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PhrasesAt the BarUn Bellini, per favore.
A1

Un Bellini, per favore.

A Bellini, please.

Pronunciation

bel-LI-ni — three syllables, double 'l', stress on second.

When to use it

A classic Venetian cocktail — white peach purée and Prosecco — perfect as an aperitivo or celebratory drink.

What it means

The Bellini was invented by Giuseppe Cipriani at Harry's Bar in Venice in 1948. He named it after the Venetian Renaissance painter Giovanni Bellini, whose works have a distinctive pink-peachy colour. It is made with white peach purée and Prosecco.

Variations

Un Bellini con pesca bianca fresca.

A Bellini with fresh white peach.

In season (late summer), fresh white peach makes the authentic Bellini

Un Rossini, per favore.

A Rossini, please.

Same concept but with strawberry purée instead of peach

Un Tintoretto, per favore.

A Tintoretto, please.

Pomegranate juice and Prosecco — another Venetian cocktail named after a painter

Mini Dialogue

— Un Bellini, per favore. — Pesca bianca fresca o in purée? — Fresca, se ce l'avete — è stagione. — Perfetto, lo facciamo fresco. Arriva tra un minuto.

— A Bellini, please. — Fresh white peach or purée? — Fresh, if you have it — it's the season. — Perfect, we'll make it fresh. It'll be ready in a minute.

Cultural Note

Harry's Bar in Venice is one of the most famous bars in the world — it invented both the Bellini and the carpaccio. A Bellini there costs €20+ but is considered a pilgrimage for cocktail lovers. The bar was Ernest Hemingway's favourite Venice haunt and has hosted countless celebrities.