5 Best Wine Windows in Florence (with Map)

Florence’s wine widows, or buchetta del vino, have existed for hundreds of years. These windows were installed into the walls of many of the Noble palaces around Firenze. There are over a hundred of them within the city center itself, but many have not been used in decades.

During COVID, some establishments reopened the wine windows as a low-contact way to serve wine to tourists and locals. This was done for practical reasons, but the wine windows gained popularity on social media & now finding them scattered throughout the city and grabbing a drink is more of a fun activity for tourists to do in the city, than a socially distanced way to serve wine!

I’ve compiled a list of my 5 favorite wine windows in Florence’s city center, (plus a bonus buchetta del vino that’s been repurposed as a gelato window! I’ve also included a map, so you can easily find the wine window nearest you. This is the perfect way to break up a long day of sightseeing!

For all my Florence recommendations on what to do, where to stay, getting around & more see my full Florence travel guide here.

Jump To:

• Cantina De’ Pucci
• Babae
• Osteria Bella Donne
• Il Latini
• Osteria San Fiorenzo
• Vivoli

Wine Windows in Florence Map

Cantina De’ Pucci

My favorite wine window in Florence was at Cantina De’ Pucci. This wine window has one of the most central locations of all the ones I visited. It’s just a block or so from the Duomo! They also have a nice patio outside where you can sit after you grab your wine from the window!

This also is a great restaurant if you’re looking for somewhere to grab lunch or dinner after your wine!

Babae

Another one of my favorite stops was Babae. It’s located in the Santo Spirito neighborhood of Florence, one of the best neighborhoods for restaurants and bars. Babae is a great place to grab a pre or post dinner glass of wine from their infamous buchetta del vino & do some people watching in one of Florence’s most lively neighborhoods

Osteria Bella Donne

Another wine window in the main city center area around the Duomo is at Osteria Bella Donne. This window had quite a line, even in the winter when they had no patio outside to sit at. It’s a charming street to mingle on while you enjoy your wine and this was the most beautifully decorated (ie. most instagrammable) of the wine windows.

Il Latini

I have visited Il Latini many times over the past ten years since my first trip to Florence. It’s one of my top restaurant recommendations in Florence, and I somehow had never noticed the wine window located right outside before! This restaurants is always packed, and even with a reservation you’ll likely end up waiting for a bit, so this wine window is extra convenient for grabbing a drink while you’re waiting!

Osteria San Fiorenzo

Another fun area of Florence is the Santa Croce neighborhood. This neighborhood is filled with bars and clubs and is known for its nightlife, so of course I had to find a wine window over in this area. Osteria San Fiorenzo is a great spot in this neighborhood. They have a wine window and a small patio with Santa Croce views to enjoy your wine!

Vivoli

Want to experience the wine windows without the wine? Head to Vivoli in the Santa Croce neighborhood to grab a gelato via a buchetta del vino. This is a great place to bring kids too if they want to experience Florence’s “wine” windows!

History of the Wine Windows in Florence

The wine windows in Florence were originally installed in a series of noble’s palaces around the city. The idea was a small, discreet location where wine could be sold while avoiding the cities taxes.

The wine windows found further utility during Bubonic Plague as a distanced way to sell wine and prevent the further spread of disease until they eventually fell out of use.

In 2020, during the COVID pandemic, the windows experienced a revival as a creative way for restaurants to sell wine, while maintaining social distancing.