World Travel Guide

City Guide  - Florence  - Nightlife
Nightlife

Florence's nightlife is fuelled by the city's well-heeled foreign students who come to study Italian and History of Art. Old World meets New World as gangs of silver-tongued romeos gather to admire leggy American blondes.

Despite a minimum drinking age of 18, partying in Florence is a determinedly young scene, with students fresh out of school getting their first taste of freedom and enjoying the proliferation of inexpensive wine. The most bohemian area is the Oltrarno, south of the river, where bright young things can play until the small hours. Elsewhere, nightlife is concentrated around Piazza della Signoria, home of more sedate venues. Florentines, like most Italians, are self-consciously stylish with a definite bent towards smart, conservative dress. Dress up, take a pew outside one of the city's elegant cafés and enjoy being admired, in a city where beauty is taken for granted.

As with any university city, bars and clubs experience peaks and troughs of popularity. To find out where the action is, buy Firenze Spettacolo - the city's definitive entertainment publication - or check out Florence Today, free listings distributed twice a month. Entry to clubs is expensive - around L25,000 - but tickets usually include a free drink at the bar.

Bars:
For a glimpse of an authentic Italian watering hole, wend your way to Le Volpi and Le Uve, Piazza de'Rossi 1, and sample some of the best wines the region has to offer. Owners Riccardo and Emilio can advise a plate of salami and cheese to accompany your choice of wine. The heady mix of latino music and cocktails is guaranteed to start any night off with a zing at Caracao, Via Ginori 10r, while Rex, Via Fiesolana 25r, is a sound bet for chic company, good mixers and tasty tapas. Strictly for homesick ex-pats is the Fiddler's Elbow near Piazza Santa Maria Novella, an English-style pub with a good line in Guinness and would-be Celts. South of the river, La Dolce Vita, Piazza del Carmine, and Cabiria, Piazza Santa Spirito, are more laid-back, popular with students who spill out onto the piazza. Those in need of a night off the tiles should seek out The Hemingway, Piazza Piattellina 9r. Comfy chairs, handmade chocolates and a private library can be enjoyed in decorative surroundings.

Clubs:
Central Park on the outskirts of Florence in Parco delle Cascine is the place to be seen. Florentines flock here for the latest in music trends, although transport can be difficult for those without a car. Meccano, Viale degli Olmi 1, is self-conciously hip, while Space Electronic, Via Palazzuolo 37, provides its own entertainment - watching foreign students fend off those Latin lotharios. Expect giant TV screens, laser lights and lots of mirrored surfaces. Villa Kasar, situated on the banks of the Arno at Lungarno Colombo, is an altogether more upmarket venue reputed to be the haunt of celebrities - with attention-grabbing prices to match. Finally, if your fancy footwork stretches to the samba, head for Maracana, Via Faenza 4, a lively spot for swinging your hips.

Live music:
Florence does not have a great deal of choice when it comes to live music, but you can hear some good sounds at Be Bop, Via dei Servi 76 - a cocktail bar specialising in jazz, blues and country music. Or you can try The Jazz Café, Via Nuova dei Caccini 3, which serves up live music every Friday and Saturday. The Chiodo Fisso club, Via Dante Alighieri 16r, offers a varied repertoire and is popular with the locals, while anything goes at Caffe Voltaire, Via delle Scala 9r - from poetry readings to salsa dancing. Further out, near the airport, Tenax, Via Pratese 46, has a live music auditorium, which doubles as a dance floor and Auditorium Flog, Via M Mercati 24b, another student dive in the suburbs, is strong on contemporary young DJs and the Indie scene.



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