It's become as much of a tourist landmark as St. Mark's and no trip to Venice is complete without a dinner or at least a house martini. Harry's Bar has a history unlike any other where guests dine amongst the ghosts of Lord Byron, Truman Capote, Jackie Onassis and Peggy Guggenheim. Harry's Bar originated in the early '30s as a small watering hole by bartender Giuseppe Cipriani who'd been plucked from a nearby hotel by a wealthy American benefactor to open the legendary establishment. Today guests enter through a narrow alleyway in San Marcos into a cramped first floor bar with hushed diners in Hermes ascots and Chanel suits. Reservations are hard to come by and a spot at the bar is even more difficult, lean on a good hotel concierge or sweet-talk your way past the infamous host.
The Food
The menu is what you expect of most Cipriani restaurants, namely expensive and ripe with Italian deliciousness. Regardless of what you order, don’t forget to start with a Bellini or Dirty Martini, it’s rumored they invented both. Appetizers include a lengthy selection of green salads, carpaccios and fried seafood selections big enough to share. Pasta course is equally plentiful with delicious red sauces, signature truffle dishes and stuffed raviolis made each morning by in-house pasta chefs. Entrees include grilled meats, traditional veal and chicken dishes and numerous grilled seafood selections for all the dieting celebrities that come through the doors during the Biennale and Carnival. Desserts are a bit of a letdown compared with the rest of the meal, leading one to order another Bellini or hit a gelato café on St. Mark’s.
Last Word
Infamous cocktail bar located near Venice’s St. Mark’s is rumored to have invented the Bellini and Martini.
