Your Guide To The Best Coffee Shops In Venice
A Local's Guide To The Best And Oldest Coffee Shops In Venice - Plus Some Of My Favorite Non-Touristy Cafes, Pastry Shops And Restaurants
- Nathan Heinrich
- January 2024
- Venice, Italy
Visiting Venice, Italy without indulging in some fabulous Venetian coffee would be like visiting Paris, for the first time, and not seeing the Eifel Tower.
If you are planning a trip to the floating city or if you’re already walking the streets searching for the best coffee shops in Venice, I would like to share this comprehensive list of the best Venice coffee shops, little cafes, and some of my favorite secret coffee spots.
3 Catagories Of Coffee Bars In Venice
These are my favorite Venetian coffee bars and caffès, organized into the following 3 categories:
Best Value:
This first collection of caffès and coffee bars offers a range of food options, free wifi, and premium coffee in a variety of charming interiors – without blowing your vacation budget.
1000 Coffee & Bakery
We would pop out for croissants & coffee-to-go for breakfast every morning and 1000 Coffee was the best we tasted. Friendly staff, great coffee. What more do you want to set you up for a sunny day in Venice?”
Bar Pasticceria Ballarin
Dodo Caffè
Caffe Rosso Venezia
The coffee and sandwiches along with the rest of the simple affordable menu items at Caffè Rosso are perfect for a morning or afternoon visit.
“Affectionately known as Il Rosso, this red-fronted cafe has been at the centre of the bar scene on Campo Santa Margherita since the late 1800s. It’s at its best in the early evening, when locals snap up the sunny piazza seating to sip on inexpensive spritzes. The espresso machine looks like a prop from a steam-punk fantasy.” – Lonely Planet
“Very friendly, very good and quick service, fully Italian, variety of drinks, old fashioned coffee machine and delicious meat balls.
Fabulous But Expensive:
This next collection of caffès and bars include some of the oldest in the world, including “Caffè Florian” established in 1720 – Italy’s oldest coffee house in continuous operation.
These places are the poshest, chicest, plushest, most famous and most expensive places to get a cup of coffee in Venice and, one could argue – the world!
Gran Caffè Quadri
“Sitting in one of the most beautiful squares in the world, in front of the Basilica of San Marco, you can spend an entire day starting with a continental breakfast, passing through a lunch based on cicchetti, pizzas, sandwiches and desserts up to an aperitif and after dinner drinks.”
– Caffè Quadri Management
History:
The restaurant opened in 1638 with the name “Il Rimedio”, due to the Malvasia wine sold inside which was believed to “invigorate the limbs and awaken the spirit”.
On May 28, 1775, Giorgio Quadri landed in Venice after leaving Corfu with his wife Naxina and had the idea of investing the family’s possessions in a place that sold “boiling black water”. The two lovers therefore bought the then Remedy, under the Procuratie Vecchie. Thus begins the story of Gran Caffè Quadri.
“The atmosphere is chic (fun) elegance. The service was SO much fun. We still laugh about our night there and will remember it for years to come. We ate upstairs at Ristorante Quadri where we choose the Tartufo menu with wine pairing, Must do the wine pairing!! We most definitely will go back next time we are in the beautiful city of Venice.“
Caffè Florian
While there is some debate – the famous Caffè Florian claims to be the oldest cafe in Italy, Europe, and even the world.
This famous 3 centries-old caffè has hosted some of the most iconic people in recent history including Charles Dickens, Lord Byron, Marcel Proust, Alexandre Dumas, Ernest Hemingway, Claude Monet, Andy Warhol, Clark Gabel and Casanova – just to name a few.
The thick, sweet hot chocolate is famous, as are the elaborate coffee concoctions. In the late afternoon, you might see people indulging in an Aperol spritz or Negroni.
History:
“While the finest wines and coffees from the Orient, Malaysia, Cyprus and Greece were being served inside, history was unfolding outside. Its windows witnessed the splendour and fall of the Serenissima Republic of Venice and the secret conspiracies against French and then Austrian rule; later, its elegant rooms were used to treat the wounded during the 1848 uprising. Right from the beginning, Caffè Florian has had a glittering clientele, including Goldoni, Giuseppe Parini, Silvio Pellico and many others.
Besides being the most famous coffeehouse, Caffè Florian was the only meeting place of the time that admitted women, which explains why Casanova chose it as his “hunting ground” in his continuing quest for female company.” – Caffè Florian: History
“A historical café from the old world in Venice. Right in the St Marks Square. It Can get crowded. Gorgeous inside!! Check it out too. Service, so, so. Items in menu, pricey. But worth it for one visit“
Gran Caffè Lavena
For one of the most indulgent cappuccinos of your life delivered to your table in white tuxedo service, with the best view of Basilica San Marco, you will need to come to the historic Caffè Lavena.
Situated on the sunniest corner of Piazza San Marco at the foot of the Clock Tower, in front of the Basilica, Caffé Lavena has been one of Venice’s most renowned coffee boutiques since 1750.
History:
Originally the café was called Regina d’Ungheria (the Queen of Hungary), when Venice was subject to the rule of the Austro-Hungarian Empire; it was later named Orso Coronato (the Crowned Bear), due to the picturesque sign depicting a bear with a crown on its head, standing on its hind legs.
But it was Carlo Lavena, who bought the café in 1860, that gave prestige to this “coffee boutique”.
“A beautiful cafe in the square. All the waiters are dressed up and extremely friendly. Sat and watched all the people who have dressed up for the carnival. A great experience.“
Best All Around:
This final collection of caffès and bars is, in my opinion, some of the VERY BEST in all of Venice!
Not only are they the very best coffee shops, they are each a great place to satisfy your Italian pastry sweet tooth – without breaking the bank!
