table. It was surprising as we were a mixed Italian / English group and had spoken Italian throughout the meal. The fish was tasty and the texture of the calamari was delicious. A nice restaurant but mixed staff attitudes

A typical restaurant with amazing food. Everything we had was awesome. They have cicchetti and menu a la carte. All was delicious. So far the best we had in Venice!

Very friendly staff. Tasty food and plenty of cicchetti choices. Good wine too. Small price. If you want to eat here as properly restaurant, I really recommend to book in advance. Very busy during the weekend.

Food was ok but for the price the portions were too small. Carbonara was very small and guanciale was not crispy. Lasagnas were just ok. Place is cozy but I believe should deliver more and better.

We just had the best meal we have had in Venice/Italy (we were in Rome for 2 days) & such great service! The house Pinot Grigio and Gwertztraminer were lovely & light, went beautifully with our appetizers, mussels, calamari, and spaghetti & prawns! It's a little hole in the wall and got very busy by 8pm, but don't miss out on this place!

I went during lunch time and it was quite busy. It’s a small cozy restaurant. Bread was stale but the spaghetti alla busara was delicious and wonderfully seasoned. The aperol spritz was delightful.

Date of visit: May 28, 2025 This was a stop on a Venice food tour and was a fascinating place! With a long storied history and some fantastic food, we enjoyed this literal "hole in the wall" and probably would have come back here had we had more time in Venice. We tried the deep fried sandwiches and the mac and cheese balls; funny that these are both things that are plentiful back home in Milwaukee--never would have expected to see them in Venice of all places. Word to the wise: The outdoor tables are nice, but the birds--especially seagulls--are not afraid of people and will throw up gang signs as they try to take your food!

I came here for a quick bite and beer because of all the hype and reviews I read. Sadly it's not memorable. Confusion on what to do when you pull up. Do you wait to be seated or do you seat yourself? After a good 10 minutes of standing, I just sat myself. The lady at the bar told me to go and order up front, I got a beer and a couple of fried bites. I'm not too keen of fried seafood in case and food in a case with cooling system. But when in Rome, or Italy, I went for 3 fried bites. Bad decision. All of them were warm with oil just spewing out. All you could taste was oil. I took 3 bites and left it. Beer was good.

Our walking food tour excursion stopped here as a traditional cicchetti (Italian tapas) shop. We tried several small bites that were beautifully presented. They have a window display in the front so you can point to order since many offerings are daily specials. The owner provided fantastic service and explained the origins of each bite. We would have probably never stopped here since it is a small shop in a small alley. Glad we did!

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.

AOK Cicchetti with decent wine and a modern trendy vibe. It is tucked away in a little alley. A fine enough spot to take in the Venetian vibe and some tasty cicchetti.

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

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

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!

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.

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.

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!

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

If you are looking for some awesome Venezia food that is reasonably priced and is covered with general awesomeness.... look no further! While it may be daunting to rock into a shop with a front as dark as Cantina, once your in there, staff are friendly and the menus are simple. Food is awesome that you won't regret, and price is very reasonable as well! (A local recommended us)

Great little stop for cicheti and other little street foods. Cannot comment on dinner or drinks. Atmosphere was very authentic, no tourist feeling here. Definitely recommend stopping in for cicheti, best I've had in Venice BY FAR. Had ones with zucchini, spicy salami, ham, etc. All great

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.

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!

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!!

Great food, 2 sections before dinner - highly recommend meatballs and zucchini flower. The back section is dinner, the clam spaghetti was amazing!! Super crowded and very small, so far there early.

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.

Great fried cicchetti selections, both seafood and meat based and great inexpensive and authentic local pasta and fish selections as well as wine and beer. Popular and crowded with locals and tourists who have been clued in by their hosts. Small but offers both cicchetti stand up service at the bar (and overflow to outside in the walkways) and sit down table service areas for those having full meals. Note that they close from 3pm-6pm between lunch and dinner times.

