Caffe Florian in Venice: Our visit to this magical Venetian venue featured in Tea Time Magazine

January/February issue of Tea Time Magazine features our visit to Caffe Florian in Venice, Italy

A year ago  last October, we visited Caffe Florian, a three-hundred year old coffee and tea shop in the heart of Venice. Caffe Florian, like the city itself, is magical and its history is as delicious as its afternoon tea and you can find the tale of both in the January/February issue of Tea Time Magazine.

Enjoying afternoon tea  with Anna Rita, Corner Shop Manager at Caffe Florian

I first heard of Caffe Florian from my good friend Pam B., fellow tea and travel-enthusiast and member of the BTS team. She highly recommended we take tea in this historic venue in St. Mark's Square when we began planning our trip to Italy early in 2017.

I arranged afternoon tea for three (my husband, Chris, daughter, Rachel, and myself) courtesy Corner Shop Manager, Anna Rita Panebianco. She is warm and bubbly and we became fast friends over Caffe Florian's signature teas and scrumptious sweets and savories. Ann Rita shared the story of Caffe Florian from its humble beginnings in the late eighteenth century to its current lavish accommodations which feature gilded frames and mirrors, plush velvet seating and marble tables - the latter are not only beautiful but, with their swivel design for easy access,  practical as well.

Afternoon tea at Caffe Florian

The footprint of Caffe Florian extends beyond the brick and mortar to an outdoor patio that borders the famous city square. An orchestra stationed between the patio and the square plays throughout the day and evening, adding some musical icing to the exquisite "café cake".

There's so much to take in besides afternoon tea at Caffe Florian. There's a full menu to select from and a great deal to view, including the infinity mirror that allows you to, if positioned correctly, see yourself and the café several times over.

The infinity mirror inside Caffe Florian

Anna Rita demonstrates the practical design of the marble tables.

The personality and ambiance are all part of the charm of this unique tea room.  It's magical  and one-of-a-kind like Venice itself.

The outside of Caffe Florian

For more of the incredible history and account of famous visitors throughout the centuries (including Casanova and Hemingway) be sure to pick up the most recent edition of Tea Time Magazine.

Caffe Florian, like Venice itself, is magical and unique!