Throughout its long history, Hotel Doge and Cavalletto has welcomed personalities from all over the world. Among them was Winston Churchill, symbolizing the international elegance that has always defined Venice and its most representative places.
In Venice, ordering “un’ombra” means asking for a glass of wine. The origin of this expression dates back to St. Mark’s Bell Tower, when wine merchants moved their stalls following the shadow of the tower in order to keep the wine cool during warmer days.
From a simple practical habit, the “ombra de vin” became one of the most authentic rituals of Venetian conviviality.
Today an international symbol of the Italian aperitif, the Spritz traces its roots back to Venice during Austro-Hungarian rule. Austrian soldiers, unaccustomed to the strength of Venetian wines, used to “spray” water into their glasses to make the wine lighter.
From that gesture came the term “Spritz,” destined to become the quintessential Venetian cocktail.
Long before the modern concept of finger food existed, Venice already had its cicchetti: small bites served in traditional bacari, designed to accompany wine and conversation.
Cicchetti are not merely a gastronomic tradition, but a true Venetian social ritual: stopping, sharing, talking, and experiencing the city without haste. Even today, they remain one of the most authentic expressions of Venetian culture and the art of the aperitif.
