With so many American and international college students in town, Florence by night can have a frat-party atmosphere. For me, nighttime is for eating a late meal, catching a concert, attending a lecture, strolling through the old-town pedestrian zone and piazzas with a gelato, or hitting one of the many pubs.
The latest on nightlife and concerts is listed in several publications available free at the TI (such as the biweekly The Florentine, www.theflorentine.net) or for a small price at newsstands (consider the monthly Firenze Spettacolo, which has an English section—www.firenzespettacolo.it). The TI prints a daily listing of musical events. Also check www.firenzeturismo.it.
The historic center has a floodlit ambience that’s ideal for strolling. The entire pedestrian zone around the Duomo and along Via de’ Calzaiuoli, between the Uffizi and the Duomo, is lively with people. Piazza della Repubblica, lined with venerable 19th-century cafés, offers good people-watching. In the evening, it’s a hub of activity, with opera singers, violinists, harpists, bizarre street performers, and a cover band that plays cheesy tunes for the seating area of one of the piazza’s bars. Ponte Vecchio is a popular place to enjoy river views (and kiss). Some squares feel creepy after dark. Use good judgment. I’d skip the seedy area north of the Mercato Centrale.
Certain sights in Florence stay open later, allowing you to extend your sightseeing into the evening. You can get a pre-dinner workout by climbing the Duomo’s dome (Mon-Fri until 19:00) or Campanile (daily until 19:30). Or you can do some early-evening sightseeing at the Accademia (Tue-Sun until 18:50), Uffizi (Tue-Sun until 18:35), Duomo Museum (Mon-Sat until 19:30), and others. The Palazzo Vecchio is open until 24:00 from April through September (except on Thu). For a list of late-night sights, see here.
For the perfect end to the day, watch the sun descend over the Arno River from any of the bridges, especially Ponte Vecchio. Piazzale Michelangelo, perched on a hilltop across the river (bus #12 or #13 from the train station), is also awesome for sunset-watching; it’s packed with Romeos and Juliets on weekend evenings. The nearby San Miniato Church (200 yards uphill) is quieter and comes with the same commanding view. If you’re going after dark, it’s more efficient to zip up there by taxi (rather than take a one-hour round-trip hike). While sidetripping out to Fiesole for the sunset is popular (described on here), I’d stick with Piazzale Michelangelo.
Frequent live concerts enhance Florence’s beautiful setting. In the summertime, piazzas host a wide range of performers, including pop bands on temporary stages. The lovely sounds of classical music fill churches year-round for special performances. At the TI, pick up a printout of current musical events, and keep an eye open for posters as you wander around town.
Orsanmichele Church regularly holds concerts under its Gothic arches. Tickets are sold on the day of the concert from the door facing Via de’ Calzaiuoli.
Orchestra della Toscana presents classical concerts from November to May in the Teatro Verdi (€13-16, box office open Mon-Sat 10:00-13:00 & 16:00-19:00, closed Sun, near Bargello at Via Ghibellina 91 red, tel. 055-212-320, www.orchestradellatoscana.it or www.teatroverdionline.it).
St. Mark’s English Church offers opera music several nights each week from February through October (with fewer dates in the winter). Check the website or call to see what’s playing (full opera performance-€30, opera concerts-€20, Via Maggio 18, mobile 340-811-9192, www.concertoclassico.info).
Santo Stefano Church hosts concerts almost nightly at 21:15 (€12, on Piazza Santo Stefano, near north end of Ponte Vecchio, tel. 055-289-367, mobile 330-885-951, www.notearmoniche.com).
Dinner Theater at Teatro del Sale is a quirky place for dinner and theater. Every night (except Sun-Mon) at 19:30 they kick off a buffet with a fun array of tasty dishes for an hour and a half. Then they take away the tables, and there’s an hour-long show. Sometimes the show is great for non-Italian speakers—and sometimes it’s not (call or check their website). The old theater is not technically a restaurant, so you’ll pay a €5 membership fee to “join” the association, plus €30 for the evening, including drinks (10 blocks behind the Duomo, northeast of Santa Croce at Via dei Macci 111, tel. 055-200-1492, www.teatrodelsale.com).
The recommended Golden View Open Bar complements its Arno River views with live jazz (Mon, Wed, Fri, and Sat at 21:00; near Ponte Vecchio—see listing on here).
The Box Office sells tickets for rock concerts and theater productions in Italian (Mon-Fri 9:30-19:00, Sat 9:00-14:00, Sun 9:30-14:00, east of Santa Croce Church at Via delle Vecchie Carceri 1, tel. 055-210-804, www.boxofficetoscana.it).
Ponte Vecchio often hosts a fine street musician late each evening in summer. He plugs in his amp, while young people get comfortable on the curb. There’s generally a street concert nightly in the Uffizi courtyard.
