Visit Caffè Florian In Venice: Open Since 1720

Giacomo Casanova, Andy Warhol and Angelina Jolie

Caffè Florian was opened in 1720 by Floriano Francesconi and now invites not only locals, but also tourists to visit and embrace a real Venetian experience in the centre of this magical city. When the café was first opened, it was called, “Alla Venezia Triofante”, which translated from Italian into English means “Venice the Triumphant”. Floriano Francesconi, however, being the popular and welcoming man that he was, found that locals tended to say, “Let’s go to Florian’s!” instead of the actual name of the cafe. As a consequence, the name of the café and the owner merged into one and the café was renamed Caffè Florian. Floriano Francesconi died in 1773 but his café has continued to enjoy great reputation and prestige amongst Venetians who have continued to remain faithful to this timeless institution.

The notable Giacomo Casanova frequented Caffè Florian; the café’s guest book also includes Ernest Hemingway, Charles Dickens, Henry James, Queen Elizabeth, Lord Byron, Charlie Chaplin, Andy Warhol, Mel Gibson, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. This establishment has been and is a celebrated institution where artists, musicians, writers and scholars visit to be inspired and create successful work. The first Venetian journal (and one of the first journals in all of Italy) was born at Caffè Florian in 1760 at the instigation of Count Gasparo Gozzi, who spent many hours watching and listening to locals as they talked about their experiences and views. The journal was called Gazzetta Veneta and copies of it were subsequently supplied to Caffè Florian and were read-out loud by locals who would use the content as talking points, which resulted in opinion-sharing and debates.

Majestic rooms lavishly covered with paintings and mirrors

Caffè Florian has outdoor seating (see below) on Saint Mark’s Square for those that want to enjoy the picturesque surroundings, and these seats tend to fill up rather quickly on a bright sunny day or early starry night. Some locals and tourists prefer to sit outside and enjoy the ambiance, including that which is created by the spectacular orchestra (see below). However, we want to encourage you to at least take a look at the indoor seating and/or to visit Caffè Florian twice so that you can experience sitting in both places. This is because the indoor seating is also within the finest of surroundings and consists of a series of intimate and beautifully decorated salons.

There are several rooms, each as majestic as the other, that makes for a truly incredible time. For example, there is the Oriental Room, Chinese Room, Room of Illustrious Men, Room of Mirrors, Senate Room and the Room of Seasons. These walls in these rooms are lavishly covered with paintings and mirrors and are an absolutely stunning setting for any social or professional event. The frescoes in the Senate Room and the mirror effects in the Room of Seasons are especially magnificent and are not to be missed.

Take a look at the photograph and visualise how you would feel sitting in a place that has such opulence, decadence and a phenomenal history? Surely, you would be as inspired as so many other guests have been.

Upholstered red velvet booths and stunning marble table tops

Caffè Florian is like a living museum where you can proudly partake in history and enjoy your surroundings.

Each room oozes Venetian grandeur and there are so many little details that have been incorporated to make this magnificent café a stand-out establishment. For example, the marble table tops have been built in such a way that you can turn the table top without moving the entire table. The reason for this is to allow guests to easily move in and out of the upholstered red velvet booths. During Venice’s annual carnival period, locals dress up in glorious costumes and parade around the city, and one of their favourite places in which to celebrate and showcase their look is within Caffè Florian. The easily moveable marble table tops allow them to easily access the seating and is another way in which Caffè Florian is preserving Venice’s culture and traditions as it is catering for its important annual events.

The café has also been known to be a popular spot for wedding proposals and offers a proposal service whereby it works with the individual that wishes to propose to their partner by finding out more about them and how they can make the proposal extremely special. Examples of what can be included are a live orchestra (performing certain songs), roses, champagne and a heart shaped cake.

An experience that will permanently impress on your memory

Caffè Florian’s menu encompasses its tradition and has a variety of hot drinks including coffee and hot chocolate. There is a wonderful aroma from the drinks which will delight your senses. On a hot day, you may prefer the “Frozen Florian”, which is a cold coffee with whipped cream (for 13 EUR/15 USD); on a cold day, the “Cioccolata Casanova”, which is a hot chocolate with mint cream and chocolate shavings, may take your fancy (for 13 EUR/15 USD). We have to inform you that the Ciccolata Casanova is so earthy, rich and decadent that it will permanently impress on your memory (as it has done with ours), so clearly this is one item you have to order. The hot drinks are best accompanied by a plate of “Biscotti Florian”, which is a plate of six different traditional Italian biscuits (for 11 EUR/13 USD).

If you are visiting at breakfast time, the “Casanova’s Breakfast” (for 45 EUR/52 USD) has to be recommended. This breakfast consists of coffee, cappuccino, latte or tea, orange juice or fruit juice, fresh fruit salad, croissant, toasted white bread, butter, jam or honey and a dark chocolate cake. Alternatively, if you’re visiting in the afternoon, “Florian’s Afternoon Tea” (for 37 EUR/43 USD) is a must. This experience includes a choice of Florian’s tea blends, home baked English scones, jam, whipped cream, macarons and a selection of finger sandwiches. If this sounds exciting but a bit too much to consume, we suggest that you order a pair of scones with jam and whipped cream instead (for 14.50 EUR/17 USD).

The drinks and food are served on a large silver tray by waiters who are classically dressed in white uniforms and dote on you throughout your entire time at Caffè Florian. The service is simply flawless. The staff are exceptional, loyal and proud to promote and represent Caffè Florian.

Enjoy the spectacular orchestra perform in the day and night

At different periods of time, during the day and night, there is a spectacular orchestra within Caffè Florian that performs for guests. The orchestra is based at the front of the café ahead of the outdoor seating. Guests are provided with a card which states the music that is to be played during their time at Caffè Florian and the cost for experiencing such a performance. The cost is 6 EUR/7 USD per person, which in our view is a reasonable amount. How many places can you visit where you are sitting in a world-famous square, relaxing and having a concert for this amount? The 6 EUR/7 USD is charged in addition to your bill for any drink or food that you order (for the first time that you visit).

The orchestra plays a wide repertoire of music and happily accepts requests from guests. During the daytime, the musical performances make Saint Mark’s Square feel even more electric, powerful and draw dropping. At nighttime, the illuminated stars and the lit up buildings surrounding the square appear even more enchanting and charming than in the daytime. There is no better way than to enjoy a few moments in Venice than by sitting in the iconic Caffè Florian and enjoying the sounds of the musicians.