So I enjoyed the cicchetti here, but it was definitely pricier than I had expected based on what I had read about them. We were lucky with seating. We had not made reservations and the bar area was full when we walked in, but they accommodated us and let us sit at a table that was reserved for a seating about 1.5 hours later. Food was delicious and service was great. I'd probably go back, but maybe after I've tried some other places also known for cicchetti.

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!

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!

ordered clam spaghetti, appetizer (big prawn + squid), house white, panna cotta with berry sauce. about 32 euro. generally the seafood are fresh n tasty! the clam was fresh, well seasoned, spaghetti cooked right. love it!! big prawn had a tast of fresh salt water :p squid was crispy both were grilled n seasoned. panna cotta was light. (generally lighter than average american dessert in terms of cream n sweetness) ** Venetian's version of Japanese Izakaya :D (or say it the other way around , who know who started first, one thing in common is they both love and know how to cook and eat seafood , applause!!) ** love this restaurant n their food.

Great food must get the meat balls. I had the spaghetti and clams and it was great! The service is very slow and helps to have a reservation.

Take me BACK! This was by far the best ciccheti spot in Venice, and you can tell because the locals eat there too. For under 30 euro we got two glasses of wine and a plate loaded with gorgeous fish, the best calamari I've ever had, and very good chicken wings. We sat in the alley and it is a memory and a meal I'll never ever forget.

This place is a little gem! Seems it's tucked away in the corner of a back alley, but it's away from the crowds but can't say it wasn't busy! Tried a few cicchetti, the risotto, and gnocchi. The food was exactly how I imagined it would taste in Italy. Molto bene! The risotto was moist, not at all dry, very flavorful and finger-lickin good. The gnocchi was perfectly soft with a meat sauce perfectly covering each piece. They let us bring our own wine and just provided the cups. No corkage fee in Venice! (At least nowhere I went). Prices were also reasonable which is a big plus as many surrounding restaurants nearby tend to overprice for a lot less quality. I would come back again and again!

We had great meal here last night! We ordered the mussels as starters, then seafood lasagne, different pastas - one with anchovies and onions, the other with large prawns in a spicy sauce, and yet another with pesto and prawns. We also shared a dish of fried seafood and vegetables. The only disappointing dish was the tiramisu. But this was def a great little trattoria !

Amazing food! The stuffed cuddlefish is so good!The risotto was very yummy just wish it has seafood it in.

The food lived up to the expectations! The pasta tasted freshly cooked and the spices mixed well with the seafood! I personally wish they had better AC with the current humidity and heat that venice has to offer but other than that.. food was up to par.

The best Zuppa de Pesce anywhere, Bar none. Generous portions. Amazing squid ink pasta. Incredible boat-fresh antipasti misto.

We read the amazing reviews so decided to check it out. One waitress was really nice and the other was pretty rude. We had the mussels to start and they were over cooked as they were very small and falling out of the shell. The main fried calamari and vegetables was really good. Some of the freshest squid we had. My seafood risotto was kinda of disappointing in terms of flavour and because it was mostly mussels with 2 small pieces of half a shrimp. I had it twice in the last 2 weeks (1 in Venice and 1 in Croatia and they had a ton of different seafood plus a lot more flavour). The Spritz was good. For the price I was hoping for better food.

This restaurant has a very authentic vibe to it as it feels like most of the customers are locals. The staff doesn't speak much English We ate here our first night in Venice and it is a charming place that feels much like eating at someone's home. We had the meatballs served over polenta which was good and I really loved the linguine with clams. Definitely worth stopping in for a meal.

