Carpaccio (alla Cipriani)
Photo: franzconde · CC BY 2.0

History

Carpaccio was invented at Harry's Bar on Calle Vallaresso in 1950 by Giuseppe Cipriani for the Countess Amalia Nani Mocenigo, who was on a doctor-ordered raw-meat diet. Cipriani sliced the beef paper-thin and topped it with a Worcestershire-and-mustard mayonnaise drizzle in geometric pattern. He named it after the 16th-century Venetian painter Vittore Carpaccio, whose retrospective at the Palazzo Ducale was running that same year, because of the resemblance between the red beef and the painter's signature reds. The dish is now globally codified and still served the same way at Harry's Bar.

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Common allergens: Egg, Mustard

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 20 minTotal 40 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 400g lean beef tenderloin, very fresh
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 200ml light olive oil (or sunflower)
  • Sea salt, white pepper
  • A few drops of milk to thin

Method

  1. Wrap the beef tenderloin in cling film and freeze 20 minutes to firm up.
  2. Slice the beef paper-thin with a sharp knife, or use a slicer.
  3. Arrange the slices on chilled plates, covering each plate completely. Cover with cling film and refrigerate.
  4. Whisk the egg yolks with the mustard, Worcestershire, lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
  5. Drizzle in the olive oil slowly, whisking continuously, until the sauce thickens. Thin with a few drops of milk to a drizzling consistency.
  6. Just before serving, drizzle the sauce in a geometric pattern over the beef. Finish with white pepper.

Tip from the editors. The beef must be very fresh and butcher-grade; raw meat from supermarket pre-pack is not safe for carpaccio.

Where to eat carpaccio (alla cipriani)

Carpaccio (alla Cipriani) in Venice

Harry's Bar ★ 4.1

€€ EUR 50-120BrunchCipriani family brunch

Harry's Bar on Calle Vallaresso serves the canonical Cipriani-style brunch with Bellini, carpaccio and risotto, the historic-bar lunch since 1931 near San.

OrderBellini, beef carpaccio, risotto alla primavera

TipThe downstairs bar takes walk-ins and works for a Bellini at €22. The upstairs dining room needs a booking through OpenTable.

Bistrot de Venise ★ 4.2

€€ EUR 35-80BrunchRenaissance-recipe lunch carte

Bistrot de Venise near San Marco runs the only Renaissance-recipes lunch carte in Venice, with 14th-century Anonimo Veneziano dishes for a fascinating brunch.

OrderRenaissance saor of sole, medieval risi e bisi

TipThe historic-tasting carte needs 48 hours' notice. Lunch service runs 12:00-15:00.

Quadri 1 ★ ★ 4.6

€€€€ Tasting €220ItalianChef Silvio Giavedoni

Quadri in Piazza San Marco holds 1 Michelin star in the 2026 guide, the Alajmo-family room on the upper floor of the historic Grancaffe with Venetian lagoon.

Book3 weeks ahead

Bar Longhi ★ 4.4

€€€ Cocktail barHotel cocktail bar

Bar Longhi inside The Gritti Palace on Campo Santa Maria del Giglio is the Murano-lamp bar with the Pietro Longhi 18th-century paintings, the canonical Grand.

DrinkBellini Longhi, Negroni at the Gritti

FoodBar snacks, the Gritti's afternoon tea

TipThe patio with the Grand Canal view runs spring through autumn. Cocktails start around €22; the Longhi Bellini variant is the move.

Locanda Cipriani ★ 4.4

€€€€ ItalianLagoon Islands

Locanda Cipriani on Torcello is the 1934-founded Cipriani-family lagoon outpost that Hemingway used for lunch, the canonical garden-restaurant on the silent.

OrderRisotto alla torcellana, carpaccio Cipriani, the daily fish baked in the garden's wood oven.

TipClosed Tuesdays and the whole of January. Ferry 12 from Fondamente Nove, 45 minutes. Book outdoor garden tables when you reserve.

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