Review of 'Harry's Bar'

This is the first Harry's Bar and, famously, the haunt of Ernest Hemmingway. It attracts a lot of tourists but if you can find a table and have some time it is worth settling in for while.

Located just down from St Mark's square, Harry's Bar is right on the grand canal but you could be forgiven for missing it with only a few small windows with “Harry's Bar” written on them. The entrance is around the corner through a small double-door. When entering the bar the world of Venice disappears as you find yourself in a small room where time seems to have stood still. There is lounge seating along the walls and a number of small tables and chairs. We were directed to seat ourselves. The bar is a wonderful wood affair with a barman permanently manned behind it mixing drinks. There are a small number of alcohol bottles on display should you wish to partake of anything there as well…

This is a cocktail bar and the cocktail of choice is the Bellini (prosecco and peach nectar) so after a quick browse over the somewhat short drinks list my companion had one of those (£21) and I had the non-alcoholic version (£13) which was also surprisingly tasty. The glass size is small so try not to have a heart attack at the price…The drinks came with a small bowl of olives which somewhat made up for the cost.

We savoured our drinks and just soaked up the relaxed atmosphere. The staff are incredibly attentive and very, very polite. We were told that pictures were welcome though we made an effort to avoid taking pictures of the fellow customers. There seemed to be a regular stream of these, largely tourists and largely American.

For those with an interest in the history of the place there is a small collection of memorabilia to the right of the door on your way out between the cash register and the wall.

Damn the cost and soak up some old-fashioned cool at Harry's Bar.

Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”

Review Date: 2017-02-06


Cuisine: American/British

Address: Calle Vallaresso 1323 30124 San Marco Venice, Italy

Public Transport: ACTV San Marco (Vallaresso)

Location: Venice (Italy) - San Marco

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Telephone: +39 (0) 41 528 5777

URL: http://www.harrysbarvenezia.com/