Cipriani

Cipriani S.A. is a family-controlled luxury hospitality and leisure company domiciled in Luxembourg and rooted in Venice. Its history begins with Harry's Bar, founded in Venice in 1931 by Giuseppe Cipriani. The original bar became internationally recognized for its restrained Venetian setting, traditional Italian cooking and association with prominent cultural and public figures. It is also credited with the creation of the Bellini cocktail and the dish known as carpaccio, both of which helped turn the venue into a reference point for Italian hospitality. The business expanded from a single Venetian bar into a broader collection of restaurants, hotels, event spaces, clubs and residences. Giuseppe Cipriani built the Hotel Cipriani in Venice in 1958, extending the family's presence from food and beverage into luxury accommodation. The family later faced complications over the use of the Cipriani name: rights to the name's trademark were sold in 1967, contributing to later disputes with other hospitality businesses using or controlling the mark. International expansion under the Cipriani name began in New York in 1985 with Harry Cipriani at the Sherry-Netherland Hotel. Although the family initially faced eviction from the hotel, it opened the nearby Cipriani Bellini bar and eventually returned to the property. New York subsequently became one of the group's most important markets, with operations and properties associated with landmarks including 55 Wall Street, 110 East 42nd Street, 25 Broadway, Grand Central Terminal and the Battery Maritime Building. The group also operated the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center for a period, before its relationship with the building's owner ended in a labor and tenancy dispute. Cipriani's operating model combines restaurant and bar service with large-scale events, destination hospitality, private clubs, real-estate-linked venues and branded residences. Its locations have included Venice, New York, London, Miami Beach, Ibiza, Porto Cervo, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Mexico City, Monaco, Saint-Tropez and Punta del Este. The venues generally emphasize formal service, recognizable interiors, classic Italian dishes and a highly controlled brand environment rather than rapid mass-market expansion. The company has also experienced legal, labor and financial challenges. In the United States, the family settled a tax-evasion case in 2007 involving state and city taxes. Its operation of the Rainbow Room generated a long-running dispute with unionized employees and later with the property owner. In the United Kingdom, a court ruled that the London restaurant's use of the Cipriani name infringed trademark rights associated with the Hotel Cipriani; the venue was subsequently renamed C. The group also abandoned a proposed redevelopment of New York's Pier 57 after project partners withdrew. In 2025, reported financial pressure connected with property developments in Uruguay and Dubai led to significant lending support from French entrepreneur Xavier Niel. Arrigo Cipriani, Giuseppe Cipriani's son, is identified as the majority owner, while his son Giuseppe Cipriani has served as the principal business manager.

