Santa Croce
If you have the urge to hear more English than Italian – or to hear local bands play for that matter – this is the place. On a pretty pedestrian square,…
Must-see nightlife in Tuscany
Eastern Tuscany
Owner Saverio presides over this convivial enoteca (wine bar) and rear dining space where simple meals are served. Enjoy a local artisanal beer or vino …
Santa Croce
This trendy all-rounder pulls in a moneyed younger set with its endless stream of DJ sets, weekend parties, themed aperitivi (from 6pm) and late-night…
Arezzo
Accessed via the arched corridor between the two Corso Italia storefronts of ultra-fashionable clothing retailer Sugar, which is housed in Renaissance–era…
Central Coast & Elba
This 1940s bar and cafe was the favourite haunt of Italian heart-throb Marcello Mastroianni when he had a summer villa in Castiglioncello, and it remains…
Elba
A fun and laidback mixed bag of a hangout, Il Rifrullo is a well-established spot for listening to live music over a beer, cocktail, grilled meat or tasty…
Oltrarno
'No fear, just beer!' is the tongue-in-cheek strapline of this microbrewery, tucked away off the main strip in the hipster 'hood of San Frediano. Expect…
Florence
Just beyond San Niccolò, a busy road divides this riverfront lounge bar from the water. But once inside, a sharp contemporary design of soothing aqua…
Elba
An old farmhouse on a hill overlooking Marino di Campo, 4.5km north of town along the SP25, is the on-trend venue for Elba's biggest music club, firmly on…
Caffè Fiaschetteria Italiana 1888
Montalcino
You could take a seat at one of the tables in the slender square outside this atmosphere-laden enoteca-cafe, but then you'd miss its remarkable 19th…
Elba
In the biz since 1964 (hence its name), this mythical discoteca remains the Saturday-night hot spot on the island for dancing beneath the stars and…
Livorno
This cool cellar bar has a sun-drenched wooden-decking terrace afloat the canal in Piccolo Venezia. Enjoy a cocktail and generously topped bruschetta…
Central Coast & Elba
Suvereto's younger generation loves this spirited osteria. No wonder: the brick ceiling and vintage chairs ensure it's stylish, there's live music on…
Elba
Come sundown locals flock to this waterfront bar to relax over well-mixed cocktails and watch the sun set and the illuminated marina twinkle after dark…
San Lorenzo & San Marco
Craft-beer aficionados will simply adore this Santa Croce birreria artigianale (artisanal brewery) which provides night owls with an edgy fusion of Tuscan…
Pisa
Squat on a bench outside or grab a pew inside this funky riverside tap room, the creation of three ale-loving Pisan students: Matteo, Davide and Francesco…
Montalcino
Specialising in organic, biodynamic and natural wines, this casually stylish enoteca is a good choice for those after a glass or two of wine accompanied…
Santa Croce
A 1920s speakeasy if ever there was one, Vanilla Club cooks up an astonishing array of craft cocktails – many served in over-sized, vintage-china tea cups…
Oltrarno
Craft-beer devotees will enjoy this dimly lit, hole-in-the-wall drinking joint, a step away from the tourist crowds with knowledgeable bartenders at the…
Pisa
A dedicated all-rounder, Bazeel is a hotspot from dawn to dark. Laze over breakfast, linger over a pizza or hang out with the A-list crowd over a generous…
Santa Croce
Hidden down a rather dark and dank street near Basilica di Santa Croce, this tiny food and cocktail bar is a sweet spot for a quick drink between sights…
Santa Maria Novella
Sheer size alone at this vast nightclub in Santa Maria Novella impresses – dancing, drinking, video-karaoke in the bar, and a mixed student-international…
Volterra
Though undeniably louche (women can divest themselves of their bras in exchange for a free drink), this rough-and-ready wine bar opposite the Etruscan…
Northwestern Tuscany
Be it for morning coffee, a lunchtime snack or an after-work aperitivo, this attractive cafe and tabaccheria (tobacconist’s shop) just down from the main…
San Lorenzo & San Marco
Cent-conscious students love this American-styled bar for its lavish spread at aperitivi time – €10 for drink and sufficient nibbles to not need dinner…
Santa Maria Novella
This stylish wine bar tucked beneath a red-brick vaulted ceiling is a veteran on Florence's prolific wine-bar scene. Come here for music and occasional…
Santa Croce
Sample the best of Italian craft beer at this young, fun beer bar in Santa Croce. Pick from 10 craft beers on tap and another 50-odd bottled beers, local,…
Elba
The full name is Yacht Club Da Mario, but everyone shortens this to Da Mario – that's the kind of place it is. Pouring drinks and making coffee since 1952…
Siena
Live jazz acts regularly take the stage on Thursday and Friday nights at this intimate club near the Campo, which is popular with students and the city's…
Southern Tuscany
Here you'll sip your drink surrounded by carved rock walls – this casual cantina has been hacked out of the tufo. Add rickety tables and it's an…
Santa Croce
One of Santa Croce's original (iconic) hang-outs, this cafe-bar has lost none of its street cred over the years. Trendy 30-something Florentines continue…
Southern Tuscany
It may be modest in size, but this wine bar is ambitious in its aspirations. There's a small but stellar list of wines by the glass (order the Roccapesta…
Pisa
Kick back with Pisan cool cats at this edgy literary cafe with a red-brick vaulted ceiling, achingly cool vintage furnishings and a laid-back lounge vibe…
Duomo & Piazza della Signoria
The local fashion scene's bar of choice that never tires, this American lounge-bar is where the bold and the beautiful come to see or be seen for…
Livorno
With a cocktail menu designed like a beautiful book featuring hand-drawn illustrations, and a dynamic mixologist happy to also create off-list, cocktail…
Chianti
Owner Paola Barucci is a wonderful host and her bar-cafe on Volpaia's pretty piazza is a great place to enjoy local wines, bruschette, cheese and salumi…
Boboli & San Miniato al Monte
Neither as Irish nor as literary as the name suggests, this veteran pub with beer garden attracts a gregarious student and post-grad crowd thanks to its…
Santa Croce
A hipster crowd looks beautiful in this Santa Croce lounge and dance club with chintzy red seating, steely grey bar and a mix of hip-hop and R&B on the…
Elba
Be it in the well-worn vintage interior or around a floral ceramic-tiled table between potted palm trees on one of two terraces outside, this hybrid cafe…
Santa Croce
The cafe arm of Florentine superstar chef Fabio Picci (run by his son Giulio, no less), this charming old-world cafe behind Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio is a…
