Cantina Do Mori

Cantina Do Mori is a narrow standing-room bacaro on Calle Do Mori in the San Polo district of Venice, a short walk from the Rialto market in the Veneto region of Italy. It is widely described as one of the oldest wine bars in the city, with a history traced back to 1462, and its long, dark counter has served generations of market traders, gondoliers and office workers. There are no tables. Guests order at the counter, eat cicchetti and small sandwiches standing among locals on a work break, and drink from a list of well over a hundred wines by the glass, many of them poured as the traditional ombra di vino, a small glass of house wine. The food is the classic bacaro repertoire: baccala mantecato on crostini, polpette or meatballs, marinated vegetables, cured meats and small sandwiches known as francobolli. Copper pans hang from the ceiling and the room has the worn, low-lit look of a place that has changed little over centuries. The atmosphere is informal, noisy and social, with conversation in Venetian dialect mixing with visitors' languages. It is a stop rather than a meal: most guests spend twenty minutes to an hour, order two or three items and move on to another bar, following the local custom of the giro d'ombre, or wine crawl. Prices are low by Venetian standards, with individual cicchetti costing a few euros each and a glass of wine similarly modest, though the total climbs quickly when several items are ordered. Reservations are not accepted, and the room is open Monday to Saturday from morning until early evening, closing on Sunday. The counter fills after about six in the evening as the after-work crowd arrives, so late morning or early evening offers more room to stand. Its position just off the Rialto market makes it an easy pairing with a morning market visit, after which a glass and a few crostini serve as a light lunch. Visitors should expect to be served by staff moving quickly, and it helps to know what to order before reaching the counter.