Different year, same story: Clooney. Knightley. You. No, not your annual white party—it’s the Venice Film Festival. So when you find yourself at Cipriani, drinking spritzes with a Gosling ex, consider these spots your next move. You’ll have to try to <em>not</em> run into James Franco.
You may have stopped by last year, when this place’s champagne bar was turned into a Bungalow 8 pop-up. (Or when you hung out with Depp during the filming of The Tourist.) We’re sworn to secrecy re: this year’s festivities, but fear not: the giant outdoor chess set remains.
Bauers Venezia: a classic. The lounge has played host to Bond, Sting and nearly the entire cast of The Merchant of Venice. Get there early, settle into a club chair and practice your acceptance speech for the Golden Lion.
Of the places run by the Cipriani clan, this is the most remote. So after a day meandering the canals on your private gondola, pull into the restaurant’s dock for a pre-after-party dinner. Just be careful about gondola-ing under the influence.
Angelina and Johnny checked into this gilded, polished hotel—housed in three palazzi— in The Tourist. If you don’t have the drama-ridden love affair thing in you this time around, check in for the Grand Canal views and lobby drinks at Bar Dandolo. Watch out for paparazzi.
Your environs: design-y. Your neighbors: socialites, artsy types, galleristas. Your mission: share a quarto of prosecco with two or three of those neighbors before ramping up your evening out. Your evening: officially off to a great start...
