Restaurant in Venice, Italy
The quieter Harry's Bar. Book it.
Harry's Dolci, the Cipriani group's Giudecca island restaurant, earns its Pearl Recommended 2025 status with Italian Venetian cooking and a canalside terrace that genuinely suits a special occasion. It's easier to book than Venice's trophy restaurants, positioned below Harry's Bar on price, and a better fit for diners who want Venetian authenticity over modernist cuisine. Book the terrace; arrive by vaporetto.
If you're weighing up where to spend a special evening in Venice, the instinct might be to head straight to Ristorante Quadri on Piazza San Marco, or push the budget toward something with Michelin credentials like Glam Restaurant by Enrico Bartolini. Harry's Dolci makes a quieter case: it sits on the Giudecca island away from the tourist circuit, it holds a Pearl Recommended Restaurant award for 2025, and it has accumulated a Google rating of 4.0 from 318 reviews — a volume that suggests real repeat custom, not just passing foot traffic. For a celebration dinner or a considered date night that doesn't demand the high-wire theatre of a tasting menu, this is a serious option.
Harry's Dolci is the sister restaurant to the famous Harry's Bar, the original Cipriani institution near Piazza San Marco. Where Harry's Bar trades heavily on its reputation and its midtown-Manhattan prices for a Bellini, Harry's Dolci takes a more grounded approach: Venetian cooking, a terrace over the Giudecca Canal, and a room that reads as occasion-appropriate without being stiff. Under chef Jonathan Kinsella, the kitchen focuses on Italian Venetian cuisine , the culinary tradition built on lagoon seafood, handmade pasta, and cicheti-influenced sensibility rather than fusion experiment.
For a special occasion in Venice, the Giudecca location is actually an asset rather than a compromise. The vaporetto ride from central Venice takes minutes, and arriving by water to a canalside terrace is the kind of detail that makes a booking feel considered rather than convenient. You won't get the crowd noise and selfie-stick energy of San Marco; you get canal views, kitchen scents drifting from the open service windows, and a pace that suits a long dinner. Compare that to Local, which delivers contemporary Italian craft in a more urban setting, or Oro Restaurant which skews toward modern Italian with a hotel backdrop. Harry's Dolci sits between those registers: recognisably Venetian, reliably accomplished, and booked without the months-long wait that more trophy restaurants in Italy require.
On the wine side, the Cipriani operation has always maintained a serious Italian cellar. Venetian and broader Veneto wines are the natural anchor: expect Soave, Valpolicella, and Amarone from producers who supply to tables that know what they're doing. The wine list at Harry's Dolci is the kind that pairs to the food's register rather than showing off for its own sake , which is the right call for a kitchen grounded in tradition. If wine is a priority for your evening, this matters: a Venetian seafood dinner needs a cellar that takes Soave seriously, not one that treats it as an afterthought. For context on how Italian restaurants at this level approach their cellars, Dal Pescatore in Runate and Uliassi in Senigallia set the benchmark for how Italian regional cooking pairs with a wine program that reflects the same geography as the plate.
Booking here is direct , no multi-week refresh cycles, no tasting-menu-only policy. It does not require the advance planning of, say, Osteria Francescana in Modena or Reale in Castel di Sangro. For Venice in peak season (late spring through September), a reservation is still advisable , the terrace tables fill. Outside peak months, you have more flexibility, but calling ahead remains the sensible move for a special occasion.
Practical details: Reservations: Recommended, particularly for terrace seating; booking ahead for weekend evenings and summer months is advised. Dress: Smart casual is appropriate , Venice's restaurant culture expects a degree of effort, especially for a Cipriani-affiliated address; overly casual dress would feel out of place. Budget: Price range data is not published, but the Cipriani group positions Harry's Dolci below Harry's Bar in terms of price point while remaining clearly in the mid-to-upper range for Venice dining; budget accordingly. Getting there: Vaporetto to Palanca on the Giudecca , a short ride from central Venice stops. Occasion fit: Anniversary dinners, celebratory meals, and date nights with a preference for a Venetian rather than modern-Italian register.
See the comparison section below for how Harry's Dolci sits against its Venice peers.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrys Dolci | Pearl Recommended Restaurant (2025) | — | |
| Local | Michelin 1 Star | €€€€ | — |
| Ristorante Quadri | Michelin 1 Star | €€€€ | — |
| Osteria alle Testiere | World's 50 Best | €€€ | — |
| Trattoria Al Passo | €€€ | — | |
| Il Ridotto | €€€ | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Harrys Dolci and alternatives.
Yes, and it's a sharper choice than the obvious alternatives on Piazza San Marco. Harry's Dolci holds a Pearl Recommended 2025 rating, which puts it in a small group of Venice venues that clear Pearl's bar for quality and experience. The Giudecca location means you get a genuine sense of occasion without the tourist-density of the centro storico. For a special evening with a waterfront feel, it competes directly with Ristorante Quadri on atmosphere, often with less logistical friction.
The venue data doesn't specify a dress code, but Harry's Dolci sits within the Harry's Bar legacy and draws a clientele that typically dresses well. Treat it as you would a serious evening restaurant: polished but not black-tie. Turning up in beachwear or trainers would be a misjudgement. If you're travelling light, neat trousers and a collared shirt or equivalent will read correctly here.
It's on Giudecca island, which means a vaporetto ride from the main island — factor that into your timing, especially for evening reservations when the water taxi option is worth considering. The cuisine is Italian Venetian, so expect dishes rooted in the lagoon tradition rather than pan-Italian crowd-pleasers. Chef Jonathan Kinsella leads the kitchen. Booking ahead is the sensible move: Pearl Recommended restaurants in Venice fill up, particularly in high season.
The venue record doesn't document specific dietary policies, so check the venue's official channels before booking if you have strict requirements. Italian Venetian cuisine is fish and seafood-forward by tradition, which works well for pescatarians but can be limiting for those avoiding seafood entirely. For the most reliable experience, flag restrictions at reservation stage.
Osteria alle Testiere is the strongest alternative if you want a smaller, less formal setting with serious Venetian seafood credentials — it has a long-standing reputation and books out fast. Ristorante Quadri offers comparable occasion dining on Piazza San Marco with Michelin recognition, but at a higher price point and with more tourist footfall. Il Ridotto is a good pick for a more intimate tasting-menu format. Trattoria Al Passo suits a lower-spend, neighbourhood-feel dinner rather than a special occasion.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
