Florence Nightlife: Places and Districts to Go Out in Florence

  Il Duomo at Night

After dark, there are two sides to Florence: one is an elegant place of relaxed wine-sipping and fine dining; the other is a student city of pumping clubs playing the latest cheesy tunes, chic bars and general non-stop nightlife activity.

One way or the other, early on the best thing to do is take a civilized ‘passeggiata’ (evening stroll) through the beautiful old streets. This should, ideally, be followed up with a quiet drink in one of the many charming little ‘vinaio’ and ‘enoteche’ (wine bars).

And as the evening advances, Florence shows its other face. Allied to the fact that it’s a university town, the many foreign students and backpackers who descend upon the city ensure that, when the sun goes down, it buzzes with energy and expectation.

The labyrinthine network of streets surrounding the Duomo is a hub of activity. Mainstream discos and rock bars tend to be the norm, but the odd alternative venue (often in the suburbs) play eclectic mixes of funk, Afro beats and Brazilian tunes.

Over to the west of the city, Sant’Ambrogio is quickly becoming a favored hangout of the louche fashionistas. This being Italy, the emphasis is always firmly placed on looking good, and the area’s perhaps a little too self-conscious to ever get really raucous.

Across the river and to the west, parts of Oltrarno have a slightly less sedate, gentrified feel compared with much of the rest of the city. The Piazza di Santo Spirito and Piazza di Carmine are lined with laidback cafés and some of the city’s hipper music bars.

But a night out in Florence isn’t really about a great club, or a chic bar. It’s about the mood evoked by one of the most beautiful cities in the world. As the city lights up in the evening, and people start to fill the streets, you’ll feel privileged to have experienced it.

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