Caffè Florian is a small, unassuming place, sat next to Paris Gallery. At the end of a hall, it attracts very little passing trade and tends to get lost among its flashier rivals.
The original Caffè Florian opened on December 29, 1720, under the arcades of the Procuratie Nuove in Piazza San Marco, Venice. While this young pretender doesn’t quite run to the classical concerts and fine views of St Mark’s Cathedral, it does have a certain charm.
Orders are served on a tray with cloth napkins, all the dishes bear the café’s 300-year-old crest, and the cakes are really quite good, despite their long journey down from the bakery in Dubai. There are 14 different coffees and seven teas, including one called Venetian mosaic lavender tea, which sounds quite the antidote to a hard day of shopping – but it’s the Venetian hot chocolate that really stands out. Rich and thick, it goes well with the chocolate tart. Less calorific are the sandwiches, and the club makes an excellent option.
Clearly not wanting to miss a trick in the merchandising department, the café offers an inspired selection of teas, coffees, CDs and porcelain – so if you find no French fancies in the Paris Gallery, pop to Caffè Florian for some Italian items instead.
