Aperitivo is a practice so central to Italian social lives it’s hard to define; not least because it can be interpreted in so many ways. It is the golden hour that marks the transition from late afternoon to early evening, a time to pause with friends over a drink and something deliciously salty to snack on. In Florence, anything goes, from a handful of crisps to a lavish tagliere (charcuterie platter) piled high with Tuscan salami, local cheeses, schiacciata bread, olives and more. Aperitivo in Florence can also morph into a full-blown buffet dinner, known as ‘apericena’, popular with students on a budget as a way to fill up on cheap fried carbs.
On every corner of the historic centre, you’ll find blackboards touting €5 Spritz with bruschetta. While tempting, these are not strictly local to Florence. ‘The most Florentine aperitivo you’ll get is a glass of wine with platter of coccoli (deep fried dough balls), stracchino (soft, tangy cream cheese) and prosciutto,’ says Francesco Mannarino, a trained sommelier who has lived in the city all his life. ‘A fiasco of Chianti Classico between friends is delicious and cheap, and it’s as local as it gets.’
Still, Florentines aren’t afraid to branch out once in a while. Florence Cocktail Week – the eighth edition of which will take place from 7-13 April 2025 – has done a lot to encourage innovation in the city’s most established bars. Across seven days, pop-up bars, mixology masterclasses, cocktail tastings, parties and guest shifts will shine a light on the city’s evolving cocktail scene.
And of course, no story about aperitivo in Florence would be complete without a mention of the Negroni. This potent mix of gin, sweet vermouth and Campari was famously invented here at the request of Count Camillo Negroni in 1919. Bitter and bold, it’s the ultimate pre-dinner cocktail and perhaps the reason food is so necessary when drinking in the city.
For a casual aperitivo crawl, you could simply head to the lively student haunts around Sant’Ambrogio and Borgo La Croce, where you can hop from bar to bar, sampling drinks and snacks along the way. Otherwise, map out your movements via this selection the best local spots for an aperitivo in Florence.
9 of the best places for an aperitivo in Florence
Bulli e Balene
There’s a lot to love about this tiny Venetian-inspired bar, tucked away in vibrant Piazza della Passerà (literally meaning ‘Pussy Square’ – Florence’s historic red light district), but a €4 Spritz served in crystal-cut highball glasses is a good place to start. Aside from Aperol, they serve six or seven other Spritzes made using lesser-known bitter-orange aperitifs, as well as a refreshing elderflower Hugo Spritz for hot August nights. Drinks are served with delicious cicchetti snacks on toast – again taking a cue from Venice – with toppings including prosciutto, burrata, artichoke and red pepper.
What to drink: A Cynar Spritz – a version of the sparkling drink featuring the Italian digestivo, Cynar, which is made from artichokes (don’t worry, you’d never guess)
Via dello Sprone, 14/R. facebook.com/bulliebalene
Locale
This Medici palace turned late-night drinking den strikes the delicate balance between louche all-night parties and world class mixology, and is hands down the coolest cocktail spot in town. Each season, head bartender Alessandro Mengoni picks three local ingredients – pumpkin, peach and cucumber, for example – and concocts a drinks menu around them. For aperitivo, you’ll get a carefully balanced tower of avant-garde nibbles like polenta chips with lacto-fermented radicchio and a beignet with olives, mushrooms and green lentil foam. The clientele is made up of high-energy Italian socialites, with sequins and corsets the unspoken dress code on weekends – dancing on tables isn’t unheard of.
What to drink: The cocktail menu changes with the seasons but certain staples, such as the Mezcal Negroni, made with kombucha vermouth and saffron, are perennial favourites
Via delle Seggiole 12r, historic center. localefirenze.it
Caffè Gilli
Florence is home to the Negroni, famously created in 1919 when Count Camillo Negroni asked his bartender, Fosco Scarselli, to strengthen his favourite Milano-Torino by adding gin to the drink. Over one hundred years later and it’s still a staple in the city (and known the world over) and the ultimate drink for aperitivo in Florence – crisps and olives on the side are obligatory. In magnificent Piazza della Repubblica, close to the bar where the cocktail was first concocted, 270-year-old Caffè Gilli’s Negronis come strong and perfectly proportioned.
