Cip's Club — Restaurant in Venice

Cip's Club had promised a memorable dining experience, but unfortunately, it fell far short of expectations, mostly due to subpar service from the staff.

From the moment I stepped into the restaurant, they provided an experience that ultimately felt unwelcome. If I truly did something that was so egregious and offensive, they should have asked me to leave instead of continuing to accept my money and provide an abysmal experience. We ordered several cocktails, one appetizer, a pasta, and a main course (the signature steak for two that costs 150 euros).

The appetizer and pasta were fabulous, full stop. No complaints here. Exactly what I would expect from a restaurant of this caliber. The steak, however, was embarrassing. After bringing it out to the table to cut, it was sitting there getting cold for about five minutes with bugs flying all around while they tried to find plates and a knife. As they were cutting it, I noticed they had left quite a bit of steak on the bone, but whatever, I was going to be full either way. Then I looked at the steak, which I ordered medium rare. This steak was medium at best, and probably more toward medium well. The very largest pieces were edible, though they were very tough. I had to ask for assistance cutting since it was so tough. The smaller pieces were like chewing on a rotting old tire.

After bringing this to the attention of the staff, they kind of just got uncomfortable and walked away without any further acknowledgement. Not what I expect for up there with the most expensive steaks I’ve ever ordered. Anyways, $450 USD later for a meal for two people, we had a completely embarrassing disappointment. Don’t go here—we were much happier with a decent meal that cost a fraction of this abysmal affair.

There was a silver lining in this otherwise disappointing evening—the view, the beef carpaccio, and the pasta. I must admit that the view from Cip's Club was nothing short of breathtaking… It almost managed to distract me from the inadequacies of the restaurant itself.

In conclusion, Cip's Club proved to be overall disheartening. With rude staff, an overcooked steak, and a price tag that defies reason, it is clear that this establishment prioritizes profits over the satisfaction of its patrons. Photo below, which gives the steak a lot more color than it...

Unfortunately, my experience at Cip’s Club was deeply disappointing and far below the standards I expected from a Cipriani-branded establishment.

Upon arrival—after a 15-minute taxi ride—we were abruptly stopped at the host stand by a man who appeared to be either the host or manager (gray hair, glasses). Without any welcome or professionalism, he harshly informed us that our attire was “not appropriate” for the “elegance” of the restaurant, as we were not wearing long pants. We were dressed respectably given the extremely hot and humid weather, wearing polos and linen shorts—nothing remotely inappropriate.

He insisted that Cip’s Club had informed our hotel of the dress code earlier that day and claimed it was not the restaurant’s responsibility if the hotel failed to relay the message. This, to me, shows a concerning lack of accountability. Relying on a third party to communicate important dress code policies—especially for a restaurant of this caliber—is poor customer service and a serious flaw in operations. It shifts responsibility away from Cipriani and damages the brand’s image.

What made matters worse was not the policy itself, but the rude, snobbish tone in which it was delivered. Rather than handling the situation with any grace or hospitality, the host made us feel unwelcome and entirely at fault.

We explained that we had a flight that evening and had made this reservation over a month in advance. After much pleading, we were finally seated—but not in the main dining area. Instead, we were given a table tucked away near the kitchen entrance, with no view and no dedicated waiter. The experience felt like a punishment rather than an accommodation.

Ironically, just moments before arriving, we had been discussing the idea of staying at the Cipriani Hotel on a future trip to Venice. After this experience, we no longer plan to dine, stay, or support any property associated with the Cipriani brand.

That said, once seated, the food was well-prepared and flavorful, and the waitstaff themselves were professional and kind. It’s unfortunate that their efforts were undermined by the poor and frankly hostile front-of-house experience. A truly elegant restaurant enforces its policies with grace—not...

I made a reservation for Cip’s club very shortly after knowing my partner and I were visiting Venice. Because we got there just before our reservation, we were very lucky and got a front row table by the water. It was one of the most wonderful, beautiful & scrumptious dinners I’ve ever had. We were treated perfectly, our waiter was charming and funny, the food was utterly delicious & worth the money as you can tell, the kitchen take pride into what they are making and want to please the customers. My partner proposed to me here… our waiter very kindly stopped working to film for us & another lovely table took photos for us. This was the best night of my life for many reasons but it would not have been the same anywhere else. A massive thank you to everyone at Cip’s Club that evening for being so kind, welcoming and honestly so perfect. We will be coming here again (hopefully) every year to celebrate. Ignore the bad reviews, we loved every second of being here. The wine selection as well is...