Since bars don't stay open very late, and the cicchetti selection is best early, start your evening by 6 p.m. By 10 p.m., restaurants are winding down; by 11 p.m., many bars are closing — and by midnight, the city is shut tight.

Venice is not a "late-night" party city in the traditional sense, and its nightlife follows a more sophisticated, laid-back rhythm. Most traditional Venetian wine bars, known as bacari, serve their last ombra (small glass of wine) and cicchetti around 9:00 PM or 10:00 PM. In the popular student and social hub of Campo Santa Margherita (Dorsoduro), bars stay open later, typically closing between midnight and 1:00 AM. If you are looking for the latest spots, there are a few cocktail bars and jazz clubs near the Rialto Bridge or the Accademia that may stay open until 2:00 AM, particularly on weekends. However, it is important to remember that Venice is a residential city with strict noise ordinances; many outdoor terraces must be cleared by 11:00 PM. For those wanting to dance until dawn, most locals head to the mainland (Mestre) or the Lido, as the historic "Fish" of Venice goes to sleep relatively early compared to Rome or Milan.