Cipriani S.A.'s history is conventionally traced to 1931, when Giuseppe Cipriani founded Harry's Bar in Venice. The business story associated with the bar recounts Cipriani's relationship with Harry Pickering, an American customer who later returned to Venice after receiving financial assistance from Cipriani and provided capital for the opening of a bar named after him. Whatever the precise details of the anecdote, Harry's Bar became the foundational institution of the Cipriani hospitality tradition. The Venetian bar developed a distinctive identity based on simple Italian food, polished service and an intimate but internationally visible setting. It became associated with visiting writers, artists, actors and other public figures. Two enduring culinary and beverage creations are connected with the venue: the Bellini cocktail and carpaccio. These products helped make the name recognizable beyond Venice and gave the company a small set of signature references that could be carried into later venues. In 1958, Giuseppe Cipriani expanded into accommodation by building the Hotel Cipriani in Venice. The family's subsequent relationship with the Cipriani trademark became complicated after rights to the name were sold in 1967. This distinction between the family business, individual venues and trademark ownership later produced litigation in several markets. The international phase began in 1985, when the family opened Harry Cipriani at New York's Sherry-Netherland Hotel. After being evicted within two years, the family opened the nearby Cipriani Bellini bar and later returned to the hotel. New York then became a major platform for the brand's growth. The family acquired and developed landmark properties, including 55 Wall Street and the Bowery Savings Bank building at 110 East 42nd Street. These venues used grand historic interiors to support restaurants, receptions, private events and related hospitality activities. Cipriani also expanded through leases and operating agreements. In 1998 it took over the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center. The venue's operation produced a significant labor dispute after union employees were dismissed; the dispute was settled in 1999 with provisions for recalling displaced workers. In 2009, the relationship with the property owner ended and Cipriani ceased operating the Rainbow Room. The family also pursued the redevelopment of Pier 57 in New York in 2005, proposing a mixed luxury complex with restaurants, retail, events, a museum, a rooftop pool and public space. The project was ultimately abandoned after co-investors withdrew. Allegations made during related testimony that the family had paid the Gambino crime family to resolve union problems were not confirmed, and should be treated as allegations rather than established findings. The company continued international expansion. It opened in London in 2004 and later developed or operated venues in destinations such as Miami Beach, Ibiza, Porto Cervo, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Mexico City, Monaco, Saint-Tropez and Punta del Este. The group also pursued a combination of restaurants, hotels, clubs, residences and property development, making the brand as much a hospitality and real-estate platform as a restaurant chain. Legal and regulatory events shaped the later history. In 2007, Arrigo and Giuseppe Cipriani pleaded guilty to misdemeanor tax evasion concerning state and city taxes and received probation and independent monitoring. In England, litigation over the London restaurant's name culminated in a 2008 High Court ruling, upheld by the Court of Appeal in 2010, that the venue's use of Cipriani infringed trademark rights associated with the Hotel Cipriani. The restaurant was renamed C. Casa Cipriani opened in New York's Battery Maritime Building in September 2021, and the company announced another restaurant in Grand Central Terminal during the same period. By 2025, the business was reported to be under financial pressure related to property developments in Uruguay and Dubai, with Xavier Niel providing substantial loan support. The family's continued ownership and management preserve the company's identity as a privately controlled luxury hospitality house rather than a publicly traded global restaurant corporation.

• 2021

  Casa Cipriani opens

  [1]Cipriani S.A.en.wikipedia.org

  Casa Cipriani opened in New York's Battery Maritime Building, adding a private-club and hospitality destination to the portfolio.

• 2010

  London venue renamed C

  [1]Cipriani S.A.en.wikipedia.org

  Following the loss of a trademark appeal, the London restaurant changed its name from Cipriani to C.

• 2007

  Tax case resolved by guilty pleas

  [1]Cipriani S.A.en.wikipedia.org

  Arrigo and Giuseppe Cipriani pleaded guilty to misdemeanor tax-evasion charges and received probation and monitoring requirements.

• 2004

  London opening

  [1]Cipriani S.A.en.wikipedia.org

  Cipriani opened a venue on Davies Street in London's Mayfair district.

• 1998

  Rainbow Room operation begins

  [1]Cipriani S.A.en.wikipedia.org

  Cipriani began operating the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center in New York.

• 1985

  First major New York expansion

  [1]Cipriani S.A.en.wikipedia.org

  Harry Cipriani opened at the Sherry-Netherland Hotel, beginning the group's major international expansion under the Cipriani name.

• 1967

  Cipriani name trademark rights sold

  [1]Cipriani S.A.en.wikipedia.org

  Rights connected with the Cipriani name were sold, creating a later distinction between family operations and trademark control.

• 1958

  Hotel Cipriani built in Venice

  [1]Cipriani S.A.en.wikipedia.org

  Giuseppe Cipriani expanded the family business into luxury accommodation with the construction of the Hotel Cipriani.

• 1931

  Harry's Bar founded in Venice

  [1]Cipriani S.A.en.wikipedia.org

  Giuseppe Cipriani established Harry's Bar in Venice, creating the foundation of the family's hospitality business.

An internationally distributed, family-controlled luxury hospitality house centered on classic Italian cuisine, Venetian heritage, formal service, landmark real estate and exclusive social venues.

• Restaurant and bar · 1931

  Harry's Bar

  The original Venetian venue founded by Giuseppe Cipriani in 1931. Harry's Bar is the symbolic center of the brand and is associated with classic Italian dishes, the Bellini cocktail and carpaccio. Its importance comes less from scale than from its influence on the group's service style, visual identity and international reputation.

