Breakfast On The Grand Canal Is Venice’s Best-Kept Secret

24.05.2024 - 17:59 / forbes.com

The best Venice advice: spend as much time as possible on the Grand Canal. Most restaurants on this famed stretch of water aren’t going to offer you the culinary highs that the surroundings deserve. And - if you manage to grab a table near the water - the chances are that you’ll be hurried through your meal.

One solution is to visit one of Venice’s grandest hotels for breakfast and you will be able to linger. Thanks to people having room service, there’s less pressure on tables at this time of day than at any other time. The cost - around 60 euros per person - is both expensive for a breakfast - and exceedingly good value for the most perfect parts of Venice. Italian breakfasts - when locals indulge - tend towards cakes and pastries, but you’ll find the buffets groaning with fruit, meats and cheeses, as well as cooked dishes. One essential though - a reservation.

The terrace of the Gritti Palace - the most famous on the Grand Canal - has a joyous amount of space for a leisurely breakfast plus views of Santa Maria della Salute. Mornings bring sunshine (there are, of course, plenty of parasols for shade). You stand more of a chance of getting a reservation if you’re coming here in the off-season. The same applies to the St Regis a few palazzos away, which, thanks to a collaboration with the Italian luxury homewares company Ginori, is looking especially pretty. Views from the terrace of the Hotel Monaco and Grand Canal, at the mouth of the Grand Canal, next to San Marco, are the most expansive in Venice.

Housed in the staggeringly beautiful 16th-century Palazzo Papadopoli, the Arva restaurant at Aman Venice spills out into one of the loveliest gardens in the Grand Canal and you’ll be able to linger here. On Sunday, brunch lasts from 11am until a delightful 4pm with dishes including scrambled egg with crab, lobster benedict and pancakes.

Even the Hotel Cipriani - pretty much Venice’s most exclusive hotel - allows non-resident guests in for breakfast. The hotel with the most extravagant footprint in Venice, breakfast is served on the terrace overlooking San Giorgio Maggiore island, shaded by blue and white striped parasols. With a choice of 10-strong honey menu, a custard-filled Veneziana pastry, as well as all the classic cooked dishes you might want. Breakfast here will set you up for exploring the city’s satellite island of Giudecca - and possibly for life.

The Venice Venice hotel in the Palazzo Ca’ da Mosto, which opened in 2023 is the hipster choice. And in a daring, rule-breaking way actually tells people that they can come for breakfast. Saving yourself from actually having to visit the buffet, wait staff in striped tops bring trollies laden with croissants and baked goods before guests tuck into