DINING OWL AWARD: 3rd – best ambience

When I visited: June 2017

Location: Venice (within Hotel Cipriani)

Rating in the Michelin Guide: Recommended

Dining Owl Hoot rating: 4/5

What to wear: Men – jeans or nice trousers and a shirt; women – jeans and a smart top or a smart dress

Ambience: Stunning view of Venice and canal

Course of the meal: Gnocchi

If I could change one thing: Smaller desserts

Review:

Hotel Ciprani is one of the most glamorous places within the whole of glamorous Venice. It is accessible via designated hotel boats and every bar and restaurant and shop within it is replete with little magic touches.

Cip’s Club is at the back of the hotel, facing back towards Venice. Even the water glasses are beautiful, full of bright strong Venetian colour. My partner Owl and I enjoyed a glass of Sauvignon and a glass of Soave between us, to accompany our traditional pasta – I had a delicious bowl of gnocchi with green beans, pesto and pine nuts; my partner Owl had ravioli with hazelnuts with pecorino cheese and black truffle.

My partner Owl also enjoyed the slightly awkwardly punned ‘cipramissù’ and I had a rich, shallow chocolate creme brûlée. On the table near us, someone had a birthday and was treated to a bonus birthday cake (a whole cake!) and a song.

In a beautiful city, Cip’s Club’s views are almost unparalleled and everything I sampled was delicious too. I would go back there without any hesitation.