Venice
Honouring centuries of Venetian enoteca (wine bar) tradition, fourth-generation sommelier Giovanni d'Este will open any bottle on his shelves to pour you…
Must-see nightlife in Italy
Lazio
A cobbled road, al fresco tables overlooked by medieval walls, the sound of happy drinkers – this popular cafe is a fine spot for an evening aperitif…
Venice
Billing itself as a cafe, wine bar and art gallery, modern Imagina brews top-notch espresso, pours quaffable wines and serves fresh, tasty salads,…
Trieste
This lovely cafe and chocolate shop makes everything in-house, including the hot chocolate slowly simmering in a great pot behind the counter and, in…
Milan
Living has one of the city's prettiest settings, with a corner position and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Arco della Pace. The bounteous…
Antica Pasticceria Fronte della Rocca
Northwestern Tuscany
This historic cake shop and chocolate-maker has been the hub of local life since 1885. Its atmospheric pavement terrace was clearly designed with 'go slow…
Syracuse
Yes, it's touristy, but few cafes offer a view as breathtaking as this one. Slap bang on one of Italy's most beautiful squares, it's a fetching spot for a…
Cagliari
This long-standing lounge bar boasts alfresco seating on the panoramic Bastione di Saint Remy, one of Cagliari's prize locations. Recently reopened after…
Milan
With its thick black-and-white striped wallpaper, zigzag parquet flooring and sculptural furnishings by Borsani and Fornasetti, Les Gitanes is as high…
Alghero
This backstreet pub is a fine spot for an evening's beer drinking in the centro storico. It's a basic set-up with stone vaults, wooden benches and a…
Turin
Perhaps the most gilded of the gilded, this glittery cafe dates from 1822. You'll get neck-ache admiring the weighty chandelier and pay for the privilege …
Alghero
On the centro storico's showpiece piazza, this venerable cafe attracts a constant stream of tourists to its square-side tables and formal wood-lined…
Lake Garda
Next to the 13th-century Porta San Michele, this typical Italian, open-all-hours coffee and snack halt is a relaxing place to escape the tourists and…
Mantua
Come early if you want to stand any chance of elbowing your way through the cool crowd to Pupitre's bountiful aperitivo bar laden with punchy salami…
Alba
This nondescript corner bar packs in the ragazzi (guys) every night: perfect if you're done with fine dining and upmarket enoteche. Wine choices are still…
Matera
Good for coffee on the sunken terrace during the day, a few beers watching the football in the evening, or cocktails and DJs later on, 'The Fourth Strait'…
Milan
Tents, which are trussed up in Cavalli's key look for the season, create a camp carnival atmosphere under the Torre Branca. Yes, it's a circus, and the…
Lago Trasimeno
This tiny craft-beer bar-cum-shop draws an alternative local crowd. There are four taps and a decent selection of Belgian, American and English IPAs,…
Milan
It may have been open since the Franco-Austrian war, but the decor at this popular bar belongs firmly in the 1950s. It’s all about the wine, here; perhaps…
Northwestern Sardinia
A local landmark, this bustling bar-cum-pasticceria (pastry shop) near the waterfront draws a regular crowd, with people popping in at all hours, be it…
Milan
Bar Jamaica may no longer be the bohemian dive that gave Milan a reputation for brains as well as style, but it's still an unpretentious watering hole…
Murano, Burano & the Northern Islands
Refuel with espresso and a toasted sandwich at this cafe on the sunny side of the street, and return later to celebrate photo-safari triumphs over spritz…
Matera
Close to Matera's main public square, you're likely to pass San Biagio numerous times as you explore the city. Open all day, it's a good spot to restore…
Genoa
Piazza delle Erbe's sliver of bars is the place for Genoa's youth to enjoy an alfresco drink. The tables of various bars merge in the cobbled square, but…
Bologna
The atmospheric former private chapel of the Bentivoglio family boasts four interior rooms with original paintings. The aperitivo buffet is top-notch here…
Parma
An ultramodern cafe in historic digs next to the Batisttero. Here you can perch yourself on Ikea-style clear plastic chairs for wine, tea, coffee and some…
Matera
Stripped-back surfaces, gleaming beer taps and bare, oversized light bulbs signal the youthful direction of this lively bar on one of the new town's main…
San Giovanni & Testaccio
On Rome's unofficial 'Gay Street', this laid-back cafe near the Colosseum serves mainly tourists during the day and a largely gay crowd in the evenings…
Rimini
Early risers bump into the remnants of last night's dance marathons in this swish cafe on Rimini's main square. Mornings are for cappuccinos, evenings for…
San Giovanni & Testaccio
This innocuous-looking bar on the edge of Testaccio’s clubbing strip is a well-known neighbourhood address. Frequented by a young student crowd, it's a…
Catania
While no longer on Catania's list of must-try venues, this casual eatery and bar still draws punters for aperitivo and languid cocktail sessions. Live…
Bolzano (Bozen)
Bolzano's party reputation got started at this Piazza delle Erbe veteran. If you can make it through the animated crowds thronging the sidewalk terrace,…
Agrigento
With outdoor seating in the thick of Via Atenea, by evening this popular cafe morphs into a trendy hangout for the 30-something aperitivi set, who stop by…
Matera
Positioned opposite the Chiesa di San Pietro Caveoso and the valley of the Gravina, Keiv is a good place to pick at antipasti over a sundowner, or to push…
Venice
Romance may be in the air in Venice, but the top-notch wines lining these exposed-brick walls surely help. This is mainly a restaurant, so you're best to…
Catania
The decor may lean towards chintzy, but UNA Hotel's rooftop garden bar is worth a stop for the glorious view of Mt Etna. Head up just before sunset, order…
Alghero
One of several cafes and bars offering ringside seats on Piazza Sulis, this is a prime spot for people-watching and evening drinks. Aperitifs (from €3.50)…
Eastern Sardinia
Right on Piazza Mazzini, this is an excellent place to park yourself with a cool beer and watch the world go by. It’s equally good for the morning paper,…
Perugia
Down a sidestreet off central Corso Vannucci, this lounge bar spins together frescoed plaster walls and luxuriant rugs with modern art and crazy…
Oristano
This modern cafe – think bare wooden floorboards and black and grey tones – is the place for an early evening aperitivo accompanied by a predinner snack…
