The three best bars in Florence, bar none

Posted on 05/07/2017 0 CommentPosted by Christine Hogan in Drink

You know Aesop’s fable of the fox and the grapes? That’s the one where the fox, unable to capture the grapes, says they weren’t worth the effort. The first bar on this list proves the fox wrong…

Le volpi e l’uva – Piazza dei Rossi, 1 Florence, 50125 Monday to Sunday from 11:00 to 21:00 +39 055 2398132 The bar across the Arno

You’ll have to step just over the Arno to find Le Volpi e l’Uva,  opened in 1992 by Emilio Monechi, Riccardo Comparini, and Ciro Beligni with the intention of cultivating relationships with small wine producers and creating a locale where wine is accessible to all. Twenty-five years ago this approach was an entirely new way of buying, selling, and presenting wine in Florence.

Throughout the years, the wine bar has continued to search every region of Italy for wines, paying extra attention to the unique terroir of individual areas and appellations, highlighting wines made with native grapes, and featuring wines made using organic and biodynamic agriculture.

Here they believe in the importance of buying directly from the winemakers, as well as taking time to visit these producers and understand the philosophy behind each wine.

Prop yourself up on a little stool at the bar, and tuck into the brilliant bar food also on offer here. It’s a cosy, five star experience.

Fusion Bar and Restaurant – Vicolo dell’Oro, 3, 50123 Firenze, Italy Hours: Open 12–3pm, 4pm–12am +39 055 2726 6987

Situated in the heart of Florence, this smart bar-ristorante sits in the Vicolo dell’Oro, a stone’s throw from the Arno. It’s a true local bar, characterised by a lively atmosphere in which fusion cuisine fourishes. You will find the tastes of the Mediterranean here, naturally, and of Peru and Japan, creatively mixed into new and surprisingly refined forms.

The best part though is the outside bar. It is the perfect place to retreat to after a day of hoofing around Florence and drowning in its astonishing heritage and ubiquitous leather shops. Come up for air here with fantastic cocktails proposed by the in-house “mixologist,” or just go for an italian classic such as a Negroni or an Aperol spritz. you will have time to consider the great good fortune you have to be sitting in one of the nicest bars in one of the best cities in the world.

La Terrazza Rooftop Bar Hotel Continentale – Vicolo dell’Oro, 6 – Florence Open every day from 16.30 alle 24.00 +39 055 27265987

The views! The Ponte Vecchio on one side. The Duomo of Brunelleschi and Giotto’s Campanile, on the other, and the Signoria tower in between. All around are the masterpieces of Florence. The service! Attentive, accommodating, and at the same time non-intrusive and relaxed.

This bar sits on top of the Hotel Continentale, and is all deep cushioned wicker sofas and service. The Continentale itself is built into the medieval Torre  dei Consorti, and its bar is a private, contemporary and elegant space from which to admire the city – and in which perhaps to be admired. It’s a great place to toast the sunset!