Harry's Bar — Restaurant in Venice

Rarely do I leave bad reviews on google, in fact this may be the only 1 star I ever give. But this place deserves it to the full extent. I am in Venice with my mum celebrating her birthday, this is day 2 of our 2 day itinerary before leaving first thing tomorrow morning. We had the day set out and planned, and we had just left the island of Murano, which is a 1 hour boat ride away to specifically come to Harry’s bar as mum’s new favourite drink is the Venetian Bellini. Where else to go but the home of the Bellini, or so I thought…

We arrive at the door of Harry’s bar, looking forward to this Bellini for the whole duration of the boat ride (I wasn’t even going to have one, but as it’s mum’s birthday I was happy to pay for whatever she wanted), and upon entering, to my bewilderment get told, very rudely I should add, that we could not enter at all because I was wearing shorts (smart ones!), and it was after 6pm so I didn’t meet the dress code?!

It was 33 degree heat outside all day, and I’d not seen a single person wear trousers all day I can certainly attest to that!!

I thought they might have made an exception for all the circumstances aforementioned. But no, I stood there in complete and utter shock as to what I was told I genuinely had to ask 3 times that I was actually being turned away at the door (not one to usually state this fact but I was dressed in a smart designer shirt, shorts and trainers), and my mum of course dressed nicely for her birthday in Venice.

Worst experience I’ve ever come across for a hospitality venue, and I’ve worked in enough in my life and lived in enough countries and visited enough places to count hundreds, if not thousands.

Never ever will I be coming here again and I would refer any and all of my friends and contacts away from here, to the much more hospitable (and incredibly scenic) welcoming Hotel Monaco right next...

Such a disappointment. I visited Harry's 20 years ago and it was wonderful, now it is terrible. Let's start with the 22 euro Bellinis served in teeny, tiny glasses. In a city that serves delicious Spritzes and freshly squeezed juices for 5 euros, at 22 euros, the experience should be nothing short of perfect. Instead, we had very unfriendly service. Everyone there seemed to really hate their jobs. Our server was wearing a dirty uniform. The noise from the kitchen was so loud! The manager had to continuously tell the kitchen staff to be quiet. The women's bathroom was not clean (even at 11:00). We arrived when the place opened and the dining room was not ready for service. Our server decided to clean all the tables and rearrange the chairs while guests were trying to enjoy their overpriced cocktails and the whole dining room smelled like the chemicals he was cleaning the tables with. The house phone has a terribly obnoxious ring, and of course never stopped ringing. Turn down the volume! The furniture was SO beat up (not in a charming way). With the prices they are charging, the furniture can be refinished. I have absolutely no problem paying high prices, but the experience MUST match the price! The place is now a tourist trap. I don't care who drank there in the past, I can promise you they would not drink there now. Also when I paid the bill, the older crabby waiter didn't even say thank you. It was as if it was my privilege to be there. Nothing but attitude. I wish I could...

Serious Warning – Overpriced Tourist Trap and a Disappointing Experience!

We visited Harry's Bar in Italy, and from the moment we walked in, it was an unpleasant experience. The place looked old and unkempt, and despite not being busy, no one approached us for several long minutes.

We had heard that this place invented carpaccio, so we decided to give it a try. 70 euros for a carpaccio? We expected something extraordinary, but what we got was a below-average dish that absolutely did not justify the outrageous price.

Then came the drinks. The waiter asked if we wanted soda. We assumed it was either complimentary or reasonably priced. Imagine our shock when we saw that a glass of soda cost 10 euros!

And the worst part? The bill. After realizing how overpriced everything was, we were handed a bill with a 20-euro service charge – 10 euros per person! For what exactly? The service was slow, unfriendly, and definitely not worth this fee.

Final Price Breakdown:

Carpaccio: 70 euros

Soda: 10 euros

Service Charge: 20 euros

Total – 110 euros for carpaccio and soda!

Bottom Line – This is a blatant tourist trap! The prices are outrageous, the food is average at best, the service is poor, and the bill is completely unreasonable. Avoid this place...