The historic cafés on the square
Caffè Florian, Gran Caffè Quadri and Caffè Lavena have served customers on St Mark's Square for 250 years or more. All three put tables outside, and in summer the square fills with them. Their histories overlap with the square's own, so it helps to know who is who before you sit down.
This guide is independent. It is not run by any of the cafés, and it does not rank them. It gives the dates and facts the operators publish. Menus and prices change by season, so read the card before you order.
Florian, Quadri and Lavena compared
Dates and addresses as the operators give them.
| Caffè Florian | Gran Caffè Quadri | Caffè Lavena | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 29 December 1720 | 1775 (takeover on 28 May) | 1750 |
| Address | Piazza San Marco 57, under the Procuratie Nuove | Piazza San Marco 121 | Piazza San Marco 133/134, at the foot of the clock tower |
| Hours | Daily 09:00–23:00 | Daily 09:30–00:00 (café only) | – |
| Reservations | No ordinary table reservations | – | – |
The Quadri hours are for the café. The upstairs restaurant has its own schedule, so do not assume the same times.
Tours around St Mark's Square
Walks, tastings and guided visits around the square, with live prices and availability.
Three cafés, three histories
What each operator says about its own past.
Caffè Florian
Floriano Francesconi opened it on 29 December 1720 under the name "Alla Venezia Trionfante". It sits under the Procuratie Nuove at number 57. Florian has no ordinary table reservations, and groups of more than 10 people are asked to write by email. The operator keeps separate table and bar menus and publishes a summer menu for 2026. Ask which menu applies before you sit.
Procuratie and the square →Gran Caffè Quadri
The operator separates two dates. An earlier venue, "Il Rimedio", is traced to 1638. Giorgio and Naxina Quadri took over and reshaped it on 28 May 1775, which is the date for the Gran Caffè. The restaurant upstairs dates from 1830, the Alajmo group has run the house since 2011, and a restoration followed in 2018.
Caffè Lavena
Lavena names 1750 as its start. It stands at numbers 133 and 134, at the foot of the clock tower. Carlo Lavena took it over in 1860, and Wagner was a regular guest from 1879 to 1883. The café's home page currently notes that events are suspended, with no period given. Do not read that as a closure, but ask before you go if you want live music.
The clock tower next door →Florian is often called the oldest café in the world. Such rankings depend on how a café is counted, so this guide does not repeat the claim.
Before you take a table
The cafés are a different situation from the open square. They keep their own menus, hours and terms.
Read the card first
Florian keeps separate table and bar menus. Look at the menu you were given before you order, and ask if you are unsure which one applies.
Ask about music
Some cafés on the square have a stage for live music. Ask whether a music charge applies before you sit, and what it covers. Do not rely on a fixed amount from a blog or a receipt, because the cafés set their own terms.
Plan around the seasons
Seasonal menus change, and the weather decides whether the outside tables are in use. In acqua alta the paving can be wet, so look at the flood guide if you visit in autumn or winter.
Sitting rules do not mean the café
The ban on picnics and sitting on the ground, steps and monuments is about public space. The summary of the rules does not treat café service the same way. Read the rules page for the details.
More on the square
Where the cafés fit in.
History of the square
The Procuratie wings, the Ala Napoleonica and the cafés beneath them.
The clock tower
Reserved visits to the tower above Lavena.
Rules on the square
Pigeons, sitting, eating and fines with their dates.
For the rest of the city, see things to do in Venice.
Historic cafés: frequently asked questions
When is Caffè Florian open?
The operator gives 09:00 to 23:00, every day. The address is Piazza San Marco 57, under the Procuratie Nuove.
Can I reserve a table at Florian?
No ordinary table reservations are taken. Groups of more than 10 people are asked to write to the café by email before they come.
Do the cafés charge extra for music?
Ask the waiter before you sit whether a music charge applies and what it includes. Do not rely on a figure you read elsewhere, because each café sets its own terms.
What are the opening hours of Gran Caffè Quadri?
The café is open daily from 09:30 to 00:00. Those hours are for the café at Piazza San Marco 121. The restaurant upstairs may follow other times.
Which café is the oldest?
By the dates the operators give, Lavena names 1750, Florian opened in 1720 and Quadri dates the Gran Caffè to 1775, with an earlier venue from 1638. The answer depends on whether you count founding or takeover.