George Clooney celebrated a "perfect night" with seven of his closest friends on the eve before his wedding to lawyer Amal Alamuddin. The 53-year-old actor took the group, including Cindy Crawford's husband Rande Gerber, to his favourite local eatery in Venice – the Da Ivo restaurant. George, who has known the manager Giovanni Fracassi for some time now, made the surprise visit at around 11pm on Friday.
George Clooney took his friends to his favourite local restaurant in Venice
"It was a very intense night, it was unexpected," Giovanni told E! News. "He just called and said shortly beforehand, 'I want to come over.'" The restaurant owner then asked a few diners to move seats as he arranged new tables for George and his friends and put up screens on the windows to protect their privacy.
Amal stuns in scarlet at rehearsal dinnerThe men dined on local delicacies including crab-stuffed zucchini flowers and fresh figs with baby shrimp for starters, and tortellini with black truffle and risotto with porcini, chiodini and inferli mushrooms for mains. George was presented with special bottles of vintage red wine as a wedding gift from Giovanni, and also enjoyed tequila from his and best friend Rande's own label Casamigos. Rande was seen flying over more than 50 cases of the tipple a week before the wedding on his private jet.
George Clooney left an autographed bottle of wine for the restaurant owner as a 'thank you' note
Feeling at home in his local haunt, George took the time to greet kitchen staff and thank them for preparing the group's meal. Before leaving, the actor signed an empty bottle of wine that is now on display in the restaurant, writing, "Grazie, thanks for another perfect night. George Clooney." "He clearly looked as if he had been celebrating all day but there was no sign of the usual madness associated with a bachelor party," one fellow diner said. "Just lots of happiness, a relaxed group that looked as if they were celebrating with people they were really close to and cared about." They added: "He came in and it was clear it was a special place for him. He kissed the owners' wife on the cheek. Like old friends." George and Amal, 36, married at the seven-star Aman Canal Grande hotel in Venice on Saturday night just as the sun was setting.