The story of the Cipriani family begins in earnest in Venice back in 1931. Giuseppe Cipriani was a bartender who was working in a little hole in the wall, out of the way bar on a dead end street in Venice. But Giuseppe Cipriani had bigger plans. His philosophy was to establish a place where the customer never feels oppressed by décor, treats customers as guests, be humble, kind, and unpretentious. Before long his little bar/restaurant was attracting glitterati from around the world. His customers included folks like Ernest Hemingway, Sinclair Lewis, Orson Wells, Joe DiMaggio, Aristotle Onassis, and George Clooney to name just a few.
Clearly, Giuseppe Cipriani knew what he was doing and within two years he built the Hotel Cipriani, which was to become the No. 1 luxury hotel in the world. I stayed at the Hotel Cipriani back in the 1990s and I recall being brought to tears by the beauty of the place. Roses in silver vases along every hallway, the smell of flowers from the gardens wafting in through the windows, the sound of church bells in the distance and the sight of gorgeous women lounging topless around the pool all day long.
Since those times the Cipriani brand has become a global force in the luxury hotel business with five-star destinations in New York, London, Saint-Tropez, Monaco, Dubai, Los Angeles and Hong Kong.
And so wasn’t I delighted to be invited by my niece Lucia to visit her at Harry’s Table by Cipriani on the West Side of Manhattan. I had never been to this particular part of Manhattan. It was at 235 Freedom Plaza S. which is at the far west end of 60th Street. And just like Harry’s Bar in Venice, which was out of the way and not easy to find, Harry’s Table by Cipriani was an adventure to locate.
We parked and walked. We passed the gigantic CBS headquarters and made a right turn and suddenly it was there. The 28,000-square-foot design by Martin Brudnizky was inspired by traditional Italian streets with their local vendors selling cheeses, meats, coffee, gelato pastries, pizza and home-made pasta. The Ciprianis have come a long long way from the 15-by-30-foot hole, a former rope factory, which housed Harry’s Bar in Venice.
Harry’s Table by Cipriani is the quintessence of all that is great about Italy. It is warm, welcoming, stylish and unassuming. And the table we sat at overlooked a beautiful grass-covered piazza, surrounded by an historic old church and a few post-modern looking buildings. The food was Italian, which means it was tasty, satisfying and comforting. And though I did not spy any celebrities on this Sunday, I am certain that all those CBS television celebs make Harry’s Table by Cipriani a regular spot for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
The Cipriani empire is now four generations old. It has been said that the Federico Fellini film “La Dolce Vita” gave Rome its identity. This can also be said of the Cipriani Empire. By successfully exporting the style, warmth, friendliness and elegance of Italy, this family has helped the world understand what it means to be Italian. Marcello Mastroianni, Giancarlo Giannini and their American counterparts Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino showed us what it is to be Italian through their films. The Ciprianis show us the quintessence of Italy with food. So go into Manhattan and get a nice taste of la dolce vita.