• Luxury dining · 1985

  Cipriani restaurants

  A network of destination restaurants using Cipriani or related names across cities and resort markets. The restaurants generally focus on traditional Italian cooking, formal hospitality and landmark interiors, with menus and service designed to reproduce the group's established luxury dining codes while retaining local venue characteristics.

• Private clubs and nightlife

  Cipriani clubs and lounges

  The group operates or has operated private clubs, bars, lounges and nightlife venues, including Bellini-branded spaces and destination clubs. These offerings extend Cipriani beyond restaurant meals into membership, socializing, events and nightlife, typically targeting affluent local and international clientele.

• Luxury accommodation and real estate · 1958

  Cipriani hotels and residences

  Cipriani's hospitality portfolio includes hotels, resort operations and branded or associated residences. The model links food and beverage venues with high-value property, private amenities and destination development. Hotel Cipriani in Venice is the historic example, while later projects expanded the property-led side of the business.

• Private members' club and hotel · 2021

  Casa Cipriani

  Opened in New York in 2021 in the Battery Maritime Building, Casa Cipriani combines private-club functions with dining, accommodation and event spaces. It represents the group's contemporary approach to adapting historic buildings into highly serviced social and hospitality destinations.

• 2007

  Tax-evasion case

  Arrigo and Giuseppe Cipriani pleaded guilty to misdemeanor tax evasion involving $3.5 million in state and city taxes over a six-year period beginning in 1998. They received probation through 2011, and an independent auditor was assigned to monitor future payments.

  Source

• 2005

  Unconfirmed allegations in the Pier 57 and Rainbow Room disputes

  During testimony connected with New York development and labor disputes, Michael DiLeonardo alleged that the Ciprianis had paid the Gambino crime family to make union problems at the Rainbow Room disappear. The allegations were not confirmed. Cipriani later relinquished its Pier 57 development rights after project investors withdrew.

  Source

Read more

• 2025

  Financing support amid property-development pressureStrategy

  Background

  The company faced reported financial difficulties associated with development projects in Uruguay and Dubai.

  Action taken

  French entrepreneur Xavier Niel provided significant loan support.

  Aftermath

  The financing was reported as support for the company's continuing operations and property-development obligations; the amount and detailed terms were not specified in the reference material.

  Source

• 2021

  Launch of Casa CiprianiProduct launch

  Background

  The group continued moving into integrated club, hotel, dining and event formats in landmark properties.

  Action taken

  Casa Cipriani opened in New York's Battery Maritime Building.

  Aftermath

  The opening strengthened the group's presence in New York and broadened its private-membership and lifestyle offering.

  Source

• 2010

  Compliance with London trademark rulingOther

  Background

  Orient-Express Hotels, owner of the Hotel Cipriani, challenged the London restaurant's use of the Cipriani name.

  Action taken

  After the Court of Appeal upheld the infringement ruling, the London venue changed its name to C.

  Aftermath

  The decision demonstrated the operational consequences of separating control of a hospitality business from control of a trademark.

  Source

• 2009

  Exit from the Rainbow RoomOther

  Background

  Cipriani's operation of the Rockefeller Center venue was affected by labor tensions and a dispute with the building's owner and operator.

  Action taken

  The company announced plans to close its Rainbow Room operation, while the landlord stated that Cipriani was being evicted.

  Aftermath

  Cipriani ceased operating the Rainbow Room in 2009.

  Source

• 2005

  Proposed Pier 57 luxury redevelopmentStrategy

  Background

  Cipriani pursued a large mixed-use hospitality project on New York's Pier 57.

  Action taken

  The proposed Leonardo's complex included a museum, catering hall, shops, restaurants, a rooftop pool and public park space.

  Aftermath

  The company relinquished its development rights after co-investors withdrew.

  Source

• 1985

  International expansion through New YorkStrategy

  Background

  After decades centered on Venice, the family sought to establish the Cipriani hospitality identity in a major international market.

  Action taken

  The group opened Harry Cipriani at New York's Sherry-Netherland Hotel and subsequently developed additional Manhattan venues.

  Aftermath

  New York became one of the group's principal operating markets and a platform for restaurant, event, club and property expansion.

  Source

1. 1Cipriani S.A.en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Cipriani official websitecipriani.com