Harry’s Bar

Celebrated for cocktails, carpaccio, risotto and American clientele, Harry’s Bar is famous throughout Venice and the World. Founded in 1931 by the late Giuseppe Cipriani, it was financed by a Bostonian called Harry who thought Venice had a lack of decent bars. They chose a storeroom at the Grand Canal end of the Calle Valleresso as their location, conveniently close to the Piazza San Marco.

 Since then, the bar has seen a steady stream of American visitors, among them Ernest Hemingway, who used to come here after shooting in the lagoon. The bar became the most popular venue in Venice, patronized by royalty, film stars and heads of state. 

These days, there are far more American tourists than famous figures, often there to sample the Bellini cocktail that Cipriani invented. Aesthetically, the place is unremarkable, and there is no terrace for meals alfresco.