In the splendid garden and neo-Gothic rooms of Palazzo Franchetti in Venice, the gastronomic project of Moro Venice comes to life, a café and restaurant born from a love at first sight by Davide Bisetto and Tim Ricci for this magical corner of the city.
All that was missing was a dream café in this incredibly romantic place in Venice, and finally, in 2024, chef Davide Bisetto and pastry chef Tim Ricci, together with the Venetian entrepreneur by adoption Paolo Liu, created it.
The location is, in fact, Palazzo Franchetti, owned by the Veneto Institute of Sciences, Letters and Arts, nestled between the Grand Canal, the Accademia Bridge and a lush garden accessed by a large Art Nouveau gate flanked by the famous Angolo Fiorito flower shop, one of the most evocative views of Venice.
We fell in love with this unique location in Venice and wanted to transform it into a meeting place, taste and culture open all day.
Built in the second half of the 15th century, the building’s current appearance is due to Baron Raimondo Franchetti, from whom it takes its name, who together with his wife Sarah Luisa de Rothschild restored it at the end of the 19th century, making it perhaps the most beautiful example of neo-Gothic style in Venice, with the famous monumental staircase created by Camillo Boito.
It is the love for this unique context that pushed Davide Bisetto and Tim Ricci to become passionate about the project, after meeting by pure chance. An exceptional couple: Bisetto, the first Italian to receive two Michelin stars in France, and then one at the Oro restaurant of the Belmond Hotel Cipriani, and Ricci, a famous alchemist pastry chef (not joking, he has a degree in pharmacy) who contributed to the achievement of three Michelin stars, one for each opening he worked on, including the latest with Vito Mollica’s restaurant Chic Nonna.
Di Moro Cafè took care of everything down to the smallest details, from food to interior design to communication, deciding to give the place a simple name that would pay homage to the history of the city, with the vision of creating an international brand that could express the best of Venetian tradition with contemporary taste.
So for the interiors, under the guidance of architect Eleonora Bonotto, they were inspired by the style and colors of Palazzo Franchetti, with furniture in light shades ranging from ice to gold, Murano chandeliers, Rubelli fabrics, and, for the garden, beautiful green Moorish-style umbrellas.
For the Cafè they have created an offer that was missing in Venice: the emotion of having breakfast like in a Grand Hotel, but with the informal mood typical of bohemian brasseries from beyond the Alps. The menu is varied and delicious: from a selection of delicious viennoiseries, to granola with fruit, to the “Moritozzo”, the icon of the place.
A dessert of “Renaissance” grandeur made with sourdough, a heart of caramelized hazelnut praline, cream and mascarpone with a touch of coffee, half covered in a chocolate glaze with hazelnuts. Simply delicious even in its shape, as are the brioches, perfectly soft and round.
In addition to the sweet offerings, the menu also includes savory options: from eggs, such as the Bénédictine made with brioche bread, grilled Praga, hollandaise sauce, and golden trout eggs, and the Omelette with double Asiago and triple bacon, to leavened products such as Puccia Veneziana with creamed cod, olivelle, lamb’s lettuce, lemon, anchovies, up to salads such as the Caprese Ricca with buffalo mozzarella, ox heart, red onion, capers, olives, basil, oregano.
The offering continues in the afternoon with a rich selection of single-portion desserts, perfect for tea time, up to the aperitif time with drinks and cocktails curated by bar manager Claudio Trevisan.
Open from 9 am to midnight, every day, Moro Cafè will accompany you throughout the day, just as it should be for every place of the heart.
And it will not leave you alone even after sunset: the gastronomic project of Davide Bisetto and Tim Ricci also includes Moro Restaurant located, a few meters from the Cafè, on the wonderful panoramic terrace overlooking the Grand Canal of Palazzo Franchetti. A location of great effect to enjoy the wonders that the exceptional duo Bisetto Ricci manages to create.
It goes without saying, Moro Cafè has already become one of the favorite addresses of all those Venetians who seek beauty and quality as a lifestyle.
The Secret
All of Moro Cafè’s pastry and leavened products are produced in the laboratory located right in front of the garden, curiously inside the Church of San Vidal.
Useful Info
Moro Cafè
Palazzo Franchetti
San Marco 2847
30124 Venezia
Tel. +39 041 0974059
Breakfast tasting menu: 44 euro with a glass of Prosecco
Viennoserie: from 4 euro each
Cafeteria: from 4 euro
Savoury dishes: from 14 euro
Cocktails: from 11 euro
