This bar/restaurant is a great choice for splashing out on a glitzy meal or drink. The restaurant, filled with black tables, modern art, columns and canopies, has a dinner menu offering tempting plates like potato ravioli with veggie sauce and pecorino cheese or risotto with pumpkin prawns and squid. The carnivores will stop hard on the beef plate with beef...

The low light, modern arty decor is perfectly suited for the exhaustive menu of cocktails and DJed theme music each night. However, there’s also the matter of the bistro menu, offering items like Chianina beef burgers, tuna tartare and shrimp risotto. There’s an all-you-can-eat buffet from 6:30-10pm for 10 euros.

This much-loved place recently moved a few doors down the street into a larger space with more seating and vaulted ceilings. Though some of the intimacy may be gone, it’s still a winner with its wine selection (300 wines!) and a menu of snacks that quickly become a meal. The bruscetta and salads are generous, so be wary of ruining...

And if puzzling over a 400-strong wine list doesn’t induce a swoon, there’s also a selection of Scotch whiskys and liquors. There’s a short primi menu to line the stomach.

This enoteca (wine bar), unsurprisingly, has a massive wine list and generous pours, with the added perk of a short, but impressively varied menu, offering cold platters, a few pasta plates, and dishes like duck breast in Vin Santo sauce or squid and calamari sautéed with cous cous. The menu varies from month to month, so expect changes. The welcome...

After the long (and worthwhile) visit that Palazzo Pitti demands, it’s a very short stagger to a wine-assisted recovery at Pitti Gola. The star of the show here is the judiciously selected wine list. Casual visits for tastings can be done spontaneously, but reservations for a meal of fresh pastas, charcuterie and more are recommended. Or plan ahead for their...

There’s old photos and art work on the walls and a decent menu here. Newspapers are provided for reading, verily inviting one to linger for hours.

No luck getting in at Il Santo Bevitore? You could do a lot worse than this consolation prize, just a few doors east. Although, you may have trouble getting into this closet of a place too in bad weather. Assuming good weather, you’ll do fine, idly enjoying wine and snacks out on the street with plenty of company. There’s no...

Bathed in red/burgundy colors and quintessential lounge bar furniture, this is a great cocktail and chillout joint. The atmosphere is mainly on the young side, unpretentious and friendly, fueled by Trine, the Danish expat owner. DJs spin alternative, reggae, rock and more depending on the night. Check their Facebook page for weekly music announcements. The nightly happy hour (7pm-10pm) offers...

DJed music, giant cocktails and an incredibly long salads list are among the enticements here. There’s a Saturday and Sunday brunch from noon to 5pm, and food on weekdays after 7pm, such as hamburgers and enchiladas in addition to the typical Italian fare. Wednesday nights are theme nights (e.g. sushi, Mexican). It’s also a trendy daytime hangout. Italy wi-fi sticker-shocked...

Platters of meats and cheeses, pate, great wine, reasonably priced cocktails, live music and friendly service. There’s a reason the repeat visitor numbers here are so high: once charmed and spoiled by owners/hosts Fabiano and Luca, the urge to explore other wine bars evaporates. There’s a handful of outdoor tables.

Perhaps owing to its American spirit, this place is not only huge (designed with an affection for industrial decor), but it has the unusual distinction of staying open during the normal afternoon siesta. A sit down meal of pasta or pizza (or a rejuvenating cocktail) can be had all afternoon and evening. They also do bunch on Sundays. It’s generally...

The burger picture is generic and only a placeholder. I do not have pictures of this place and I have not seen a menu. This is because it was not yet open during my visit. Yet, despite only seeing a construction site, but I’m listing it anyway because it’s run by Igor, the man behind the outstanding Coquinarius wine bar,...

A friendly place on Piazza Santo Spirito for an inexpensive drink day or night. This is one of the few places in Florence where you can sit alone with a drink and an open laptop for hours and not be stared at like you’re some kind of social deviant. A decent glass of Chianti is 2.50 euros, which turns into...