Wine Bars: An enoteca is fun for sampling regional wines and enjoying munchies, especially pre-dinnertime. Throughout the old town, enoteche serve fine Italian wines by the glass with memorable atmospheres. Le Volpi e l’Uva, specializing in small, often organic wine producers, has a cozy interior and romantic seating on a quiet little piazza. They have 40 open bottles to choose from and a short menu of appropriate dishes. For maximum tasting, they are happy to arrange a flight of half-glasses and make a little plate of mixed affettati (cold cuts) and cheeses (Mon-Sat 11:00-21:00, closed Sun, 65 yards south of Ponte Vecchio—walk through Piazza Santa Felicità to Piazza dei Rossi 1, tel. 055-239-8132, www.levolpieluva.com, run by wine experts Riccardo, Ciro, and Emilio).
Pubs: Irish and English pubs abound in Florence, attracting a mixed crowd of locals and tourists. Most are open late daily. Popular ones include the The Old Stove (Via Pellicceria 2 red, south of Piazza della Repubblica), Angie’s Pub (Via dei Neri 35 red, east of the Uffizi), The Fiddlers Elbow (Piazza Santa Maria Novella 7 red), and the Dublin Pub (Via Faenza 27, near the Mercato Centrale).
For a taste of Italian microbrews, head across the river to Archea Brewery, a small local pub that brews several of their own varieties, with a few other Italian-produced beers on tap (daily 17:00-2:00 in the morning, opens at 18:00 in winter, Via de’Serragli 44 red, a 5-minute walk west of Piazza di Santo Spirito, tel. 055-219-671, Carmine).
American university students in Florence seem to do more drinking than studying during their semesters abroad. Despite the college party vibe, there is something for everyone in Florence after-hours.
As elsewhere in Italy, many bars have a nightly aperitivo, a spread of snacks intended to tide you over until dinner. For the price of a drink, anyone can sample a dish, and the frugal can stretch it to a light meal.
Piazza Santa Croce: It’s a hangout at night, often with concerts in front of the church. The epicenter of American student partying is around this square, where you’ll find lots of bars and more foreigners than Italians. The neighboring Via de’ Benci is busy with trendy night spots. Moyo, a slick, gold-lit lounge, is popular with a hip—and young—local crowd (no cover, €5-8 drinks, open daily until late, aperitivo 19:00-22:30, dancing from 22:30, free Wi-Fi, just off Piazza Santa Croce at Via de’ Benci 23 red, tel. 055-247-9738, www.moyo.it). There are tables outside, if you want to hear yourself talk, and another inviting lounge next door.
Near the Duomo: La Congrega Lounge Bar, a tiny wine/champagne/coffee bar, is a handy little retreat day or night tucked into a tiny lane, 20 yards off Via de’ Calzaiuoli. It offers a chic mix of old and new (daily 9:00-at least 1:00 in the morning, aperitivo 18:00-21:00, between the Duomo and Piazza della Repubblica at Via Tosinghi 3/4 red, mobile 338-482-3597, Maya).
Near Piazza della Repubblica: Slowly feels anything but slow, with loud DJ music and a trendy vibe (€10 drinks, aperitivo 18:30-22:00, south of Piazza della Repubblica at Via Porta Rossa 63 red, tel. 055-265-5354). Nearby, YAB is the dance club of choice, with the action often not starting until midnight (€13-16 cover, Via Sassetti 5 red, www.yab.it).
Piazza Demidoff: To rub elbows with the locals, head across the river toward tiny Piazza Demidoff (cross the bridge east of Ponte Vecchio and turn left, about a 10-minute walk). These two places have outdoor seating, chichi interiors, and Florentines flaunting their latest shoe purchases: Negroni (Mon-Fri 8:30-3:00 in the morning, Sat-Sun 19:00-3:00 in the morning, Via dei Renai 17 red, tel. 055-243-647) and Zoe (Mon-Sat 9:00-2:00 in the morning, Sun 18:00-2:00 in the morning, Via dei Renai 13 red, tel. 055-243-111).
Piazza di Santo Spirito: This square—long known for its riffraff and druggies—has become a more mainstream place to enjoy the evening. It’s lined with lively bars and restaurants, including the recommended Borgo Antico (see here). The same people run Volume, the adjacent bar (€6-8 drinks, daily 9:00-24:00, aperitivo 17:00-22:00, see map on here for location). On the opposite side of the square, Pop Café feels trendy, but is plastic-plate simple, with students getting comfortable on the curbs and cobbles (€5-7 drinks, Wed-Mon 9:00-1:00 in the morning, closed Tue, aperitivo 19:00-22:00, Piazza di Santo Spirito 18, tel. 055-217-475).
Find first-run films in their original languages—including English—at Odeon Cinema, a half-block west of Piazza della Repubblica (Piazza Strozzi, tel. 055-214-068, www.cinehall.it; for schedule of original-language films, look under “Original Sound”).