Saber Champagne Over Venice's Grand Canal at This Breathtaking Bar
"Each evening a theatrical ritual marks the transition from day to night: barmen in crisp white jackets wheel a Champagne cart into a rose-lined Italianate garden beside the Grand Canal, and a bottle is ceremonially opened with a saber as guests cheer and toast. The practice, rooted in a Napoleonic legend and adopted by the hotel’s founder in the early 1900s, invites a patron nightly to perform the sabrage, creating a memorable, heritage-steeped moment. Complementing the ritual is an experiential beverage program that includes a roaming spritz trolley offering clear, red, orange and the popular Pink Spritz (sparkling wine, grapefruit liqueur and aromatic rose essences) inspired by Venetian sunsets, plus a notable Santa Maria Bloody Mary made with clarified tomato juice, misted local grappa and presented in a glass modeled on the basilica’s dome. Together with bespoke glassware and curated service, these touches emphasize storytelling, place and occasion right on the water’s edge." - Regan Stephens
