Bar, Café entertainment in Venice
- Sort by:
- Popular
-
A
Caffè Florian
If the Torre d’Orlogio (Clock Tower) ever breaks, you can always tell the time by observing Florian’s daily rituals, established since 1720: lovers canoodle over late breakfasts in plush banquettes until noon, uniformed waiters serve gooey hot chocolate on silver trays in lieu of lunch, and the orchestra strikes up a dance number to accompany the popping of prosecco corks and the illumination of San Marco’s portal mosaics at sunset. There’s a €6 music surcharge for piazza seating, so you may as well get your money’s worth and tango.
reviewed
-
B
Qcoffee Bar
One drink grants you access to two modernist master architects through the Querini Stampalia bookstore. Rainy days are right for hot chocolate in Mario Botta’s neoclassical cafe, with white walls framed in black polished-concrete floors, and a harmonious repeating-rectangle theme. Outside, Carlo Scarpa’s clever, Mid-East–inspired concrete irrigation channels bring Venice’s canals indoors, adding industrial-cool to your spritz in the sunny garden.
reviewed
-
C
Harry’s Dolci
The ultimate island retreat for the designer-sunglasses crowd, with the same classic cocktails as sibling venture Harry’s Bar, served under a Tiffany-blue sun canopy along the Giudecca Canal. Service is low-key and the indoor cafe is paved with what looks like vintage subway tile, so don’t go expecting luxury – but you’re welcome to luxuriate in the sun over house-made dolci (sweets) and coffee (€15) until an idea for your next brilliant novel strikes you.
reviewed
-
D
Moscacieka
Minds boggled by a surfeit of San Marco splendour deserve a rejuvenating drink in this upbeat, unpretentious pub, where the bar is pieced together from broken tiles, tables are tucked under exposed-brick Gothic arches and a giant cartoon fly toasts your health on the ceiling. House specials are scrawled on chalkboards, but the guys in black T-shirts working the bar can recommend something from the range of wines, beer, cocktails and sandwiches.
reviewed
-
E
Ardidos
As you might guess at a glance at these mist-coloured walls, exposed wood details, and sprawling octopus of a chandelier, owner Beatrice is a designer from Milan. The candlelit courtyard offers a suitably chic spot for sipping Veneto wines with a proper Milanese plate of salami and cheeses, but the real surprises are the superior selection of coffee from around the world and fresh fruit smoothies.
reviewed
-
F
Paradiso
Curators woo shy artists on mod couches and star architects hold court under sun umbrellas, even between Biennales. The scene is fuelled by a steady stream of coffee and cocktails that cost less than you’d expect given the designer chairs, waterfront location and lack of competition – this is the only cafe within reach of anyone in stilettos at the Biennale.
reviewed
-
G
Zenzero
Lightning bolts can scarcely compete with the eye-opening powers of Zenzero’s espresso, paired with freshly baked profiteroles (cream puffs) and other treats that tend to disappear in a flash. If the caffeine jolt you’ve received here hasn’t worn off by sundown, return for top-shelf aperitivi in the campo.
reviewed
-
H
Teamo
Sunny tearoom by day, sleek backlit bar by night, and full-time fabulousness. Arrive by 7pm for first choice of cicheti at the bar and lookers in the leather banquettes – this bar swings both ways, so there’s something for everyone.
reviewed
