Where to have a coffee in Piazza San Marco so as not to be fooled. Florian, Quadri and Caffè Lavena, having a coffee here in Piazza San Marco in Venice is like having a coffee in the midst of history and art.
There are three Historic cafes in St. Mark's Square: Florian, Lavena, Quadri. In the 700s the cafes in Piazza San Marco were well 24. The Florian it is located on the south side of Piazza S. Marco, under the Procuratie Nuove, and was opened in 1720 by Floriano Francesconi with the original name “Alla Venezia Trionfante”. It also boasted Giacomo Casanova among its numerous and illustrious customers. Its internal rooms are richly decorated with stuccoes, paintings and mirrors. The Lavena coffee it is located on the north side of Piazza San Marco, not far from the Clock Tower, it was opened in 1750 as "Bottega del Caffè Hungary", but assumed its current name in 1860.
Il Coffee Quadri, not far from Lavena and also with entrance from the Piazza, was opened in 1775. These three rooms have at the disposal of their customers, during the summer, outdoor tables from where you can hear orchestras performing famous musical pieces in Piazza San Marco. The prices of the drinks seated at the tables in the square are not exactly cheap, so I recommend, before finding any nasty surprises at the time of the bill, to check the prices on the price lists exposed to the outside. The prices of drinks at the counter are slightly higher than those of the other bars in the city. Not far from the Florian is the most recent of the clubs in the Piazza, the Aurora coffee.
St. Mark's Square it is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful squares in Italy and having a coffee in a historic place of this type is itself a travel experience that cannot be missed. Stroll in Piazza San Marco, in what has always been the historical and cultural symbol of Venice and having a coffee here, perhaps early in the morning or at the end of the evening, to admire the sunset, is one of the things to put on the list when you decide to embark on a trip to Venice.
Coffee in Venice is not always cheap, sometimes i price lists are updated, sometimes they are not deliberately displayed outside the premises, to attract visitors who are unaware of the coffee prices. Always ask for prices, before booking, it is your right. Probably a coffee in one of the historic bars in Piazza San Marco in Venice it won't cost you 10 euros, maybe sitting at the tables in the Piazza could be, but at the counter it shouldn't happen, but to avoid any doubts, I would ask for the famous price list even before sitting down.
Once there, with your coffee and the wonderful Piazza San Marco in front of you, you will also understand the reason for the history of these noble bars, of the luck they have in having a panorama of this type and why customers, often international, do not miss the opportunity to relax, perhaps just as a ray of sunshine comes out, savoring the strong taste of Venetian coffee.
