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Open in new tab The pre-wedding diet was clearly not a concern for George Clooney, who tucked into a £3,000 feast on his stag do – nor was the cost as he didn’t pay a penny for it.
The Hollywood star, 53, racked up the huge bill at Ristorante da Ivo in Venice, Italy, but boss Giovanni Fracassi gave him the seven-course meal for nothing. Speaking for the first time about the party, Giovanni – who had hosted George at his restaurant before – said: “He didn’t pay for his night, I didn’t want him to.”
He added the tip was “not much, like you would do for a friend”. George gave staff just 10 minutes’ notice before turning up with six pals, including his manager, coproducer and model Cindy Crawford’s hubby Rande Gerber. Giovanni added: “I was very surprised when I saw who it was. I went to welcome them, and he said, ‘Ciao, Giovanni’. You could see he was happy. He was in an Armani suit. He was so elegant.”
George scoffed his way through five courses and two puddings. Between the group they also downed antipasto, pasta with truffles, mushroom risotto, and strawberries. Giovanni said: “For a man getting married 10 hours later, he was really eating a lot. He sent back for seconds of risotto, both times wiping his plate clean with chunks of bread. I gave him mint and chocolate ice creams.
“He really likes them. He ate three and took three to eat in his room.” The actor was so pleased with the food he went into the kitchen and kissed thrilled cook, Giorgina Mazzero. She can now boast she was the last woman known to enjoy a clinch with George before his marriage. The day after the feast in September, the star squeezed into his suave Armani tux to marry British lawyer Amal Alamuddin, 36.
On a previous visit George gave Giovanni a wine bottle on which he had written: “Grazie! A perfect night!” He also sketched a mooning caricature on a plate, with the words “La Luna!” [The Moon]. The restaurant has also welcomed Sir Elton John, Sting, and actors Colin Firth and Ewan McGregor