Bellini at Harry's Bar

In 1943 Giuseppe Cipriani created the famous Venetian drink, the Bellini. Named for the 15th century painter of the same name, the Bellini is a delicious concoction of fresh white peaches and sparkling prosecco, a legend in Venice and beyond. Harry’s Bar is perhaps even more legendary than the drink. Founded in 1931 by Giuseppe Cipriani, it immediately became a high society favourite. Today, his heirs run the original Harry's Bar in Venice as well as another six venues in Venice, New York and Buenos Aires, and the name has become synonymous with sophisticated cuisine and immaculate style. In addition to the Bellini, Harry’s Bar is also the home of Carpaccio (thinly sliced sirloin), incidentally named for another Italian painter, Vittore Carpaccio.

The story of Harry's Bar is fascinating. Giuseppe Cipriani was born in 1900 in Verona, into a very poor family. His father emigrated to Germany and found work as a bricklayer, and the family survived, but had to return to Verona on the outbreak of the First World War. Giuseppe started work in the Molinari pastry kitchen, and ended up managing it during the years of conflict, but after the War had ended, he moved on to other sectors of hospitality. He took one job after another, working as a waiter in France, Belgium and Palermo, and finally returned to Venice, working at Hotel Monaco. He was noticed by the owner of Hotel Europa in Venice, who took him on as a barman. He thrived in this luxury setting, but began to wonder whether it would be possible to open an independent bar. In those days, the most popular meeting places for the aristocracy were bars in luxury hotels, and Cipriani had the idea of a bar that was equally refined, but removed from the hotel environment which often created a sort of barrier in the form of liveried porters and an intimidating lobby.

He'd had the idea, but didn't have the money. But while he was working at Hotel Europa, he met a young American student named Harry Pickering, who had come to Venice with his aunt and a dog to cure his drinking problem. After two months, Harry argued with his aunt, who departed, leaving him with the dog, his drinking problem, and little money. Cipriani lent Harry 10,000 lire, conscious of the fact that he might never see it again, and in fact, Pickering moved on. Much later, in February 1931, Harry showed up at the hotel bar, and returned him the 10,000 lire, adding another 30,000 so that Giuseppe could open the high society bar he had dreamed of. Harry even suggested the name: Harry's Bar.

 Harry rented a small space in a disused rope warehouse, not far from San Marco, and the interiors were designed by Baron Gianni Rubin de Cervin, who had been a habitué at the Hotel Europa bar. Harry's Bar opened on May 13, 1931. Success was immediate, and the venue's guest book bears the signatures of the notables mentioned above, as well as Somerset Maugham, Noel Coward, Barbara Hutton, Valentina Schlee, Orson Welles, Truman Capote, Georges Braque, Peggy Guggenheim and many others. It was in the winter of 1949-1950 that Hemingway became a regular at the Concordia room. At that time he was finishing "Over the River and Into the Trees," a book in which Harry's Bar receives many mentions. When people said to Cipriani that Hemingway had given him a lot of free publicity, he generally replied, "It was me and my bar that promoted him. They gave him the Nobel prize afterwards, not before!"

Open every day, 10.30 am-11 pm.

E.B., Unmissables 14.6.10