If there is one thing i know.. its where to go out in Florence. I’m going to break it down by the type of night you are looking to have.
Chill night –
- If you are not familiar, aperitivo is a time to meet friends before dinner for cocktails and finger foods. There are places that have cold and warm pastas, finger foods, cold cuts, fruit salads, grilled vegetables all for the price of your drink! So most places on this list are for aperitivo.
Il Santo : I love this little wine bar. The atmosphere is fantastic with different aperitivo for each choice of wine. It is a small place with only 4 tables and a few seats at the bar. It’s a very personable bar if you get there early enough. The staff is more than willing to help you pick a wine and food pairing. They have a large selection of cheese, wine and meats and my heart has never been so content. Via di Santo Spirito, 60/R
Le Volpi e l’Uva : very similar to Il Santo. It’s a small wine bar with great service. What I like about Le Volpi e l’Uva is they offer organic wines and bottles can be purchased. Piazza dei Rossi, 1R
Moyo : this is located near Santa Croce and next to Red Garter. The atmosphere changes Moyo after 6pm. During the day its your average bar but transforms with high heeled girls, a DJ, and special lighting. It is an awesome place to go with an amazing aperitivo costing you only your drink price, about €8. contrary to the two above, this is not a wine bar; they specialize in martinis.
Ganzo : The food is prepared by the culinary and needless to say, every dish is phenomenal. On Wednesdays, we aperitivo. Their aperitivo is awesome with €5 drinks and an all you can eat buffet. Note that aperitivo is only on Wednesdays at Ganzo. On Thursdays, we eat themed dinner. Ganzo offers a six course themed dinner with wine pairing on Thursdays and an a la carte menu on Fridays.
Dance all night –
Space : this is the biggest night club in Florence. They have an upstairs balcony style dance area with VIP. They have special international DJs and
YAB : most promotors will take you here. If you do a pub crawl it will most likely end at YAB. I went to Florence alone in March of 2017, ended the night here and met 4 people from UNF. My mind was blown. What are the odds that in all of Europe they were in Florence and were in the same night club as me?
Full Up : much smaller than space. So this is a fun place to be on a random week night as it feels busier than it actually is.
Blob : this place is extremely hit or miss. The layout is really funky for a night club and sometimes they have interesting music choice.. but I grew to love this place. Sometimes you just want to go do your thing in a smaller environment with cool bartenders. Everyone’s English is amazing and make friends with the bartender. They will sling you free drinks. It’s a small hidden place off the beaten path so keep your eyes open or you’ll miss it.
Get drunk cheap –
Lions Fountain : this is a fun bar! You will see a lot of Americans but the décor is awesome and definitely worth checking out. There are shirts all on the ceiling, writing all over the walls and cheap beer. There is a sign on the wall facing the bartenders that reads, “Smile… shut the fuck up… work… and be nice… you are being paid… say thanks!” that’s how you know they are dealing with a bunch of drunk Americans in their early 20’s.
Old Stove : located close to the Duomo and literally 27 steps from my apartment, old stove is a quiet place to grab a beer. Far less exciting than Lions Fountain but a perfect place to watch the game and talk to people! They have a screen outside with a little sitting area that shows local futbol games. All of the bartenders are super friendly.. they will remember your name and drink. Below is a pic of me in 2012 and 2017 with the same bartender.
Red Garter : the most American bar you will find in Florence. They have weekly specials including beer pong, yes.. beer pong, karaoke,
Uncle Jimmy’s : this place has bras hanging on the ceiling and lets you dance on the bar top. Need I say more? Close to Old Stove so hit this one after.
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