Cocktail Cabinet No. 69

The Via Veneto

The Via Veneto is the interface between the bustle of Rome’s most glamorous shopping streets and the divine tranquillity and lofty views of the Villa Borghese gardens. Its height and comparative steepness mean that few casual tourists make it to its in-crowd cafés, five-star hotels and streets packed with chauffeur-driven Bentleys.

This is where Italy’s politicians, business tycoons and celebrities have a silky-smooth drink and air-kiss until it is time ...