6 Florence Cocktail Week Bars to Know (and What to Drink at Each)

In Florence for Cocktail Week? Discover six Florence Cocktail Week bars to visit now, and exactly what to drink at each.

Kick off Florence Cocktail Week with an emerald-colored beverage and truffle chips.

Legend has it, Count Camillo Negroni — a Florentine aristocrat with a penchant for traveling, gambling and horses — slid into a bar stool at Caffè Casoni (now called Caffè Giacosa). He asked the bartender, Fosco Scarselli, to make him a strong drink. Specifically, an Americano. An Americano was a Mi-To, a mix of equal parts Campari and sweet vermouth, with soda water added — a request made by some American tourists in the late 1800s.

The Count, perhaps fresh off a stint in the U.K., one of his favorite regions to explore, wanted something stiffer, and asked that the soda water be swapped with gin, and a lemon swapped with an orange. "The Count Negroni's drink" exploded in popularity, eventually shortened to — you guessed it — a Negroni.

Is it true? I don't know, but it sounds good, and it sounds even better when you're actually sipping one in a moody, carved walnut bar in the center of Florence, snacking on potato chips surrounded by Italian men.

Alas, the Negroni is not for everyone. Which is fine, because Florence boasts one of the world's leading boutique cocktail scenes. Locale Firenze ranks No. 22 on The World's 50 Best Bars 2025 list. Florence Cocktail Week has grown from 13 bars in 2016 to 55 in 2026. The global Top 500 Bars hosted its 2025 gala at Florence's Palazzo Borghese. Florence now places multiple bars in the Top 100 of the Top 500 Bars ranking.

The seven-day-long Florence Cocktail Week 2026 kicks off on April 16. If I were going, these are the Florence Cocktail Week bars I'd hit first — six Florence cocktail bars that nail both atmosphere and flavor, and that I'd recommend to anyone asking where to drink in Florence.

Where to Drink in Florence During Cocktail Week

La Gemma Cafe, Hotel La Gemma

Tried my hand at mixology and I’m pretty terrible, but La Gemma Bar — and Marta, the lead mixologist — were lovely.

It's small and sexy, with bold colors that represent the Duomo and mirrored ceilings. The gin-based house cocktail blends citrus and green liquor to create a deep emerald-hued beverage that matches the walls. It pairs exquisitely with a bowl of truffle-flavored potato chips. The hotel and bar is the project of the Cecchi family — "La" for the parents, Luca and Alessandra, and "Gemma" built from the first initials of their five children, which also happens to mean gem in Italian. Apropos, as a gem, it certainly is.

Best for: couples, small groups

Winter Garden Bar, St. Regis

An elegant home with just four rooms on La Roma’s prettiest street. Photo by © Marriott

On Piazza Ognissanti along the Arno, the St. Regis occupies a 15th-century palazzo originally designed by Filippo Brunelleschi — the same man who built the Duomo — and converted into Florence's first luxury hotel in 1866. It was so fly, even Queen Victoria stayed as a guest. It still is so fly, but so are prices, so if an overnight isn’t in your budget, at least carve out an afternoon in the Winter Garden: a glass-roofed atrium where the light is soft, the ceilings are frescoed, and the cocktail is the Bloody Brunello — the hotel's Tuscan riff on the Bloody Mary, made with grappa di Brunello di Montalcino, acacia honey and rosemary.

Best for: couples, a solo afternoon

Cosimo Rooftop Bar, The Excelsior

Imagine sipping on a Cosimo Spritz and looking out at basically all of Florence.

This could be the best view in Florence, and there's only one way for you to determine that. The bar takes its name from Cosimo de' Medici, and the cocktail menu is a tribute to the women of the Medici family — each drink named after one of them. It also claims to be the only rooftop in Florence with a full 360° view of the city's skyline, which, if true, is not a small thing. Couple the backdrop with a fresh Cosimo Spritz — Citroen liquor, prosecco, lime, tonic and violet — and perhaps a really expensive bite of caviar. There's no place I'd rather be at sunset; I don't care that the sea bass carpaccio costs 34 euros, get me a table along the edge.

Best for: couples, friends

Alassio Restaurant, The Hoxton

Not pictured: cheerful yellow accents, greenery‑draped arches, a chic international crowd.

Never in a million years would I have ordered myself a Sgroppino — traditional Venetian cocktail of tangy lemon sorbet, Prosecco and vodka, and honestly I don't like any of those things — but the bartender insisted and I caved. OMG it was delicious, ideal for a hot summer day. The terrace is equally enticing, lush and verdant, and the crowd is stylish with alternative flair. Its location in a slightly residential and obviously wealthy part of town makes it appear almost like a hidden gem, though the British "anti-hotel" hospitality giant is difficult to conceal completely.

Best for: groups of friends

The Kitchen & The Bar, The Place Firenze

The stuff Italian dreams are made of — a sunny afternoon on a bustling piazza with a crafted cocktail in hand. © The Gram Journal

Situated on Piazza Santa Maria Novella across from its geometrically-pleasing 14th century basilica, The Place is the place for people watching from your shaded outdoor table on a sunny day. Depending on your gender identity that day, relax with a Lady (Campari, Select Aperitivo, Chambord, rose elixir, Cointreau, Prosecco, Peychaud's Bitters) or a Gentleman (Sabatini Tuscan Gin, red vermouth, bitters) and watch as Florentine fashionistas hurry past to get wherever it is they're going — always on the phone, looking serious, wearing something navy, white or grey.

Best for: couples, small friend groups

Fede Cocktailab

I popped in during the day, but this is definitely a nighttime kind of spot.

You'll notice the purple neon lights, I promise they're executed in sophisticated fashion. Everything about it is design-forward, from the golden bubble installation above the bar to the drinks themselves. Classic cocktails are transformed, either by one of the four elements or by the lab's imagination (watch the workings of the lab while you drink). Sit at the bar for an interactive experience; the bartenders are passionate about what they do. A favorite is the Caprese — clarified tomato water, a tequila–mezcal base, basil cordial, carbonation, and a cherry mozzarella garnish that tastes like the salad in the best way.

Best for: couples, a few friends

Whether you're here specifically for Florence Cocktail Week bars or just passing through, these cocktail bars in Florence Italy are the ones I'd send any friend to first.