Harry's Bar
The small Venetian room that gave the world the Bellini, carpaccio and a very long guest list.
Calle Vallaresso, San Marco, Venice · €€€
A personal favourite: the small bar off St Mark's where Giuseppe Cipriani invented the Bellini and carpaccio, open since 1931 and a national landmark since 2001. Think a Bellini aperitivo for a handful of guests downstairs, or an intimate client dinner in the more formal room upstairs, rather than a big group.
“One of the world's most celebrated restaurants, Harry's Bar evokes a frame of mind”
Sotheby's
Harry's Bar is small and publishes no private-room capacities, so treat it as a venue for a handful of guests rather than a full group. At mealtimes the tables in the bar and in the upstairs restaurant are kept for diners, so book well ahead and specify the floor: downstairs for the atmosphere, upstairs for more space, a quieter table and better views. Larger parties and event requests go through the enquiry form on the official Harry's Bar page; we would ask early rather than assume exclusive use is possible. For a bigger group, a Bellini here works best as the opening act, with dinner elsewhere. Open daily from 11:00 to 23:00. Prices are high, even by Venetian standards.
Image courtesy of Harry's Bar · Photo: crazybobbles / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
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