Naples
What was an old printing shop (note the vintage printer-drawer tabletops and bookish wallpaper) is now the city's first speciality-coffee cafe. The…
Must-see nightlife in Italy
Naples
Swinging, candlelit Ba-Bar is a solid all-rounder, punctuated with quirky vintage objects and pulling a friendly, mixed crowd. It's a top spot for a pre…
Naples
From street level, stairs lead down to this softly lit, buzzing garden bar, where grown-up, fashionable types mingle among birdcage seats and vintage…
Bolzano (Bozen)
On the top floor of Bolzano's luxe perfumerie and skincare department store, this glamorous bar is a great place to celebrate any time of day, with…
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…
Umbria
With its industrial-grey decor and youthful energy, this bar provides a burst of modernity on medieval Piazza Bosone. It's named after a legendary rum…
Catania
The wines by the glass might be average, but this corner institution is a fabulous spot to while away an hour or two, with tables invitingly spread out…
Rome
Atop the 5th-floor of Condominio Monti hotel, this bijou rooftop is a popular place for an evening spritz...
Oltrarno
At this ubercool bar in San Frediano, cult alchemists Neri Fantechi and Julian Biondi woo a discerning crowd with their expertly crafted cocktails, served…
Oltrarno
The living is easy at this hipster garden-bistro-bar, snug against a chunk of ancient city wall in the flowery Santarosa gardens. Comfy cushioned sofas…
Centro Storico
Always busy, this small and unassuming cafe near the Pantheon serves the best coffee in town. Its secret? Baristas beat the first drops of an espresso…
Milan
Don’t get distracted by the cosy eclectic decor, complete with wingback armchairs, marble-topped tables, a patchwork of Persian rugs and huge lampshades…
Turin
Founded in 1763, with an exquisitely simple boiserie interior dating to the early 1800s, this one-room cafe takes its name from its signature drink, a…
Oltrarno
The 'secret' speakeasy everyone knows about, it has no sign outside: disguised as a chapel of sorts, look for the tiny entrance with the two-seat wooden…
Milan
In the former Ansaldo factory complex you’ll find a cultural centre brimming with workshops, markets, film nights and open-air parties (especially over…
Venice
With its wooden bar and gleaming brass beer taps, this Anglo-Venetian hostelry certainly looks authentic. Marciano takes booze seriously, stocking craft…
Milan
One of Milan’s best secrets: a hidden space the size of a walk-in wardrobe that can be rented out as your private bar for 90-minute intervals. With just…
Venice
The oldest still-operating cafe in Europe and one of the first to welcome women, Florian maintains rituals (if not prices) established in 1720: besuited…
Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale
Casanova, Goethe, Wagner, Keats, Byron, Shelley and Baudelaire were all regulars at Rome's oldest and most elegant cafe, which opened in 1760. Prices…
Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo
A firm favourite since 1895, the 'Three Steps' is inevitably packed with young patrons spilling out of its two-room interior and into the street. Its a…
Venice
Powdered wigs seem appropriate inside this baroque bar-cafe that's been serving happy hours since 1638. During Carnevale, costumed Quadri revellers party…
Centro Storico
This modern pub near Campo de’ Fiori has long been a leading light in Rome’s craft-beer scene, and with 40 beers on tap and up to 100 bottled brews (many…
Venice
Wine lovers should stake out a place in this small, upmarket and extremely welcoming bar and let owner Francesco guide them through the range of naturally…
Milan
Hard-to-find Fonderie Milanesi, a former metal foundry, is tucked down the bottom of an industrial yard off Via Giovenale. Locals love it for its stripped…
Oltrarno
The second branch of Florence's premier coffee roaster treats its faithful hipster clientele to full-blown dining in a 1950s-styled interior alongside its…
Bergamo
Challenging the hegemony of Lavazza and Illy, Bugan was Italy’s first coffee ‘laboratory’ when it opened in 2014. Headquartered in this Città Bassa…
Stromboli
Rub elbows with the likes of Dolce and Gabbana and the president of Italy at this chic resto-bar, a long-standing favourite of Stromboli's beautiful…
Oltrarno
Kid sister to top-notch restaurant Il Santo Bevitore two doors down the same street, this intimate wine bar with exposed stone walls and marble bar is a…
Orvieto
This stylish gourmet deli and wine shop has been pouring the good stuff since 1938, when it was started by grandmother of current host Cesare, who will…
Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo
There's good reason why the friendly bartenders here all wear flat caps, feather-trimmed trilbys and other traditional gents' hats: this fabulous 1950s…
Turin
Named for its most famous barfly, the ubiquitous Count Cavour, this beautiful historical room combines a magical, mirrored setting with a great collection…
Naples
Great for a piazza-side graze, this savvy little deli–wine bar sits at the top of sweeping Piazza San Domenico Maggiore. Offerings include niche and…
Genoa
Tucked under the bar Groove, Malkovich is one of Genoa's most atmospheric and secretive drinking dens. To get in, you'll have to provide the password …
Centro Storico
In Rome, the Roscioli name is a guarantee of good things to come: the family runs one of Rome's most celebrated delis and a hugely popular bakery, and…
Agrigento
This hip cafe serves excellent coffee, Sicilian wines and evening aperitivi, but what really sets it apart is the adjacent 18th-century San Pietro church,…
Turin
Cambio Corner – home to one of Turin's best restaurants, not to mention bars – also has this 'informal' but glamorous all-day space, set within an old…
Assisi
A far cry from the medieval-styled wine bars up the road in Assisi, this modern roadside outfit is all about the uncomplicated pleasures of beer and…
Ancona
Slinging cocktails since 1860, this righteously retro bar is one of Ancona's liveliest aperitivo haunts. The Americano and Negroni Marchigiano (with the…
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…
Centro Storico
A busy cafe with burnished 1940s fittings, this is one of Rome's best coffee houses. Its position near the Pantheon makes it touristy but its coffees are…
