When Harry’s Bar in Venice celebrated its 85th birthday, I was invited by Martini’s press agency to visit the iconic bar for a press article, and even make some Bellini cocktails myself in the birthplace of this classic cocktail.
Harry’s Bar is a legendary venue in the cocktail industry. If you don’t know its history, you’d probably not be very impressed. Faded glory might come to mind and it seats only about 40 people. But its much more than that. First of all, it’s the birthplace of not one but two things that are known worldwide. The Bellini was invented in the bar, and the classic Italian dish Carpaccio was invented in the restaurant upstairs. Both are named after famous painters, because the colors of the cocktail and dish reminded them of the color palette of the painter’s artworks. Secondly, it’s the bar’s location, mere steps away from the grand canal of Venice, as well as very close to St. Mark’s square. And last but not least, its list of patrons. Ernest Hemingway was a regular, just as Orson Welles. Truman Capote visited the bar every time he was in Venice. Nowadays, it’s still visited by famous actors regularly.
The most beautiful description of this bar that I’ve ever read was: “It’s where tourist come to feel like a local, and locals to feel like they’re on holiday.”