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…
Must-see nightlife in Italy
Santa Teresa di Gallura
With its arched windows, polished-wood bar and jazzy beats, this stylish cafe attracts a young, good-looking crowd. Join them for morning coffee or a cool…
Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo
Doll's house in size, seating only 16 in a cramped space, this cafe in the cobbled heart of Monti serves decent coffee, panini, pastries and a fruit and…
Costa Smeralda
Grab a pew in Caffè Nina's cosy, stone-walled interior, or opt for the sprawling front terrace facing San Pantaleo's church square; either way, it's the…
Udine
Yes, there's a popular restaurant out back, but it's the spill-onto-the-road front bar that will hold your interest. A rock-and-roll soundtrack, excellent…
Centro Storico
See out the night over craft cocktails in this intimate speakeasy. The vintage leather sofas, subdued lighting and friendly attitude create a cool…
Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo
Tiny Co.So (meaning 'Cocktails & Social') was founded by Massimo D'Addezio (a former master mixologist at Hotel de Russie) and is hipster to the hilt…
Turin
This Vanchiglia local is everything you could want in a neighbourhood bar: come for coffee, have a bite to eat, drop in for a good wine or nicely made…
Merano (Meran)
At this loud, shiny and fun spot in Merano's pedestrian zone, owner-bartender Stefano Urru loves what he does, and most of the cocktail ingredients are…
Venice
Charming staff dispense delicious cicheti from a central horseshoe-shaped bar in this upmarket little place in the main shopping precinct. It's a great…
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…
Vernazza
Hidden on a narrow lane a few steps off the harbour, Monkey Artpub is an atmospheric drinking den with dark stone walls, an artfully lit shelf of…
Centro Storico
Join well-heeled locals and shoppers for an alfresco coffee or aperitivo at this long-standing cafe on graceful Piazza di San Lorenzo in Lucina. The…
Riomaggiore
There's much to like about La Conchiglia: its well-priced local wine list, perfect waterfront location and a menu of big, healthy salads, panini and…
Venice
With its chequerboard floor tiles and Prohibition-era ephemera on the walls, this little cocktail bar is a hip extension to the spritz-swilling Campo…
Reverso Unconventional Bistrot
Bari
Tucked away in a laneway in Bari Vecchia, the cosy Reverso combines an excellent Puglian wine list, interesting bar snacks and platters, and a welcoming…
Trieste
Named after Hermann Hesse’s amiable vagabond, this alternative bar-cum-library-cum-shop-cum–bicycle rental is a bohemian place where alternative Triestini…
Ancona
Hidden on a back alley and identified only by a discreet sign, this art-deco-inspired cafe is an atmospheric spot to kick off a night with a cocktail (€8)…
Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale
Yes, the Spanish Steps offer a primo people-watching opportunity. But so too does the street-side terrace of this nearby cafe, which has been hugely…
Vernazza
Slightly concealed above the chapel along Vernazza's main street, this small wine shop and bar is a fine place to sample some of Cinque Terre's finest…
Venice
Aspiring auteurs hold court at tables well scuffed by Ernest Hemingway, Charlie Chaplin, Truman Capote and Orson Welles, enjoying the signature €21…
Friuli Venezia Giulia
This historic bar has a prime location and outdoor seating where you can linger in the sun over strong coffee and Krapfen or enjoy a well-made spritz …
Vernazza
Go early to score a seat at this youthful, easy-going terrace cafe, with its yellow-umbrella-shaded tables perched above Vernazza's tiny beach. Aside from…
Le Marche
On the main seafront road, Casa Fazi does a wonderful selection of fresh fruit and vegetable juices, shakes and smoothies as well as delectable gelato…
Manarola
Just below street level, this friendly local watering hole is the best place in town for some late-night revelry. There's live music on weekends (and more…
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…
Como
This boutique brewery fills a big hole in Como’s drinking scene with its changing line-up of six draught beers and an extensive list of over 50 bottled…
Marsala
Marsala's fashionistas gravitate towards this on-trend lounge-bar to quaff cocktails in the chic interior or beneath grey parasols on the street terrace…
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…
Venice
A bar with a ceiling completely covered with bras could hardly be accused of being classy, but if you're after a change from sedate cicheti bars, this…
Val d'Orcia
A local secret that we hereby expose, this bar next to the belvedere (scenic viewpoint) behind Piazza Pio II is a perfect place to enjoy an aperitivo –…
Sorrento
On Piazza Tasso, this elegant cafe with besuited waiters offers a front-row seat for the evening passeggiata (communal stroll). It serves stiff drinks at…
Syracuse
This beloved bookshop-cafe organises a whole range of cultural activities, including Italian language courses and regular literary events. It's also a…
The Dolomites
A classy dark, low-ceilinged space with an extensive wine-by-the-glass list. Peter offers a nightly tavola calda (a limited hot menu; mains €22) on…
Cagliari
DH Lawrence and Grazia Deledda once frequented this grand old cafe, which opened its doors in 1855. Locals come to chat over leisurely coffees, crêpes and…
Turin
Garner literary inspiration in Mark Twain's old window seat as you contemplate the gilded interior of a cafe where 19th-century students once plotted…
Cremona
A short stroll from the duomo, La Hacienda is an anchor of Bergamo's youthful, good-cheer drinking scene. Stop in for first-rate cocktails and good wines…
Ancient Rome
Quaff craft beer in the shadow of the Colosseum at this bar by Scottish brewery BrewDog. With its stripped-down grey-and-brick look and up to 20 brews on…
Trastevere & Gianicolo
A seminal Trastevere hangout. Grab a table on the shady piazza terrace and watch the world go by amid a mixed Roman and tourist clientele. The drinks and…
Catania
Indie-spirited Mono serves up free, regular live music to a mostly local crowd. Acts include singer-songwriters and emerging talent, with a courtyard that…
