Avoid like the plague. We went for the experience and knew it would be expensive but what a rip off.....£16 for a bowl of luke warm soup ( complete with hair in it )£33 for a plate of scampi fritters ( all 8 of them.....so very over rated.

Go for the Bellinis and the atmosphere, not for the food. You won't be disappointed, IMO.

Agree with Boots...I walked into Harry's knowing it would be horribly pricey and not caring. Drank a couple of Bellinis and ate bar sandwiches, watching the glittering crowd come and go. As a literature major and Hemingway fan, it was something I just had to do. Papa would probably turn right around and head out the door and look for something a little less pretentious, these days, but it was still an experience not to be missed, and worth the $$ in my opinion. But I definitely wouldn't go to Harry's for the food.

Don't wear shorts to Harry's. I tried to get in for a beer last year. Temp outside was sizzling. My buddy had slacks on and was okay. They told me I could not enter with shorts. We went to hotel next door with great patio on the canal and watched the gondolas pick up people while we drank beer and waited for the wives to get shopped out.Had a great time and better than indoor at Harry's.

Good afternoon to all: <BR>Have returned to Harrys Bar and Harry <BR>Cipraubu ub BTC, both a nynber if tunes, <BR>True it is an expensive ristorante, but <BR>have to say, have enjoyed the food on <BR>all past occasions. For those on a <BR>lesser budget and still wish to have <BR>the Harrys experience, they have a reasonable tourist menu both in Venice <BR>and in NYC.. If you get as far as the <BR>desserts you will find some very exceptional ones. Harrys' is like <BR>Venice, one either loves it or hates <BR>it, to ones on choice. <BR>Richard of La Grange Park, Il... <BR>

We checked out the menu at Harry's Bar when we were in Venice in June. $15 cocktails and $30 hamburgers. Instead of sitting at the bar at Harry's for a $15 cocktail, have a drink at the outdoor bar of the Gritti Palace Hotel. Drinks are still $15, but you get the most gorgeous view in Venice of the Grand Canal.

My husband and I actually liked Harry's bar. However all we did is sit in the bar and have drinks, tried the bellini's, uck! Stuck with the best screwdriver's ever! We had a great time. Very nice staff, must have taken pity on us because they gave us grilled cheese sandwiches for free! After reading the other posters, I am glad we did not order dinner!

We had read about Harry's Bar and decided to try it for lunch. It was actually quite a pleasant experience. The food was good, not memorable, but good; no surprises about the price, we knew it going in. The atmosphere was casual, there was even a man in shorts in a neighboring table (his party was of about 8 people; that may had made a difference). What made it really special was that Mr. Cipriani came over and talked to us (and to other patrons)for a little while. When we told him we were from NY, he remarked that he had another "Harry's Bar" in NYC. When we finished our lunch a nice waiter brought two sumptuous slices of chocolate cake desserts on the house! Agree with Boots, go for the atmosphere (Hemingway was a regular, so is Woody Allen when in town....) and have a drink for lunch, after all it is VENICE!!

This is one of those rare occasions when I have to agree with everyone! It is fabulously overpriced! It is very snooty. There are certainly better places to eat, although a lot of guide books claim they have the best food in Venice. There are many other places with a better view and probably better drinks, and yet, I wouldn't take away that experience from our trip for anything. <BR> <BR>We were there about 1 1/2 years ago and of course wanted to go where Hemingway had been. So we wandered in around cocktail hour and sat at a table near the bar. I ordered a "famous" Bellini and my girlfriend tried to order a beer. No such luck as they didn't sell beer. So she ordered a whiskey sour. It was by the far the worst bellini I had ever had and the sourest, worst drink she had ever had. And we paid over $30 for the privilege. Somehow, it still seemed all worth while. <BR> <BR>Later we found out that Hugh Grant and Elton John had just been in a few days earlier, which made it seem even better. <BR> <BR>When I was in Venice this March, we didn't eat at Harry's Bar, but my friends had lunch at Cipriani's on Torcello. They said it was by far one of the best meals with the best service they had had anywhere in their travels. <BR> <BR>Finally, after returning last time, I ran across Mr Cipriani's book "Harry's Bar" in Borders. Of course I bought it and read it. If you are a fan or just curious, get it. It tells some very amusing stories about his father and Hemingway and lots of other diners that have passed through over the years. I took it with me on the last trip hoping to get Arrigo to autograph it, but he was in England at the time. I was not as fortunate as Maira who got to meet him. <BR> <BR>Anyway, even if you decide not to stay and drink or eat, at least poke your head in and take a look around. A lot of history of Venice has taken place inside that little unlikely spot.