Venice Italy - Caffi Quadri St. Mark's Square
Historic 18th-Century Cafe Famous for Fine Italian Cuisine
Sep 19, 2009
In the 16th century traders were responsible for introducing coffee into Europe. Always eager to find new goods to trade, and with Venice being a major port for trading ships coming in from Arabic and Asian countries, the Venetians became the first to appreciate this strange new drink made from a seed called Kahavè.
First Coffee Shops in Venice
Coffee seeds were brought to Venice where they were roasted and ground, and sold from a special coffee shop. This was the beginning of the first coffee shops. It didn’t take long for the new beverage to catch on and by the 17th-century coffee shops were opening up everywhere. There were 24 such shops in St.Mark's Square alone. They soon became the favorite place among intellectuals to meet, enjoy this strange hot black drink, and to gossip and put the world to rights - much the same as goes on in our coffee shops today.
Venice - Birth of Caffè Quadri
In 1775 the number of cafes on St. Mark’s square had risen to around 34 but this didn’t deter Georgio Quadri. His stood out from all the others because he promised to serve only real Turkish coffee and his shop soon became the place to be seen. He called it the Gran Caffè Quadri and he is credited with being the first to introduce coffee to Venice. Quadri gained a reputation for offering fine service and quality coffee and it's reputation persists today.
In 1830 the café was taken over by the Vivarini brothers who kept the Quadri name and introduced a new aspect by creating elegant dining rooms on the upper floor. The rooms are decorated with fine Venetian furniture and valuable paintings. Dining here by candlelight is something very special.
Caffi Quadra’s Famous Visitors
So many famous people have whiled away the hours at Caffi Quadri, taking in the amazing facade of the Basilica and the people strolling by. Lord Byron was a regular, as were Stendhal, Balzac, and the great composer Richard Wagner who turned up every day for his morning coffee.
Caffi Quadra Today
Today Caffi Quadri is as popular as ever. With the Caffi Orchestra playing and tables set out in full view of the Basilica, not to mention the excellent food (deserts are particularly memorable). This is something quite special. Expensive, but well worth it. It’s such a treat.
The great Venice carnival is held in February each year and the first one is believed to have occurred in 1296. Caffi Quadri is the perfect place from which to view the spectacular parades of original Venetian masks.
If you can't make the carnival, there are many stalls in and around St. Mark's Square that sell exquisite masks at reasonable prices. They make a great present as well as something to wear at Halloween.
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