Naples
Gambrinus is Naples' oldest and most venerable cafe, serving superlative Neapolitan coffee under flouncy chandeliers. Oscar Wilde knocked back a few here…
Must-see nightlife in Italy
Oltrarno
Wine lovers won't do better than this serious wine bar opposite Palazzo Pitti, run with passion and humour by charismatic trio Edoardo, Manuele and Zeno –…
San Polo & Santa Croce
Famously mentioned in Casanova's memoirs, cosy 'Two Spades' was founded in 1488 and continues to keep Venice in good spirits with its bargain Tri-Veneto…
Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale
Can’t afford to stay at the celeb-magnet Hotel de Russie? Then splash out on a drink at its swish bar. There are sofas inside, but the sunny courtyard is…
Milan
In operation for 200 years, the Quadrilatero's most historic bar was bought by LVMH and got a subsequent subtle nip-and-tuck eschewing any showy…
San Polo & Santa Croce
An hour's changeover is all it takes for historic Caffè dei Frari to transform itself into its night-time guise as Venice's best cocktail bar. If you can…
Venice
Gritti Palace's beautiful Bar Longhi may be pricey, but if you consider your surrounds – Fortuny fabrics, an intarsia marble bar, 18th-century mirrors and…
Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo
An all-round hybrid in Pigneto, iconic Necci opened as a gelateria in 1924 and later became a favourite drinking destination of film director Pier Paolo…
Venice
Find a spot in the wood-lined interior or, in summer, on the boat moored out the front along the canal, and watch the motley parade of drinkers and…
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Langhe, Roero & Monferrato
This friendly enoteca is run by passionate young staff who will talk you through their good stock of local wines – from a cheap and cheerful Nebbiolo or…
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Trentino & South Tyrol
Take a seat at the long communal table, crafted from the wood of a 250-year-old oak tree, at fourth-generation winemaker Alois Lageder's biodynamic…
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Parma
Owner Marco has done up this cosy neighbourhood bar, fashioning a draught distribution system made from recycled farming irrigation piping, with tap…
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Marsala
Run by Tuscan-Sicilian couple Anna and Francesco, this irresistible enoteca is a gorgeous spot to quaff Marsala wines with locally sourced salumi (cold…
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Syracuse
Take an aristocratic courtyard, add an intimate interior kitted out in vintage coffee tables and a Chesterfield lounge, and you have Cortile Verga. This…
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Trieste
Opening just before WWI, and a favourite of writers Svevo, Saba and Joyce, this Viennese Secession giant is spectacularly decorated with theatrical mask…
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Milan
Milan’s creative crowd loves to hang at this multifunctional space incorporating a handsome vintage-style bar with club chairs and chesterfields; a 30…
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Genoa
One of Genoa's surfeit of crumbling palazzi is being put to excellent use in this atmospheric cocktail bar. Three bearded, vest-wearing, red-headed…
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Catania
The 11km drive southwest of central Catania is worth it: this is one of Sicily's finest clubs, with top-tier Italian and international DJs and live-music…
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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…
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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…
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Perugia
Follow the lead of students and clued-up locals by searching out this artsy little backstreet bar for an early evening aperitivo. Until 9.30pm you can…
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Lago Trasimeno
This is the most consistently packed spot on Castiglione del Lago's main drag, and for good reason. Ricardo, armed with a wealth of wine knowledge,…
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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…
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Val d'Orcia
Located underneath Palazzo Piccolomini and accessed via the staircase between the palace and the duomo, this hybrid cafe and cocktail bar in the former…
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Catania
There's no drinks list at this intimate cocktail den, decked out in mismatched furniture, gilded mirrors and the odd gramophone. Simply state your flavour…
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Catania
Vermouth, vino and salumi (charcuterie) keep this budget-friendly hotspot pumping. Scattered with vintage liquor posters and old wooden tables, its ample…
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Agropoli
The best place for an afternoon pausa (break) in Agropoli is the leather-seated, art deco-tinged Nero Café, although the intended ‘pause’ could turn into…
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Trieste
Simply the best place in Trieste for sundowners is this bar perched atop the Marina San Giusto yacht club. Dressed with artificial grass and potted plants…
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Palermo
Once a hardware store, this genuinely cool, piazza-side bar-eatery now fixes long days with well-mixed cocktails and clued-in vino. Rotating wines by the…
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Noto
Sophisticated, LGBT-friendly and irrefutably cool, 'Even the Angels' is the place to schmooze in Noto. A cafe-bar, lounge, restaurant and concept store in…
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Val d'Orcia
Roberto Rappuoli is a devotee of craft beer who operates a sleek but petite brewery and tap room in the fortified medieval hill town of San Quirico d…
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Palermo
Decked out in contemporary art and eclectic objets, bohemian Bocum was Palermo’s first proper cocktail bar and remains one of its best. While the ground…
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Taormina
This so-svelte cocktail-lounge sports a new look every year, with each concept inspired by Sicilian culture, artisans and landscape. It's the place to be…
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Naples
If you take your cocktails seriously, slip into this sultry, speakeasy-inspired den. Wrapped in art nouveau wallpaper, it's the domain of Neapolitan…
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Cagliari
Offering some of the best views in town, this modish Castello bar has panoramic seating on top of the city’s medieval ramparts. If the weather’s being…
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Venice
Lining the exposed-brick walls of this canalside bar are small-production wines, including a great selection of natural and biodynamic labels. The cicheti…
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Milan
If Michelin awarded stars for bars, Nottingham Forest would have one. This eclectically decorated Asian/African tiki bar is the outpost of molecular…
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Elba
Steps lead down from the panoramic terrace at the far end of the central Piazza Matteotti to this party-hot enoteca (wine bar), a strictly after-dinner…
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Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo
One of Monti's best bars, this multiroomed speakeasy in a former monastery has an eclectic vintage-style decor and plenty of cosy corners where you can…
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Sorrento
Welcome to a new and very Italian concept: a cocktail bar doubling up as an interior-design store. That elegant sofa you’re sipping a negroni on is for…
