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On a Friday in 1931, Giuseppe Cipriani opened "Harry's Bar" on the first
floor of an abandoned rope warehouse in Venice.
It was only 50 square meters, but it was right on the St. Mark's bay waterfront,
next to the most beautiful square in the world.
A handful of round tables and comfortable chairs, everything was in proportion,
even the plates, cutlery and glasses.
Small, but tasteful, relaxed and well-balanced, in the 69 years that have
followed its opening, Harry's Bar has become one of the most famous restaurants
in the world, catering to kings and queens, artists and anyone appreciating
fine Italian, or rather Venetian, cuisine.
The first, situated on the corner of 59th Street and Fifth Avenue, was
opened by Arrigo Cipriani in 1985. It has the same feel and style of its
predecessor and naturally, the same clientele. In 1996, Giuseppe Cipriani,
Arrigo's son and the grandson of Giuseppe (the founder of Harry's Bar)
opened "Downtown". The restaurant is for young people, like Giuseppe,
and the cuisine too has adapted itself to the lively atmosphere. You can
find it in the charming Soho district, the artist's quarter, where Prince
Street meets Broome. In the summer you can even eat out on the enchanting
terrace, which brings a breath of Venice to the chaos of New York. Today,
the Cipriani group runs two restaurants in Venice and three in New York with the addition of the legendary Rainbow Room.
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And like Hemingway and Orson Welles, all lovers of cocktails and bar
life. Today in Venice, on the Giudecca, there is also Harry's Dolci.
In the far corner of the island, next to the old Stucky mill, in an
oasis of tranquillity, a line of tables runs along the front of the
largest canal in Venice, originally built for large ships and ferries.
Here while enjoying one of the many "Cipriani" recipes, the eye and
not just the palate can indulge in the joys of Venice.
On the other side of the Atlantic, Harry Cipriani and DownTown in New
York recreate the well-loved
atmospheres of the Venetian bars.
There is also "Cipriani 42nd street", previously the famous headquarters
of the Bowery Savings Bank, a national landmark situated opposite Grand
Central Station.
The building dates from 1921 and is remarkable for its magnificently
monumental and ornate architecture.
Its size is ideal for any kind of event that calls for a little glamour
and elegance. The rooms can hold over a thousand people.
The marble floor mosaics recall the splendors of St. Mark's basilica
and the 30 meter high columns, the glory of a Greek temple.
Even if the Ciprianis are convinced that true luxury is a question of
simplicity, the sheer size of 42nd Street gives it that extra. something.
Cipriani is also a range of home-based food products. In 1988 Arrigo
and his wife decide to create a food company with the aim of developing
the techniques acquired in over fifty years of restaurant life. They
therefore established "Cipriani Industria" which offers a range of top
quality products distributed all over the world. The number of packs
is limited, because production is deliberately kept at the level of
a home-based industry. Despite this expansion, Cipriani remains a family
enterprise, with all the characteristics that this entails, all closely
supervised by Arrigo and his son Giuseppe. Their personal touch and
their presence is what makes the "Cipriani experience" so unique.
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