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Carnival at Caffè Florian

"No certainty of the future"....Let’s enjoy at the Florian!
Life is on stage at the Florian, let the show begin!
Carnival, celebrated before the beginning of Lent, represents the transition from winter to spring.
It symbolises the natural cycle of renewal, entropy and chaos that make the festival cathartic and regenerative.
A conscious sense of the ephemeral and impermanence animates this time of year.
Florian’s is the essence of the Carnival.
An ideal, totally authentic set, where the fiction of masks comes to life.
It is transformed into a stage and the boundary between the outside and the inside wavers: one no longer knows who is the actor and who is the spectator.
As in a temporal gateway, the Café rediscovers itself as ‘Venice Triumphant’ and everyone, many in the world, wants to be within its walls and furnishings to experience this temporal vertigo.
The authentic, ideal backdrop for the crazy days of masks, parties, and fiction. Caffè Florian will revert, for a time, to its original name Venezia Trionfante, or Venice in Triumph, and its amazing story will be told in a thousand different languages, the languages of wonder and marvel.




To observe without being observed thanks to a mask is a privilege that can only be experienced at Carnival.
Immersing oneself in a historical character allows one to experience something out of time and out of oneself.
Astonishment and wonderment hover among the tables where people gather for the once-in-a-lifetime experience


To live the Mardi Gras experience in the monumental halls at Florian, side by side with 300 years of history, is an indelible memory we can all treasure. Fete with us – everyone is a protagonist at our party and every corner of our Caffè mirrors the images of cheer and extravaganza.
A place of delight and a few extra days of licentiousness never hurt anybody, so take your time to enjoy every moment of happiness.



Massimo Di Capua captures the intriguing and sensual atmosphere of Carnival at the Florian.
To subvert the rules and change one’s view of the world, one puts on the shoes of another in order to observe reality from another point of view.

"Venice Carnival" by Stefano Petrella
Florian Chef recommends...
For Carnival Days, our Chef suggests a special platter of beignets (‘frittelle’) and angel wings (‘galani’) – which are typical of the season since time immemorial.
The origin of galani can be traced back to ancient Roman times, who made similar fried pastry, sweetened with molasses or honey. One of the oldest recipes for frittelle we have lists flour, goat milk, rose water, saffron, and raisins for the dough, which is then fried in lard. Today, the dough is prepared in similar fashion, though we use oil instead of lard and the taste is much more gentle.
There is no Carnival without frittelle and galani!

Traditional Galani prepared by the Florian's Chef



Traditional galani prepared by the Florian's Chef
CURIOSIOUS ABOUT THE CARNIVAL DELICACIES IN THE VENETIAN TRADITIONS?
Discover the cookbook “Caffè Florian Delicacies”!