Vicenza
Imbibe a bit of history at this tiny, marble-topped cafe-bar serving coffees, pastries, biscotti and snack-friendly panini. Olde-worlde jars of sweets…
Must-see nightlife in Italy
Turin
Location scouts looking for a neighbourhood bar from Turin's midcentury glory days would jump on this little place. A crew of local shopkeepers, creatives…
Milan
Calling all comic connoisseurs and geeks, Vinile serves a limited-production wine list, Italian craft beers, and artisanal cold cuts and crostini in the…
Umbria
This small and friendly pub has five taps and one handpump mostly devoted to Italian craft beer, such as Etnia, Free Lions and Birra dell'Eremo. It's…
Alba
Hidden on a tiny lane just south of Piazza del Risorgimento, Monviso pours the best coffee in town. Amid low-playing indie rock, recycled furnishings and…
Venice
All sorts sidle into this attractive little cicheti bar, from local hipsters to candidates for hip replacements, drawn by an excellent wine selection and…
Ancient Rome
This welcoming bar overlooking the Circo Massimo is good for a lingering evening drink, an aperitivo or casual meal (mains €6 to €17). It’s a friendly…
Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo
In need of a cocktail in the Termini district? Pop up to the 7th-floor bar at the slinkily designed Radisson Blu Es. hotel. Chairs are by Jasper Morrison,…
Calabria
On the beach in Scilla town, this popular bar has a Beatles tribute corner and namechecks other 1960s musical legends like Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan and Jim…
Salina
Affiliated with Malfa's Hotel Santa Isabel, this upscale bar-restaurant serves excellent Sicilian food at lunch and dinner – but the most compelling time…
Venice
A firm favourite with students and local workers thanks to the friendly staff and reasonable prices, this is a great place for coffee and a snack, either…
Turin
The excellent, and not ridiculously priced, wines here are poured after a discussion about your likes, mood and whims. While wine is the raison d'etre, it…
Vatican City, Borgo & Prati
Recharge your batteries with a quiet drink at this bookish bistrot. Pick your tipple from the 250-variety tea menu or opt for an Italian wine and sit back…
Friuli Venezia Giulia
This winery offers a fabulously bucolic setting along with peachy glasses of Malvasia and Terans the flavour of forest fruits. They match the cheese and…
Centro Storico
Forget fine wines and craft beers: this chic bar at Hotel Adriano is all about the undistilled enjoyment of gin. Here the making of a simple G&T is raised…
Sorrento
When love is in the air, put on your best Italian shoes and head for a predinner libation at the Hotel Bellevue Syrene's swoon-inducing terrace bar…
Orvieto
A tavern from another century – just a simple, unadorned bar and basic wooden tables – this is a convivial spot for a glass or two of wine, perhaps an…
Alghero
This modern, glass-walled bar boasts some of the best views in town from its lofty position on the 9th floor of the four-star Hotel Catalunya. Arm…
La Spezia
A dark, bohemian, elegantly dishevelled wine bar on a pretty street in the pedestrian centre, Odioilvino is a fine place to relax with locals over a…
Centro Storico
This warm, timber-ceilinged wine bar is an oasis of calm in the backstreets around Campo de' Fiori. It offers a carefully curated wine list of mostly…
Lecce
Treat yourself to great coffee and pasticciotto (custard pie) at this iconic chandeliered cafe in Lecce's main square. And try to get past the lavish…
Bolzano (Bozen)
Pull up a stool at one of the original marble-slab counters decorated with bas-reliefs of fish at this lively streetside bar on the site of a fish market…
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…
Bari
This bohemian street corner combination of cafe, bar and bookshop also features occasional events like poetry readings and book launches. Drop by for a…
Matera
A favourite of expat locals, this cool and compact bar combines hip bar staff with great cocktails and craft beer. Thoroughly unpretentious and welcoming,…
Cagliari
The outside tables at this handsome brick-vaulted cafe are the place to be for an early evening aperitivo. Come around 6.30pm and you'll find every seat…
Venice
If you've managed to find this wood-panelled bar in the warren of streets off San Bartolomeo, toast yourself with a cocktail and order a plate of heaped…
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…
The Dolomites
This Bressanone favourite has been in the Pupp family for almost a hundred years. The cosy velvet booths of this oh-so-'80s cafe are perpetually filled…
Turin
Come to this Vanchiglia triangle stalwart for good wine served by serious wine pros at reasonable prices. Plus you get to hang out with some of the…
Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées
Stresa
You might baulk at room prices (guests have included Princess Margaret and the Vanderbilts) but you can still slug back a Manhattan on the terrace with…
Venice
This inviting hole-in-the-wall much frequented by locals has a good selection of wines by the glass (€3 to €4), though a humble ombra (small glass of…
San Giovanni & Testaccio
A blind pig is a alternative name for a speakeasy, and this slick-looking place with its dim lighting definitely looks the part. Its professionally mixed…
San Polo & Santa Croce
Take your (admittedly expensive) espresso with a heaping of history at this atmospheric cafe, established in 1870, with its Tiffany-style lamps and…
Ancona
Enjoying a privileged Piazza del Plebiscito setting, this hophead hangout pours fine ales through eight taps built from imported New York water piping. As…
Rome
This green kiosk-bar has been serving its signature lemoncocco drink for more than 50 years. A zingy blend of velvet-smooth coconut milk and freshly…
Bolzano (Bozen)
Fuchsia-hued velvet couches and bookshelf-lined walls set the elegant tone at this champagne bar on the 2nd floor of the Thaler department store. The…
Aosta
A friendly, much-loved wine shop and bar where you can taste some of the Aosta Valley's excellent produce. Charcuterie boards, melted tomino cheese with…
Le Marche
A small but atmospheric bar dug into Sarnano's medieval walls at the foot of the historic centre. It offers a surprising array of local and international…
Perugia
A classic stone building, live jazz (on Wednesday evenings) and hundreds of wine bottles lining its woody, art-clad interior create a cosy, convivial air…
