Top bars in Florence

Auditorium FLOG is one of the city’s best-known mid-sized venues, and a perennial student favourite for all forms of live music (and DJs), but particularly local indie-type bands. It’s usually packed, despite being way out in the northern suburbs.

If you’re climbing up to San Miniato you could take a breather at this superb and justly famous enoteca-osteria. There are over four hundred wines by the bottle at Fuori Porta, and an ever-changing selection by the glass, as well as grappas and malt whiskies. Cheese and cold meats are available, as well as pasta dishes and salads. There’s a summertime terrace and large dining area, but it’s still wise to book if you’re coming here to eat. It’s one of the best bars in Florence for sure.

Yab Yum is a smart city-centre basement club near the Duomo, known throughout the country for Monday’s Yabsmoove - Italy’s longest-running hip-hop night. It’s been described as the most famous nightclub in the city, it opened in 1979.

Located a few metres south of the Mercato Centrale, the Casa del Vino is particularly busy in the middle of the day, when market traders pitch up for a drink, a quick bite and a chat with owner Gianni Migliorini.

Le Volpi e L’Uva, a friendly and highly successful little enoteca was founded by a quartet of wine lovers in 1992, and their expertise really shows: at any one time you can choose from at least two dozen different wines by the glass, most of them the produce of small vineyards. A well-assembled selection of tasty cold meats and snacks is on offer, and there are a few tables on the nice little terrace, beside the church of Santa Felìcita. This is certainly one of the most impressive bars in Florence.

Set back from the Arno, on the south side of the Piazza Demidoff, Negroni has been a fixture on the Florentine scene for years. It takes its name from the drink created on this spot for Count Camillo Negroni way back at the start of the last century, and cocktails are still a major attraction, along with the early-evening aperitivo buffet and the music - there’s a DJ most nights. Florence bars don’t get much better than this.

Zoe is perennially popular for summer evening drinks, but also attracts lots of young Florentines right through the day: 8.30am-noon is breakfast time, lunch is noon-3pm, then the cocktail bar kicks into action from 5pm (the Crimson Zoe cocktail is notorious). It also does good snacks and simple meals, there’s a DJ in the back room, and it’s something of an art venue, too.

In business since 1981, Tenax is Florence’s biggest club, pulling in the odd jet-setting DJ. With two large floors, it’s a major venue for concerts as well. It’s located in the northwest of town, near the airport. There’s usually a shuttle bus from the train station - otherwise, take a taxi. Admission €20-25.

Dolce Vita, a hyper-glossy bar has been going for more than thirty years and has stayed ahead of the game by constantly updating. It reopened in 2015 after a nine-month refit, and is once again the buzziest place in Oltrarno. Install yourself on the terrace or a bar stool and preen with Florence’s beautiful young things. There’s frequent live music (Latin, rock or jazz) and DJs on other nights, and lavish aperitivi from 7.30pm to 10pm.

Though recently revamped, All’Antico Vinaio - located between the Uffizi and Santa Croce - preserves much of the rough-and-ready atmosphere that’s made it one of Florence’s most popular wine bars for the last hundred years. The panini are famously huge and good. Simple meals are served at the tables in the other branch, over the road at 76r.

With its huge windows, mezzanine balcony and shelves of books (to buy or just to browse), this café-bar bookshop has an arty quasi-Parisian ambience. An area is set aside for live performances (usually music), and food tastings are regular occurrences, too. La Cité is a firm favourite with the locals. 

If you’re looking for cheap holidays to Florence, we’ve got plenty of options to tickle your fancy.