Hostaria Bacanera is located in one of those rare and precious areas of Venice made up of slow rhythms and neighborhood shops, at the crossroads between Soportego de la Cason and Calle della Malvasia (a type of grapes) which reminds us that Venice was once populated by urban vineyards and sales of bulk wine.

The myth of the Serenissima is found in every detail of the restaurant, revealing its ancient soul. Headquarters of the Cannaregio prisons in the 1500s (Cason, from “incasonare” or imprisonment”), it changed its look many times, from a blacksmith’s shop to a gym, until in 2018, after a conservative renovation, opened as a traditional osteria.

I had been looking for a restaurant in Venice for a long time, till when, one evening, I came across this little campo and it was love at first sight.

(Marcello Forti, owner)

In the name, the sign of destiny: “bacanera” refers, in fact, to the black berries of the Hackberry tree, the protagonist of the campo (square in Venetian) where the restaurant’s romantic dehor is set up in the summer.

The restoration works have brought to light the ancient column and the original ceilings of the building, while unique pieces of great scenic effect have been chosen for the interior, such as an ancient wardrobe in inlaid wood, transformed into a counter, a vintage piano, gilded mirrors, and a cardinal red sofa dominated by the protagonists of the room: two precious portraits from the school of Tintoretto, respectively from the 16th and 17th centuries, which depict the Procurators of San Marco, the most important position during the Serenissima, immediately after the Doge.

Since 2023, the owner of Hostaria Bacanera has been the gourmand entrepreneur Marcello Forti who, after having taken up a home in Venice, fell in love with the small campo where the restaurant is located to the point of deciding to acquire it and create his second “home” here. Today Marcello, improving both quality and service of Bacanera, has reaffirmed its role as a food and wine destination, thus adding another “star” to his collection, which already includes the renowned Stendhal restaurant in Milan.

In the kitchen, chef Alessandro Tronconi aims to enhance the raw material, mainly using seasonal products from the lagoon, fish and vegetables in the first place, to create dishes that look to tradition, albeit refined by contemporary touches.

From fish from the Rialto market to the firstfruits and wild herbs of Sant’Erasmo, up to meat from sustainable farms, the chef works with quality ingredients to create a menu that changes according to the seasons. It ranges from starters like gourmet Venetian-style cicchetti (tapas), to delicious first courses such as Risotto with Burano gò fish and Fusilli egg pasta in cheese and pepper, Pellestrina mussels and sorrel, up to second courses such as Sole in lemon stew, sea fennel, white asparagus and Stew of veal cheek cooked in Marsala and chocolate with cream of Chioggia white potato.

The wine list includes the best labels of the area, in particular those that work with the native grapes of Venice, as well as a careful selection of great wines, in particular from Piedmont, Lombardy and Tuscany.

In the dining room, Valentino Hoxhaj, as maitre d’, pampers customers, including many Venetians from the neighborhood, for which Bacanera has become like a second home, happy to hide away and relax in this authentic joint.

The Secret

It seems that the column that can be seen next to the open kitchen of the restaurant is one of the oldest in Venice, dating back to the 14th century.

Useful Info

Hostaria Bacanera
Campiello de la Cason 4506
30121 Venezia
Tel. +39 041 2601146

Starters: 24 — 35 euro
First courses: 25 — 27 euro
Second courses: 32 — 35 euro
Tasting menus: from 65 euro