Bar Longhi at The Gritti Palace

Bar Longhi is the glamorous cocktail bar of The Gritti Palace, a fifteenth-century palazzo on the Grand Canal in the San Marco district of Venice. Named after the eighteenth-century Venetian painter Pietro Longhi, the room is a jewel box of antique Murano glass, gilt-framed mirrors, hand-painted panels and a marble bar, while the adjoining canal-side terrace offers one of the most coveted views in the city — directly across the water to Santa Maria della Salute. The crowd is well-heeled and international: hotel guests, couples marking a special occasion, and visitors willing to pay for the setting. Dress is smart-casual to elegant; while there is no rigid code, polished resort attire suits the room and the terrace far better than beachwear. The atmosphere is refined and unhurried rather than loud, with discreet background music rather than a DJ programme. The drinks programme centres on classic cocktails executed with precision, and the house signature is the Bellini — Prosecco and fresh white-peach purée — the drink invented in Venice at nearby Harry's Bar and served here in a suitably opulent setting. Expect an extensive list of spirits, Champagne and Venetian aperitivi alongside polished bar snacks. Prices match the address and the view: a signature cocktail sits firmly in the luxury bracket, typically in the region of twenty to thirty euros or more, and the terrace commands a premium. The bar generally opens from late morning or midday through the evening, with the terrace busiest at sunset when the light on the Salute is at its best. Reservations are strongly recommended for terrace tables, particularly in high season and around sunset, and there is no bottle-service or club element — this is a sophisticated hotel bar rather than a nightspot. For visitors seeking a once-in-a-trip Venetian aperitivo with a postcard view, Bar Longhi delivers a memorable, if expensive, experience.