Cannaregio Bacari Crawl (Ombra Tour)

The Cannaregio Bacari Crawl, also called the Ombra Tour, is a two to three hour evening walk through the Cannaregio district of Venice, in Italy's Veneto region, starting along Fondamenta degli Ormesini. Cannaregio is a residential sestiere with a livelier, less tourist-heavy feel than the areas around San Marco, and the canal-side fondamente near the Ormesini and the Madonna dell'Orto are known for their concentration of neighbourhood bacari. The crawl can be done independently or with a guide; Context Travel is one operator listed for guided walks, and its own booking page should be used for current details, including how long it has been running. A typical route covers four or five bacaro stops. At each one the visitor orders an ombra, a small glass of house wine, or a spritz, and chooses cicchetti from the counter: baccalà mantecato, polpette, sarde in saor, crostini with cheese or cured meats, and seasonal vegetables. The balance is savoury, and little sweet food features on the route. Self-guided outings cost roughly €15 to €25 for the plates and drinks, while a guided version costs around €70 per person, which covers the food, drink and commentary on the neighbourhood, its history and the Jewish Ghetto nearby. Transport is not included, and none is needed because the route is on foot. Guided groups are normally small and run in English, at a slow pace that suits the standing-room format of the bars. Because the stops are ordinary bacari, dietary substitutions depend on what the counter holds on the evening; vegetarian choices are simple, while gluten-free and shellfish-free needs should be raised with a guide in advance. The best hours are between about 5 PM and 8 PM, when the counters are fully stocked and locals stop in after work.