The staff at these locations is reliably friendly. The coffee menu is fabulous at each of these spots, and the food menu is equally stellar!
Pasticceria Rizzardini
Ok I’m going to just say it,
“THIS IS MY FAVORITE COFFEE & PASTRY SHOP IN ALL OF VENICE!”
If you only visit one coffee bar and pasticceria during your visit to Venice, this is the one to visit!
Pasticceria Rizzardini has been baking some of the most fabulous Italian cakes, cookies, and pastries since 1742!
This is NOT a tourist trap!
You almost feel guilty only spending €1.80 for the most heavenly piece of tiramisu you’ll ever eat!
The prices may get a tiny bump from rising inflation in Italy but I would be happy to pay four times the price every time I come to this cute coffee shop and bakery!
Besides their delicious sweets, Rizzardini serves the famous Venetian caffè del doge coffee.
History:
The (not so) short and sweet history of this amazing place is that it has been serving some of the best coffee and Italian pastries in Venice since 1742.
Pasticceria Rizzardini has survived wars, floods and revolutions – centuries later they are still here doing their thing in a quiet corner of the city just a short walk from the Grand Canal and the famous Rialto Bridge.
“Superb Fratelli – the traditional doughnuts of the Venetian Carnevale – in the city. the zabaglione ones are the best. in business since 1742 so they must be doing something right.“
Puppa Bar Venezia
While you can get a fabulous espresso, macchiato or cappuccino at Puppa’s Bar – that doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of what this place has to offer!
I almost left it off the list because it hardly qualifies as a “coffee bar”, but it 100% qualifies as Venice’s best kept “hole in the wall” secret.
While you’re in Venice, besides drinking coffee, you’re going to need to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner somewhere and I highly recommend having them at this magical little spot!
The other reason I almost left this place off the list is because I selfishly don’t want this place to get so popular that it becomes impossible to get a table here!
They are open 7 days a week from 9am – 11pm.
Check out their sensational menu and website!
History:
The history of this place best told by the owners, but they were originally a bakery (pasticceria) before transitioning into a breakfast, lunch and dinner joint with some of the best dishes (and best coffee) you will ever have!
“What a great find. A small cafe/restaurant with great food at great value. A little tired looking but spotlessly clean. We ate there numerous times and enjoyed great pizza and probably the best spaghetti carbonara I’ve ever had. My girlfriend ordered Spaghetti Vongoli and was one of the best she’s had with lots of clams. Service was always attentive and with a smile. Reasonable choice of alcohol and great coffee. Would definitely come again if I come back to Venice.“
Torrefazione Cannaregio
Of all the coffee spots on this list, Torrefazione Cannaregio is by far the most serious coffee house of them all.
If coffee had a church this would be where you would come to worship – the reverence for the humble coffee bean here is on a whole different level.
The impressive line of exotic coffee beans and roasted blends they offer is truly impressive. They roast more than 25,000 kilos of coffee beans at their Venice location every month.
At this same location, they serve 1,500 cups of coffee everyday as well as their signature espresso drinks and cocktails.
Check out their fabulous website!
History:
Since the 1930s Torrefazione Cannaregio has been roasting specialty coffee in Venice. They source their coffee beans from coffee plantations in Africa and South America. Currently, the only coffee roaster in the area who serves coffee drinks at their location.
Nice selection of cakes and tarts as well as breakfast items in the morning. Operating hours generally until 2pm. Check with the website because the hours posted on Google Maps may be off. Wonderful care in making the coffees and a very friendly happy staff. A few tables inside, and a few tables and two benches outside along the Fondamenta.“
“I found this amazing coffee shop ( coffee roaster ) by accident and I was nicely surprised. Nice interior, good selections of coffee, very tasty brioches and bagels. Kind and helpful staff. Definitely I recommend this place, I visited every day during my stay in Venice.“
Honorable Mentions:
Here are 2 additional spots to get a wonderful cup of Venetian coffee. These spots are so special I couldn’t leave them off my list of favorite coffee bars in Venice.
Pasticceria Rio Marin
Adagio Caffe & Wine Bar
A Richly Caffeinated History
What makes Venice, Italy such an important city for the history of “coffee culture”?
In the 16th century, Venetian merchants discovered the exotic aromatic beans in Istanbul and brought them to Italy for the first time through the port city of Venice.
Coffee was sold as a medicinal elixir before it was re-branded as a stimulating new beverage. Originally, coffee was only drunk by wealthy Venetians who could afford the extravagance of the new caffeinated concoction.
When the Catholic Church caught wind of the fashionable new drink they condemned it as ‘the bitter drink of Satan’.
However, when Pope Clement VIII tasted coffee for the first time he announced, “This devil’s drink is so delicious, we should cheat the devil by baptizing it”.
It wasn’t long after this that coffee spread throughout the rest of the Italian peninsula and Europe.
When people began starting their day with a cup of coffee rather than wine or spirits, they discovered that they were much more productive and alert. And that’s why, more than 500 years later, modern societies still depend on coffee to get them through the work day!
Recap
There are a lot of coffee bars and caffès in Venice, but they are not all created equal.
As a local, who has spent a lot of time in Venice, I wanted to provide you with a list of what I believe to be the best coffee shops in Venice as well as other great local spots for more than just coffee.
Here’s a quick summary of the places we covered:
Best Value:
Fabulous But Expensive:
Best All-Around:
Godetivi il vostro caffè!
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Author Info:
Nathan Heinrich
Nathan is a writer, designer & horticulturist. He is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of "All Roads Lead to Italy" Magazine & host of the Top-10 Travel Podcast, "I'm Moving To Italy!". Nathan was born and raised in a 6th generation farming family in Northern California, he is currently, a dual Italian citizen, living in the Prosecco Valley of Northern Italy, near Venice.