Caffè Florian

Caffè Florian (Piazza San Marco)

1720 café on St Mark's: hot chocolate to a live band

⚠ €7 pp music charge

Hours

Daily about 09:00–23:00 (OSM); one source says 20:00 on weekdays, so it varies by season

Budget

€20–35 pp

Address

Piazza San Marco 57 (south arcade of the square)

Opened in December 1720 and usually called Italy's oldest café still in business. A string of small rooms with gilt mirrors and painted panels, and on the square a piano, violin and double-bass band plays crowd-pleasing classics. Casanova, Goethe and Dickens all came through. Order the thick hot chocolate.