A short holiday in Tuscany has many advantages, including the opportunity to visit the birthplace of the Negroni and go bar-hopping. Here are five cool watering holes that guarantee high-quality drinks.
Not only for guests of the luxury Four Seasons hotel, which consists of the two Renaissance-era buildings and the city's largest private garden, the Atrium Bar offers a luxurious introduction to the liquid spheres of the city. Past the purple-flowered foyer full of columns, sculptures and stucco work, you turn into the wood-panelled Atrium Bar, where a heavy chandelier towers over green velvet sofas, Art Nouveau interiors and ferns. Bar manager Tommaso Ondeggia and head bartender Sandri Edoardo wield the stirring spoons, with a preference for a classic Negroni or an in-house variant of it, i.e. "with a twist". In general, it can be said that the Negroni "with a twist" is not only the most ordered drink in the city, but also the one most touted by the bartenders – after all, each twist is different and signifies nothing less than the signature of the respective location. The twist-free classic at Atrium Bar consists of one third each of Ginarte London Dry Gin, Campari and Mancino Rosso Vermouth. In keeping with his love of Mexico, Ondeggias' favourite drink is a 'Turtle', consisting of Silver Tequila, chilli agave syrup, coconut milk, lemon juice and homemade Tiger's Milk. Ondeggia's is made from celery, tomatoes, juniper, water, coriander, pineapple and lime. You might say that in Italy every drink is red and tastes bitter-sweet. Smoking takes place in front of the hotel, in the 4.5-hectare park.
Atrium Bar, Four Seasons, Borgo Pinti, 99, 50121 Florence.
Caffè Gilli sounds like a café, of course. And it is. But not just any café, the oldest in the city, founded in 1733. But it's much more than just a café that stays open until 1am, this most central of all drinking establishments on the Piazza della Republica is first and foremost a bar that happens to open at 8am. Drinks are mixed behind a huge green marble counter, the display case next door is bursting with fresh pastries and the cioccolateria next door promises that the house's signature drink, the ‘Take your Thyme‘, will certainly remain tolerable. Served with what are probably the largest and fleshiest olives in Tuscany, this slightly bitter and citrus-fresh drink, which is low in alcohol, can certainly be consumed several at a time. Maybe not so many that you get on the Mary Poppins-esque carousel in the piazza, for which the free chips are distributed in the café. But definitely so many that the price doesn't hurt quite so much. Because here the superlatives are paid for: the oldest café, the most beautiful piazza, the most aromatic olives and the most beautiful shake show by the bartenders. Of course, they also mix their own Negroni twist here: with mezcal and coffee liqueur. Three streets away, in Via de' Tornabuoni, the Negroni was invented about a hundred years ago in the former Giacosa Café. So heritage lurks in the streets, and in good weather there is a ruby-red glow at almost every table outside.
Caffè Gilli, Via Roma, 1r, 50123 Florence
If this bar were an animal, it would probably be a peacock. It is not only the bright colours of the turquoise leather sofas together with red, orange and yellow flower arrangements in the background of a purple fluorescent gin and tonic; it is also the pride with which it is presented. In Italy, women in senior positions at the bar are still a rarity so this makes the presence of Umbrian bar manager Martina Bonci, who entered the world of mixology through her grandmother, who sometimes gave her granddaughter a few sips of wine after dinner on the grounds that it was good for the blood. Her path led her via Perugia and countless high-end bars to Gucci Giardina 25, a bar designed by Gucci's creative director Alessandro Michele and an extension of the Gucci Garden. 25 is not a house number, by the way, but a kind of favourite number of the designer, which also appears again and again in his collections. Similar to Caffè Gilli, early birds are also catered for here – as long as they are fashionably compatible with the peacock. Giardino 25 opens its doors at 9am, ready to boil or brew, mix and stir. The pastries on offer make an extended stay easy, and if hunger gets too much, in 2018 top chef Massimo Bottura opened Gucci Osteria for needs of this nature.
After a wandering glance around the room, it's almost unnecessary to mention that the fluorescent ‘Memoire de Negroni‘ is the house's signature drink. It consists of Bitter Bianco, Ambrato reserve vermouth, yuzu sake, grapefruit bitters and the butterfly pea flower, which is largely responsible for the blue colour. You learn so much at the bar.
Gucci Giardino 25, Piazza della Signoria, 37r, 50122 Florence
Matteo di Lenno is the bar manager in the historic building, which dates back to around 1200, and he spares few ingredients. Whether fermented pineapple peel, peas or bee pollen, every ingredient finds its drink on his elaborate cocktail menu. How about a ‘Pomo Basso‘ with fat washed vodka, tomato pulp syrup and green tomato bitters? The average price of around €28 per drink is self-explanatory after just a few sips and feels even more like a bargain when you read the bar menu, which is divided into art themes: "Scultura", inspired by renowned Renaissance sculptures, includes strong drinks, "Pittura" is dedicated to floral and fruity cocktails, inspired by the Italian painting of its time, and the section "Canto dei Bischeri" ("Song of the Peasants") takes a look at everything that comes from the tree and field: Melona, nettles, matcha.
Apart from the gustatory experience, one reason for visiting the Locale is certainly the history of the house. In the hands of the Medici family in the 15th and 16th centuries, there is even an oven from 1368 in the vaulted cellar, where you can also dine if there is no more room in one of the ground-level vaults in the mediaeval side wings. In keeping with the drinks, the focus here is not on taste, but on performance. A colourful bouquet of surprising textures, smoke and décor, paired with traditional Italian cuisine. Strong recommendation: the truffled spaghetti and a cannabis-infused drink; this is as close to heaven as you'll get in your lifetime.
Locale, Via delle Seggiole, 12r, 50122 Florence
The Contessina de' Bardi was a noblewoman who married into the House of Medici – to gain even more nobility in order to polish the prestige she longed for in Florence. Once again, it becomes clear: Florence is living history and it is commemorated at the bar. Just as Florentine painting is characterised by "Memento Mori" motifs, transience is also commemorated in culinary terms. The De' Bardi only opened its doors in April this year and its ambitions are great. The bar is already there, the restaurant will open soon and the Wine House next door, where tasting will take place and Tuscan wines made available, is already in the starting blocks. The restaurant Costa San Giorgio under the aegis of Yuzo Nakai serves Tuscan-Japanese fusion cuisine, the bar follows this style. Bar manager Veronica Costantin, who was named best bartender of 2020 at the Florence Cocktail Week, mixes whiskey with shiitake and bamboo, tequila and wasabi with onions, and serves ingredients such as sous-vide shiso.
Green velvet seats and a marble look on the tables give the place a very calm touch, which, contrary to the often opulent Florentine interiors, suits the minimalist and pleasantly unsweet drinks. Although Costantin is certainly capable of mixing a Negroni. With a twist, of course, perhaps spirulina algae.
De‘ Bardi, Via De’ Bardi 27, Florence
