Hot Chocolate After-Party at Florian
It’s a tradition in Venice to celebrate the Sunday after the Carnevale with an after-party of chocolate and cakes in the Piazza. The dress code, goes without saying, is a costume.
In the elegant cafes like Cafe Lavena, preferred by Wagner, Frantz Liszt his father in law, and many other artists, Venetians traditionally meet with their friends to comment on the prior night’s balls and private parties.
My favorite hot chocolate in the world is served by the impeccable waiters at the historic Rococo style Cafe Florian on the Piazza San Marco. As I enter the sala degli uomini illustri (room of the illustrious men) where Titian, Goldoni and Marco Polo (prominent Venetian figures) are portrayed in the medallion oil paintings by Carlini. The San Marco alley, Procuratie Nuove, where the cafe is located, slowly, a few minutes after four in the afternoon, becomes the catwalk of pavoneggianti (peacock-ing) guests in superb costumes heading to the cafe in need of the energy refill of chocolate to compensate the last nights efforts.
With my hot chocolate and panna montata (whipped cream), I order a vegetarian club sandwich. Both arrive in less than five minutes on a tray on top of a white linen napkin. I am sitting in the lavish Sala Orientale (Chinese room). I love it!
Sitting at the table next to me is a group of extremely elegant men in 18th century striped-green, burgundy, and blue, tuxedos, black high waist pants and hats, very French. They are celebrating the hot chocolate tradition accompanied by Champagne with much laughter. Awhite wig-ed woman with a pompous miniskirt, high-lace and cotton stockings tied with a satin bow, and delicately embroidered Toile de Jouy print petticoat arrives to join them — already talking about her friend’s dress last night…
They look at me and at my sandwich and they ask in French if they could “borrow” a few chairs from my table. My answer is “Of course, Messieurs (gentlemen) at one condition, and that is if I can take a few pictures of you!”. I then asked ” where you at the Ballo del Doge last night? ” the answer was ” Of course not, we only go to balls which are sympatiques (fun)!”
Well, whatever, snob-ism and “Dangerous Liaisons “are part of the game; and in Venice at Carnival time, we are here to play.
Joelle’s Tips:
The Cafes:
Gran Cafe Lavena:
Caffè Lavena
Piazza San Marco, 133/134
30124 Venezia
Tel (+39) 041 522 40 70
Fax (+39) 041 5200 151
E-mail lavena@lavena.it
Cafe Florian :
Piazza San Marco Venezia
Tel:(+39)041 520 56 41
Fax:(+39) 041
E-mail info@caffeflorian.com
The Movie: Dangerous Liasons
