The famed Franco Pepe creates signature pizza at Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel, Venice

The many new additions planned for this effervescent season at the Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel, Venice will include a special selection of pizzas available from 3rd June, including an exclusive creation, in collaboration with the award-winning Franco Pepe, after the arrival of the young talented Riccardo Canella as chef and the new Bar Manager of the Gabbiano Bar, Riccardo Semeria. A seasonal portrayal of friendship and deep esteem towards Canella, relaunching the gastronomic vibrancy that is rejuvenating Venice, also on the pizza front.
Franco Pepe is the third generation of a family of bread-makers. The first business was initiated by his grandfather in 1938 in Caiazzo and they have been going ever since. With the experience of two generations behind him, Franco was able to experience and enrich the value of pizza to an outstanding level, finding a personal way that revolutionized tradition with respect and passion, receiving countless awards all over the world, to become the first Italian pizza baker appointed Cavaliere on the merits of the Italian Republic. The “jam session” between the two takes the guest on a real journey in taste, ideally connecting two very strongly flavored regions, the Venice Lagoon and the Alto Casertano (Upper Caserta region), where the master pizza chef resides. This union has a clear goal, dictated by the love of good food and culinary art, to allow guests of the Hotel Cipriani to experience those genuine flavors that are an incomparable expression of authentic Italianness. For this project, which sees them working side-by-side for the first time, Riccardo Canella and Franco Pepe decided “in tandem” to design a menu of eight signature pizzas, three designed by Chef Canella and another five by the master pizza maker Pepe.
Two trajectories that come together to close the circle, meeting in the exclusive creation of a brand new Pizza Cipriani, as a tribute to the tradition of a gourmet classic with Carpaccio of beef with Cipriani sauce, buffalo mozzarella, pink pepper oil and caviar as key ingredients. The classics of Franco Pepe, such as the famous Margherita Sbagliata (DOP Buffalo Mozzarella, raw pomodoro riccio tomato passata, reduction of basil, EVO oil), Ritrovata (DOP San Marzano tomato passata, DOP piennolo del Vesuvio tomatoes, dried capers, caiazzane black olive powder, Cetara anchovy fillets, garlic oil, fried basil) and Scarpetta (DOP Buffalo mozzarella, DOP 12-month-aged Grana Padano fondue, consisting of three raw tomatoes, freeze-dried basil pesto, 24-month-aged Grana Padano flakes) on paper alongside other original recipes that enhance gastronomic highlights from the region, such as artichoke crudités, white Bassano asparagus and baccalà mantecato, with an innovative twist of spices such as Venetian curry, Madagascan pepper and powdered liquorice. 
Until September 30th, guests will be able to enjoy the results of this unique lunch collaboration at Bar Gabbiano – the hotel’s famous bar that has helped to make the original Bellini famous, a drink that is still served in its classic form.
"I am delighted to welcome to the Hotel Cipriani a true master such as Franco Pepe, who has been able to enhance a symbol of Italian tradition with a unique vision between unparalleled quality and ever-changing creativity. His success around the world makes us proud and I hope that the meeting of these two talents will make Hotel Cipriani an even more distinctive place in terms of gourmet culture."
Comment by Marco Novella, Managing Director.

The Gabbiano Bar is open daily from 11 am to 1 am.
The lunch menu including Franco Pepe's pizza is available daily from 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm.
For bookings, guests can contact us on +39 041 2405817 or click here to link to the website.