Great place for chichetti. Try to come earlier if you do not have a reservation cause this place does get packed. They also take reservations seriously. We came around 1130 for lunch and tables reserved for 130pm was already held at that time. If you're a small group of maybe 2, 3 or 4, standing outside with your drink and a small plate of chichetti would be fine too. We got about 6 different types of their chichetti. All seafood. And my favorite was the sardines over polenta. Delicious! Not that everything else lacked flavor, their selections were pretty good compared to the other ones we checked out. We also got four other dishes to share: Polpetti over polenta, shrimp and pesto pasta, pasta Alla vongole and pasta Al Nero. Yea, so we over ordered and couldn't finish all the pasta, but they were great. Alla Vongole comes with the small sweet clams and is very tasty. Al Nero is straight up squid ink and not the black noodles. You can taste the sea from it but is not overpowering. The pesto and shrimp pasta is very rich in flavor. I'd definitely recommend Do Spade to anyone visiting Venice.

You need reservations. But if you bug them enough, they will give you seats! Or maybe we got lucky? We wanted tapas and I must warm you, it's expensive! I paid 2.5 euros for one piece of shrimp! On the bright side, I was able to get one piece of everything. I prefer trying than eating. They had a wide variety of seafood, meat and veggies. I ordered mainly seafood and cheese options. The food is reheated in the microwave. This was a very expensive meal for the portion size and level of freshness. There is free wifi and a tiny bathroom. Your meal comes with plain grits - this helped balance some of the salty options.

The restaurant can be difficult to find but worth it!Friendly and efficient service. Fresh and delicious seafood plates. Highly recommend the tiramisu, mildly sweet yet still able to taste the espresso, cheese and cocoa. Either arrive early and wait outside on bench before opening but best to make a reservation.

Awesome place for cinchetti and good wine. Also a dinner spot though most people either at the bar or outside. Small place with good food. Got the fried calamari stick/skewer, stuffed calamari and tiger prawns all of which were really good. House wine was Aok but they had lots of other cheap, good choices which made up for it :)

My wife and I were looking for authentic dishes in a relaxing setting. We popped in without a reservation but were able to be seated after an hour which allowed us to have drinks and wander a bit before returning to the restaurant. The staff was incredibly friendly. The food was just as amazing as our previous stops in Rome and Riomaggiore. We had the meatballs in polenta, the anchovy pasta, and ravioli with a bottle of Soave. To finish off, we had the panna cotta and espresso. TL;DR: the staff is great, the food is incredible, and the setting is better than any tourist trap you'll find. Definitely recommended.

Fantastic meal option in this area - the most high quality food we ate on our trip for the cheapest price. It's great for Cicchetti and has delicious house wine and cocktails, as well as a full service restaurant with seafood, pastas, meats, etc. If sharing dishes and ordering house wine, you can eat here for about ~10 euros pp. The service was great and the ambiance was very quaint.

We were actually trying to find this place one day but ended up somewhere else.. but found this place again randomly the next day. Cute little restaurant with a counter to order little tapa style dishes. Service was good - they made some recommendations but were a little slow to come by. We had the sardines - yum! The sauce was fantastic. I ordered the squid Ink pasta, this was the first time I've had it, and wow it was rich. But it was delicious and had chunks of squid in it as well. It's definitely heavy, but if you haven't tried it, it's pretty good. The mushroom ravioli was also fantastic. You can't go wrong with this dish. I didn't like the fried seafood and vegetables platter - a little too greasy and really nothing special. I'm not sure what a gingerino is but I didn't like it. Also, don't order your espresso until after the meal, cause they won't serve it to you. Lol! The tiramisu was good as well!

Unfortunately came early at 10am so the kitchen for pastas not available until 12pm. Again we ordered Tre, tre and tre of almost everything on the counter display for their cicchetti and they were all excellent.

I hope this is the right Do Spade. It's not accurate on the map, but as far as I know, there's only one. It's a small little restaurant that you might miss. It's near the fish market in San Polo (not by the train station as this map on yelp says). The restaurant was really plain, but cozy. Food was really lovely. Spaghetti dishes were some of the best I had in Venice. Also, the service was really great, waiters were all friendly, etc. My foodie friend had the octopus salad and she thought it was fantastic, as well.

