I Portici Rooftop Terrace ★ 4.2
€€€Piazza MaggioreMay to Sep daily 18:00-23:00
I Portici tucks its rooftop deck above a 19th-century palazzo on Via dell'Indipendenza, with a cocktail bar that looks across the green of Parco della.
Tip: Cocktails from 18:00 with a short bar menu; the room downstairs takes the dinner crowd so the rooftop stays drink-only. Reserve through the hotel for a terrace seat.
The Donkey ★ 4.5
€€€QuadrilateroMon-Sat 20:30-04:30, Sun 20:00-04:00
The Donkey hides a small cocktail room behind a medieval gate on Vicolo Broglio, pairing a no-oversized-drink rule with a compiled spirits back bar.
Tip: Reservations only via WhatsApp to 349 138 4953; the door does not take walk-ins. Cocktails sit around 14 euros, sized to the spirit-forward house style.
Le Vie dei Briganti ★ 4.3
€€€UniversitaDaily 10:00-02:00
Le Vie dei Briganti sits on Via Alessandrini above the Moline canal, with an upstairs bistro and a basement speakeasy reached by ringing a hidden bell.
Tip: Daytime food service runs upstairs; the underground bar opens for evenings only. Ask the bartender about the canal-window seat, a small basement banquette with the Moline view.
Bohemien Social Club ★ 4.2
€€UniversitaTue-Sun 19:00-02:00, closed Mon
Bohemien Social Club fills a Via Marsala back room with sofas, retro lamps, a piano in the corner and a wall of bookshelves, running a jazz-bar soundtrack.
Tip: Ten euro membership card at the door, valid for the year; the room runs as a private social so they keep it intimate. The kitchen sends bruschetta and salumi plates if you want to eat.
Le Stanze ★ 4.4
€€€UniversitaTue-Sun 18:00-01:30, closed Mon
Le Stanze occupies a former chapel of the Bentivoglio family on Via del Borgo San Pietro, with rooms of 17th-century frescoes set against post-modern sofas.
Tip: Aperitivo buffet runs from 18:00 with the cocktail; the room peaks on Friday and Saturday past 22:30 when the crowd spills onto the sidewalk.
Cassero LGBTQIA+ Center ★ 4.7
€€BologninaThu-Sun 22:30-04:00
Cassero has anchored the Italian LGBTQ scene since 1982, housed in a former salt warehouse by the Reno canal, with a tower-room dance floor, a rooftop garden.
Tip: Arcigay tessera required at the door; sign up at the desk or online before. The rooftop dance floor opens in summer and is the seat to get.