Florian
Hours: Closed Wednesday. (B2).
The oldest café in town, from 1720, the most famous in the world after Caffè Greco in Rome. It is in a few parallel rooms at the southern side of Piazza San Marco. The decorations are from the 19th C., lots of mirrors and frescos under glass on the walls and in the ceiling. Guests sit under bronze lamps on well worn, red upholstered banks at marble tables on a creaky parquet floor.
Formerly this was the meeting place of artists from all over the world, especially musicians, who often lived for a while in Venice. In off-season it is cozy to take the morning newspapers to Florian for a prolonged morning coffee. The atmosphere then is peaceful, imbued by earlier centuries. This is the best place for idleness in town. Service is good inside, less so outside.
Quadri
Hours: Closed Monday. (B2).
The other of the two world famous cafés at Piazza San Marco. This one is more refined and a shade less expensive, on the northern side of the piazza. It has table linen, upholstered and soft benches along the walls, and chairs all over the place. Columns divide the room into two parts. It is characterized by painted decorations and mirrors on the wall. Service is good inside.
1996
© Jónas Kristjánsson