What to drink: The Negroni (well, it would be rude not to)
Via Roma, 1r. caffegilli.com
Vineria Sonora
A natural wine bar that wouldn’t be out of place in east London, this chic spot near the Duomo prides itself on an exclusively Italian collection of organic and biodynamic wines. These are served with aperitivo nibbles like fat Tuscan olives, grissini and grilled cheese toasties with onion marmalade. Perch at one of the high tables outside on a warm evening, or head inside to enjoy whatever’s on the record player as you quaff your wine.
What to drink: One of the weekly changing orange wines available by the glass
Via degli Alfani, 39r. vineriasonora.it
Enoteca Sosta e Papi
This is among the last of a dying breed of sweet and old-fashioned enotece – a bottle shop meets wine tavern – with wooden barrels on display and kitsch bunches of plastic grapes hanging in the entrance. Florentines of all ages have a strong affinity for places like Sosta e Papi, where you’ll find deeply affordable Chianti Classico sold at near cost price by the litre. Fill your glass and sit in with a platter of coccoli, stracchino, and prosciutto, or fill up your own glass bottles to take home.
What to drink: A few glasses of the house wine
Borgo la Croce 81r. sostadeipapi.it
Cibrèo Caffe
For aperitivi and people-watching with a difference, head to Caffè Cibrèo’s swanky bar, lined with pot plants and vintage striped banquettes, at the Helvetia & Bristol, one of Florence’s most historic hotels. The freshly made Peach Bellini or a Rossini made with crushed strawberries and Prosecco (the latter only on the menu in spring and summer months) are to die for. Snacks include artisanal sourdough dunked in a Greek-inspired skordalia dip made from almonds and olive oil.
What to drink: The Peach Bellini
Via dei Pescioni, 8r; cibreo.com
Procacci 1885
This might just be the most civilised aperitivo in Florence you’ll come across, especially in the colder months, when you can sit among the city’s old-timers in their fur coats and hats and watch the world go by. Come for the elegant art-deco interiors and impressive Antinori wine list; stay for the bitesize truffle buns – a delightful start to any evening. Tourists in trainers or T-shirts will definitely be looked down upon here but there’s nowhere quite like it.
What to drink: A glass of Marchese Antinori wine with a truffle bun – they have a 2021 Tignanello on the list, if you really want to push the boat out.
Via Tornabuoni, 64r; procacci1885.it
Il Santino
Aperitivo-goers spill out onto the street from this tiny wine bar on a warm summer’s evening, the hours slipping pleasantly away over a bottle of Brunello and some platters of crostini. A former wine cellar, Il Santino is run by the same trio behind the larger Il Santo Bevitore restaurant just two doors down. The wine list has about 200 labels, with a focus on small producers and, lately, a good selection of low-intervention wines. On cooler nights, perch at one of the four tiny tables or along the marble bar, where cured meats hang on hooks ready to be sliced up and served.
What to drink: Opt for one of the dozen or so wines by the glass, which are served with complimentary crostini
Via di Santo Spirito, 60, ilsantobevitore.com
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Meno, Vini e Altre Necessità
Amid a sea of new openings offering more and more drinking options, and aiming to appeal to more and more tourists, Meno is decidedly different. Its name translates to ‘less’, and its owner – a Florentine who spent 25 years living in Puglia – explains that the aim is to make a return to simplicity; doing a few things and doing them well. As such, you’ll find a small list of wines from low-intervention and under-the-radar Italian producers, written on a chalkboard and changing often. In large, aperitivo snacks are inspired by Salento on Puglia’s southern tip: think caciocavallo cheese, panzerotti (stuffed and deep-fried dough parcels), and moreish taralli biscuits.
What to drink: Ask owner Massimo for his recommendation from the Italian natural wines on offer and he’ll likely let you try a couple of his favourites on the house before you make up your mind
Viale Aleardo Aleardi, 13R, instagram.com
