Locale Firenze

Locale Firenze is the Florence bar that most often appears on international best-bar lists. It occupies a building whose origins go back to the 13th century, on Via delle Seggiole, a narrow street between the Bargello and Santa Croce, and it combines a cocktail bar, a restaurant and late-night spaces across several rooms, both upstairs and down in the old cellars. In 2026 it was ranked number 33 on The 50 Best Bars list and number 21 on Europe's 50 Best Bars.

The setting is part of the appeal: vaulted ceilings, stone walls, Tuscan chandeliers and antique furniture in the style of the Medici era create an old-world, almost theatrical atmosphere. The drinks, by contrast, look forward. The bar team works with laboratory techniques, homemade preparations and a low-waste approach, and the menu changes over time. Signatures have included Foglia, a fresh mix of gin, hemp, mint, basil and lemon; a Coffee Tonic made with rum and miso; and Fico & Olive, combining figs, olives, rye whisky and Marsala as a nod to local flavours.

Cocktails are priced at the top end of the Florence market, reflecting the bar's reputation and craft. The restaurant serves dinner, and many guests start with a meal and move on to drinks, or come later in the evening for cocktails only. Locale is open every day. Booking is strongly recommended, particularly for dinner and at weekends, as the bar is popular with both visitors and Florentines; without a booking you may have to wait.

It suits couples, cocktail enthusiasts and groups of friends celebrating, rather than anyone looking for a quick, inexpensive drink. The atmosphere becomes livelier as the night goes on.

The bar is about three minutes' walk from the Bargello and five minutes from both Piazza della Signoria and Santa Croce, so it fits neatly at the end of a day in the centre. Plenty of restaurants in the Santa Croce area make it easy to combine with dinner elsewhere, and taxis can be called to the nearby Via Ghibellina. If you are not hungry, ask for a table in the bar rather than the restaurant when you book, and allow at least an hour to work through a couple of drinks without rushing.