Must-see nightlife in Emilia-Romagna

  • Bastian Contrario

    Parma

    Owner Marco has done up this cosy neighbourhood bar, fashioning a draught distribution system made from recycled farming irrigation piping, with tap…

  • Le Serre dei Giardini Margherita

    Bologna

    Bologna's best time: parking yourself, with an Aperol spritz (€4) in hand, among the cool kids and digital nomads at these formerly abandoned city…

  • Ranzani 13

    Bologna

    Ditch the city centre and venture just outside Bologna's ring road to a distinctly unremarkable apartment block where one of the city's best craft-beer…

  • Jigger

    Reggio Emilia

    Dapper, well-trained mixologists whip up sinfully good cocktails (€8) amid vintage radios, leather sofas, an old jukebox and even a hanging bicycle at…

  • Tabarro

    Parma

    In the heart of Parma's animated Strada Farini drinking scene is this classy but friendly wine bar run by a personable ex-rugby player. In warm weather,…

  • Menomoka

    Modena

    Step up your coffee game at this trendy, barista-driven cafe that produces Modena's best espresso, pulled from 100% Arabica specialty blends from around…

  • Darsenale

    Ravenna

    This 1200-sq-metre brewpub and beer garden is Emilia-Romagna's most ambitious craft-beer undertaking yet. Local brewery Birra Bizantina flipped this long…

  • Archer

    Modena

    Though she has no formal certification, renegade wine expert Marina Bersani has been slinging juice since the age of 15. Archer – named after The Portrait…

  • Il Punto

    Bologna

    Bologna's best and most Italian-focused craft-beer bar offers eight taps of birra artigianale (including one hand-pump; draught beers €3.50 to €6) and…

  • Darsena Sunset Bar

    Rimini

    It's a good idea to reserve a prime spot in advance at this trendy cocktail bar hidden away in Rimini's marina (Darsena). You have entered the domain of…

  • Cocoricò

    Rimini

    Dancing under Cocoricò's glass pyramid, 2000 clammy strangers (straight, bi, gay, whatever) quickly become friends to the sounds of techno, house and…

  • Enoteca del Teatro

    Rimini

    In quaint Borgo San Giuliano, this is Rimini's best spot for a sophisticated glass of vino without the hubbub that comes along with major European beach…

  • FM23

    Modena

    The big personality behind the now-closed rock-and-roll craft-beer bar Maltomania is one of the partners behind Modena's newest and best destinations for…

  • FOB

    Rimini

    FOB, named after the Foam on Beer draught head control system installed above its 34 taps (pints €5 to €6.50), is one of Emilia-Romagna's most visually…

  • Nécessaire

    Rimini

    For an adult aperitivo, this trendy newcomer is a solid bet. This spot boasts excellently mixed cocktails and sophisticated tapas led by a creation after…

  • Fellini ScalinoCinque

    Ravenna

    Hip and friendly owner Pepe suffered for a few years while his trendy cocktail bar was cut off from the action by the construction work that transformed a…

  • Fermento

    Bologna

    Just 400m across the bridge in Bolognina, this former neighbourhood furniture shop was transformed by cool kids into one of the city's best cocktail bars…

  • Cantina del Bonsignore

    Emilia-Romagna

    This classy bottleshop and enoteca tucked down a photogenic lane is the best spot in town to try local wines. Friendly owner Matteo (and an in-house…

  • Mon Café

    Modena

    Your negroni at this shabby-chic lounge takes longer than a masterpiece Renaissance painting, but the excruciating mixology is worth the wait. The…

  • Birra Frara

    Ferrara

    This small brewpub is the domain of friendly Marcello, who started brewing beer when he was 19. He keeps five or so of his own brews on draught (the…

  • Pappare'

    Ferrara

    This third-wave coffeehouse hailing from Bologna faces far less competition in Ferrara, where its single-origin and organic speciality coffees and…

  • Antica Drogheria Calzolari

    Bologna

    This standing-room-only wine bar is one of Bologna's most social, attracting an eccentric early-evening crowd – bohemian art professors, seasoned drunks,…

  • Aroma

    Bologna

    You'd walk right past this seemingly typical Italian caffè and never think twice, the wince-inducing logo certainly not helping matters. But inside,…

  • Caffè Rubik

    Bologna

    This bohemian pop-art coffee and amaro bar packs a wallop of soul into a tiny space. Cassette tapes and old school lunchboxes line the walls, and the…

  • Osteria del Sole

    Bologna

    The sign outside this ancient Quadrilatero dive bar tells you all you need to know – ‘vino’. Bring in your own food, and elbow past the alley-filling…

  • Enoteca Storica Faccioli

    Bologna

    The natural wine movement is slow on the take in Italy, but this storied – if somewhat touristy – enoteca features the best natural, organic and…

  • Caffe Zanarini

    Bologna

    Probably the finest of Bologna's traditional cafes, Zanarini hosts gaggles of die-hard fans who chase exquisite pastries and sweets, courtesy of famed…

  • Bottiglieria San Giovanni

    Reggio Emilia

    With precious patio tables dotted with potted plants filling up a charming side alley, this quaint wine bar is the embodiment of Italian romance. Around…

  • Byblos

    Rimini

    Feeling more like a hedonistic Beverly Hills house party than a club, Rimini's poshest after-dark venue occupies a converted villa complex with a swimming…

  • Casa Minghetti

    Bologna

    On leafy Piazza Minghetti, this trendy restobar is a local favorite for its creative cocktails (from €9). The small indoor space is intimate, but it's all…

  • Bar Lento

    Rimini

    This artsy cafe is the domain of Rimini's alterna-hipsters, wandering bohemians and the anti-beach brigade. It's a great spot for settling in with a…

  • Enoteca Fontana

    Parma

    A loud, elbow-in-the-ribs type of wine bar (it gets busy!) with some tables in a room out back where you can sip wine and munch grilled panini while…

  • Rockisland

    Rimini

    Perched on stilts over the Adriatic at the far end of the marina pier, Rockisland is the place for beer, sunset cocktails, live rock music and bikers with…

  • Cassero

    Bologna

    Wednesday, Friday and Saturday are the big nights at this legendary gay-and-lesbian (but not exclusively) club, home of Italy's Arcigay organisation.

  • Chalet 3.0

    Emilia-Romagna

    A fine wine bar with four to 10 selections by the glass and tables on popular Piazza Garibaldi.

  • Baladin Bologna

    Bologna

    Part of a homegrown, sustainably focused brewpub chain born in Piozzo, Bologna's Baladin sits inside the Quadrilatero's gourmet Mercato di Mezzo. In…

  • Caffè Concerto

    Modena

    This Piazza Grande establishment manages the delicate juxtaposition of trendy (uber-contemporary decor) and old (cobbled central-square location) without…

  • Al Brindisi

    Ferrara

    The oldest osteria in the world (according to Guinness), this scruffy-meets-stylish wine bar was already an established drinking den in 1435. Titian drank…

  • Discoteca Baia Imperiale

    Rimini

    With eight dance floors, evergreen Baia Imperiale is one of Europe's largest clubs, and 'smells of the echoes of Rimini's past' (as one local put it)…

  • Modo Infoshop

    Bologna

    This indie bookshop with an affiliated cafe-bar next door is where postgrads sit down to write up their theses in a room decorated with antifascismo…

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