10 Best Bars in Florence

Florence is filled with endless things to do for anyone visiting, from the Duomo, to the Uffizi, to seeing the David, the Boboli Gardens, and not to mention the many awesome day trip options, there is no lack of things to see and experience. BUT it is also a great city to spend a lazy afternoon wandering through the streets and enjoying a few glasses of wine, or an Aperol spritz. This article is your ultimate guide for slowing down & grabbing a drink, or two, in Florence if you’re looking to reward yourself after a long morning of sightseeing!

Duomo

View on Art Rooftop

One of the absolute best rooftops with the most insane Duomo views is at View on Art Rooftop Cocktail Bar. This large rooftop has tons of tables and offers up-close Duomo views, as well as views of Palazzo Vecchio from the other side of the rooftop. This is one of my top recommendations for a drink with a view in Florence!

Amorini Panini e Vino Firenze

Grabbing a drink where you can endlessly admire the most iconic landmark in Florence is a must. The main square around the Duomo is full of restaurants and bars with patios, but I personally love Amorini Panini e Vino Firenze. It’s essentially a hole in the wall (literally blink and you’ll miss it) but it’s so charming and there are several barstools and tables outside that offer a stunning view of the Duomo towering over the city at the end of the cobbled street. It’s not in the main Piazza del Duomo, but if you walk towards the left of the Duomo and down Via dei Servi it will be on your right!

Palazzo Vecchio

Dal Vinaio

Piazza della Signoria, the piazza where the impressive Palazzo Vecchio resides is also a great spot to grab a drink. This area is right down the street from the Duomo heading towards the river and is a great spot for an afternoon beverage. Similarly to the Duomo, there are tons of bars and restaurants around this square for grabbing a drink with a view, but my personal favorite is Dal Vinaio. It’s small, but has an outdoor patio with a great view of the entire square. It gets very popular in the afternoons, but if you can snag a spot it would be my top recommendation in this area!

Rivoire

If you’re looking for more upscale drink vibes in this area, grab a table at the patio at Rivoire. They offer excellent martinis and desserts. It’s a bit more expensive than your general drinks in Florence.

Ponte Vecchio

Signorvino

Across the bridge (or Oltrarno) you can grab a drink overlooking another famous Florence landmark (and my personal favorite) – the Ponte Vecchio. There are a few great spots with patios along the river with great Ponte Vecchio views, but Signorvino is definitely my favorite. It’s actually a wine store, but they have a restaurant with a large patio with the most perfect view (see photo above) of the Arno and of the Ponte Vecchio. This is one of my favorite spots to grab a drink!

San Niccolo

Il Rifrullo – Best Aperitivo in Florence

San Niccolo is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Florence. It’s a neighborhood across the Arno heading toward Piazzale Michelangelo. It’s a little removed from the main tourist area, so it’s a little bit more authentic and low key. In the late afternoon you’ll find many locals grabbing a drink & catching up with friends. There’s a few nice spots in the San Niccolo neighborhood, but my favorite is Il Rifrullo. They have an awesome patio for aperitivo!

Best Sunset Drinks Florence

Piazzale Michelangelo

As it gets closer to nightfall, head to Piazzale Michelangelo for the sunset and a glass of wine. It is an absolute can’t miss Florence experience. Although it’s not a “bar or restaurant” per se it’s my top recommendation for where to grab a drink in Florence. Plus, you need to reward yourself with a drink after hiking up all those stairs! You can bring your own beverages, or there are food trucks at the top that sell beers, bottles of wine, snacks, etc. It can get crowded up there during peak tourist months, but there’s tons of space if you grab a spot early. Watching the sun set over the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio and the Tuscan countryside is seriously magical.

Rooftop Bar at the Westin

The Westin is my runner up for best sunset drinks with views in Florence! The Westin rooftop comes with a hefty price tag for drinks (20 euro per cocktail roughly) but the view is so worth it! One of the best sunsets in Florence! Try the espresso martini

Piazza della Passera

Best Post Dinner Drinks

This whole piazza is surrounded by small bars that offer drinks you can take out into the piazza to drink and mingle This is one of my favorite spots in Florence. There’s often live music in the piazza and you’ll find lots of locals mingling here for pre and post dinner drinks. Cafe degli Artigiani is one of the best spots to grab drinks in this area!

Santo Spirito

Cabiria Lounge, Tamerò & Pitta M’Ingolli – Best Late Night Drinks

If you’ve made it through diner and after dinner drinks and are looking for a late night spot to grab drinks, I recommend heading over to Santo Spirito. The whole piazza is surrounded by bars and restaurants and is a lively late night spot for those looking to do a little bar hopping! You really can’t go wrong with any of the bars in this area, but some of my personal favorites are Tamerò, Pitta M’Ingolli & Cabiria Lounge Bar

If you check out any of these recommendations for best bars in Florence let me know what you think. Or if you think I missed somewhere, let me know in the comments. Also, check my complete Florence guide here. It’s my favorite city in the world and I never get tired of writing about it!