One of the most enjoyable things about spending time in Tuscany, and Florence, in particular, is enjoying the slower pace of life. Even amidst the slew of tourists that descend upon the city and run around, trying to see it all, the Tuscan way of life remains intact - unhurried, relaxed and intent on enjoying things. Any holiday there should be taken and enjoyed in the spirit of the locals.
Don't just try and see it all but take time to revel in the space you're in and be really present in the moment. One of the best ways to do this is to spend time in the various piazze, sipping on a coffee and watching the world go by.
We've rounded up some of Florence's best, most famous, oldest, newest and coolest cafés for you to choose from so you can do just that. So, why not find a luxury villa in Florence and try living like a local.
Don't just try and see it all but take time to revel in the space you're in and be really present in the moment. One of the best ways to do this is to spend time in the various piazze, sipping on a coffee and watching the world go by.
We've rounded up some of Florence's best, most famous, oldest, newest and coolest cafés for you to choose from so you can do just that. So, why not find a luxury villa in Florence and try living like a local.
1. Paszkowski
Paszkowski is one of the city's most famous cafés, located in the Piazza della Repubblica and is open from 7:00AM to 12:00AM each day, bar Mondays. Caffè Concerto Paszkowski started life as a Polish brewery in the nineteenth century Jewish ghetto, but it soon became a café where the Concerto Paszkowski performed as well as a famous all-female orchestra, rare for the time. It soon became a meeting place of the leaders of literature and art of the early 1900 and music remains integral to the institution today, as well as a whole host of other cultural events such as fashion shows and conferences. In 1991 it was declared a national monument and it is easy to see why. When you enter, you can admire the elegant interiors, ogle the miniature cakes, petit fours and chocolates in the shining glass cases, order cocktails from the smartly dressed bar tenders or sit outside in the piazza and eat outdoors. This establishment offers the quintessential Florentine café experience and is perfectly located for taking a break while visiting the famous attractions nearby, such as the Duomo.
2. Giubbe Rosse
Giubbe Rosse is also located in Florence’s Piazza della Repubblica and has also long been a gathering place for patrons of the arts, in fact, it once was the Florentine headquarters of the Futurist movement. Established in the 19th century as an open-air café by the German Reininghaus brothers, it quickly became a hub for the growing German community. Giubbe Rosse, a name coined by local people unable to pronounce the names of the owners, came from the red (rosso) jackets (giubbe) worn by the waiters. Throughout history, it became a stage on which important historical and cultural events played out. The Futurists gathered there, the anti-Fascist literary journal "Solaria" was founded in the café in the 1920s, and American troops made it a social club in WWII. Today, it remains a place full of books and papers, houses events and performances and makes for the type of cultural hotspot - with coffee - that one imagines when thinking of Florence.
Read on to our next article for more of our picks of Florence's best cafés and get planning your relaxed and cultured trip to Tuscany.
Read on to our next article for more of our picks of Florence's best cafés and get planning your relaxed and cultured trip to Tuscany.