A local recommended this to us. This place was packed, so we were unable to eat here for dinner the first day. Then we went online to make reservations (yes, you can make them online instead of calling) and got in for the next day. Funny - the outside is packed with ppl eating, etc. but inside was dead the second night. We ordered some fried foods from the front - the best was the fried squid on a stick. The rest tasted like they had been fried and sitting there for a while. Tried the fried bacalao (cod) and squash blossoms - eh. I ordered the squid ink pasta (beware - this type of pasta makes your mouth turn black! haha), which was just average. I didn't have anything to compare it to in Italy, though, so I'm not sure how it compared. I was just told that it is a must eat when in Venice. Also got mussels and a side of meatballs, which were good. House wine is cheap - I think 2.5-3 euros for a small pitcher, which came to about 2-3 glasses. Place doesn't seem air conditioned as it was a little warm inside, but service was good and they don't charge that service tax that some places charge. I didn't find the food in Venice to be that great compared to other cities, so this may be as good as it gets in Venice!

My airbnb host recommended this place when I asked for a local eatery. We had an appt for dinner and ordered a plate of cicchetti, a spritzer, sparkling water and the spaghetti with spicy shrimp. I thoroughly enjoyed the Sarde de saor, calamari and the baccala de Mantecato. The pasta was good and I appreciate that their won't add an automatic copeto or servicio. On the way out, the waiter offered my a complimentary shot of prune liquor. Score!

Really relaxed atmosphere. Friendly staff. Tapas (ciccheti) is simple but delicious . Sit back, relax and enjoy a Campari spiritz with background big band jazz.

some of the best food my hubby and I had when we visited Italy. A local recommended it to us. It's a small hole in the wall slightly off the beaten track that you could easily pass by, but so worth the effort to find it! every dish from beginning to end was spot on :)

For anyone that doubts my review, please see that most of the reviews I write on Yelp are 4 or 5 star reviews. I am not snooty, or a picky eater- I am merely an observant diner. I had delightful meals and service while dining in Paris and Florence on this trip, but the service and food at Cantina Do Spade was so bad that it prompted me to write a review directly after our experience. We arrived around 7:30pm and were only allowed to sit inside for 20 minutes before we were kicked out for reservations. Sure, maybe it would have been good if we had known about the reservation thing, but we did not, and didn't like being kicked to the curb (literally) while still eating. But all of that aside, the food was LUKE WARM or COLD. It lacked flavor, and all of the seafood was overcooked. They ran out of most of their ready made food (ciccheti) that they serve in the front of the restaurant. I was told before my trip that the food in Venice wasn't good and that it catered to Americans who were willing to pay a lot of money for terrible food. Apparently this is true. I had better food on my airplane ride home. Read my previous review for more details, but I will repeat: If you want good food, go to Florence.

This was the worst experience of my trip in Venice. Made a reservation 2 weeks prior to my stay for 7:30pm. Showed up at 7: 20 and was told my reservations were for 9pm. ( after returning to the hotel room I double checked my e mails. I was correct they just lied) showed up around 8:50 after having a beer at a nearby bar. Was sat down in a corner for half an hour without any attention. Don't make a reservation because they don't care. Wish I could review the food as I was told how great it is. But unfortunately I can't. Would love to give this a zero because this place is a joke.

This place is a perfect way to enjoy a true Venetian dining experience. The food was fantastic and reasonably priced. We ordered from the bar which included small bites such as calamari on a stick. Prawns and grits and fried balls of spicy sausage and polenta. I also had a spritz (which was delicious) and all together we spent 20 euros. We left still a little bit hungry which was perfect so that we had room for gelato later on. The best part though was the staff. The bouncer at the door was extremely friendly, showed us a table after we got our food and were standing around awkwardly and even shared some fried bites he was enjoying himself! If we had more time in this beautiful city we would definitely go back again