Harry's Bar

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Harry's Bar is a bar and restaurant located in Venice, Italy.

It was opened in May 1931, by bartender Giuseppe Cipriani and named Harry's Bar after the American Harry Pickering, an early business partner of Cipriani, instrumental to setting up this bar. When Giuseppe Cipriani opened a hotel in 1958, he turned over the running of the bar to his son Arrigo Cipriani.

Harry's Bar has long been frequented by famous people, and it was a favourite of Ernest Hemingway.

Harry's Bar claims credit for the invention of the Bellini and Carpaccio.

A Bellini is 2/3 of dry Prosecco and 1/3 parts white peach juice.

Present-day owner Arrigo Cipriani explains that the Carpaccio was first served to the countess Amalia Nani Mocenigo. It consisted of thin slices of raw beef dressed with a mustard sauce. The dish was named Carpaccio by Giuseppe Cipriani, in reference to the Venetian painter Vittore Carpaccio, because the colours of the dish reminded him of paintings by Carpaccio.^[1]

Harry's Bar is also famous for their Dry Martini, which are served in a small glass without a stem. Their Dry Martinis are very dry, apparently with the ratio of 10 parts gin to 1 part Vermouth. This is an adaptation of the Montgomery Martini. A Montgomery is simply a very dry Dry Martini, mixed to the proportion of 15 parts gin to 1 part dry Vermouth. The Montgomery is named after General Montgomery, who liked to have a 15 to 1 ratio of own troops against enemy troops on the battle field. Ernest Hemingway is said to be the first person to order a Montgomery at Harry's Bar.