Top Wine Bars in Italy

Osteria del Sole ★ 4.8 · Bologna

Vicolo Ranocchi 1/D, 40124 Bologna BO

Osteria del Sole in Bologna's Quadrilatero is the 1465-founded wine-only osteria, the city's oldest, where regulars bring food from the surrounding.

Tip: Bring food from Tamburini or Paolo Atti; the osteria sells only wine. Cash only. Closed Sunday.

Vinoir ★ 4.8 · Milan

navigli · Ripa di Porta Ticinese 93b, 20143 Milano

Vinoir at the quieter end of the Naviglio Grande is Milan's first natural wine bar, open since 2012, with over 300 vini artigianali from Italy, France.

L'Ebbrezza di Noe ★ 4.8 · Naples

chiaia · Vico Vetriera a Chiaia 9, 80132 Napoli

L'Ebbrezza di Noe in Naples' Chiaia is the natural-wine enoteca with a 400-bottle list of Campania and Italian biodynamic producers, the city's first cellar.

Tip: Closed Sunday. Book a fortnight ahead for the cellar room; cheese board runs 16 euros.

Enoteca Bulzoni ★ 4.8 · Rome

parioli · Viale Parioli 36, 00197 Roma

Enoteca Bulzoni in Rome's Parioli quarter has run as a wine cellar since 1929. The cellar runs 4000 labels deep; the wine bar pours 40 by the glass nightly.

Tip: Closed Monday. The retail bottle prices are 30 percent below the wine-bar pour markup; buy and uncork.

Enoteca Italiana ★ 4.7 · Bologna

Via Marsala 2/B, 40126 Bologna BO

Enoteca Italiana on Via Marsala in Bologna is the 1958-founded enoteca with the long marble counter, a 1,000-label Italian cellar and the daily tagliere.

Tip: Walk-in only; arrive before 19:30 for the aperitivo crowd. The wines by the glass rotate weekly.

Le Volpi e l'Uva ★ 4.7 · Florence

oltrarno · Piazza dei Rossi 1r, 50125 Firenze

Le Volpi e l'Uva in Florence's Oltrarno is the 1999 wine bar tucked behind Ponte Vecchio, with a hand-built list of Tuscan small growers, 30 wines.

Tip: Closed Sunday. The 12-seat bar has no bookings; arrive at 17:30 for aperitivo seating.

N'Ombra de Vin ★ 4.7 · Milan

brera · Via San Marco 2, 20121 Milano

N'Ombra de Vin on Via San Marco in Brera is the cellar cut into the 16th-century refectory of a former Augustinian convent, open since 1973.

Bocum Mixology ★ 4.7 · Palermo

vucciria · Via Cassari 2-4, 90133 Palermo

Bocum Mixology on Via dei Cassari in Palermo's Vucciria is the city's senior cocktail and wine bar, Gambero Rosso's Sicily benchmark, deep Etna list.

Tip: Book the upstairs lounge; aperitivo runs from 18:00. Frangiflutti is the house cocktail; Etna by the glass on the wine list.

Trimani Il Wine Bar ★ 4.7 · Rome

esquilino · Via Cernaia 37/B, 00185 Roma

Trimani Il Wine Bar in Rome's Castro Pretorio quarter is the Trimani family's wine bar (the retail cellar runs since 1821), with 5000 labels in the back.

Tip: Closed Sunday. The cellar tour Saturday 11:00 is free for groups of six or more; book a fortnight ahead.

Vino Vero ★ 4.7 · Venice

Fondamenta della Misericordia, Cannaregio 2497, 30121 Venezia VE

Vino Vero in Venice's Cannaregio on Fondamenta della Misericordia opened 2014 and runs one of Italy's deepest natural-wine lists, the canonical late-night.

Tip: Canal-side outside seating fills up by 19:00 in summer. Ask the staff for the orange-wine flight; the Friulian pours are the move.

Antica Bottega del Vino ★ 4.7 · Verona

Vicolo Scudo di Francia 3, 37121 Verona

Antica Bottega del Vino has poured Amarone in Verona since 1890 on a side alley off Via Mazzini.

Tip: Standing-counter ombra runs €3 to 8 per glass; the seated dining room is for full Veronese plates.

Enoteca della Valpolicella ★ 4.7 · Verona

Via Osan 47, 37022 Fumane (VR)

Enoteca della Valpolicella in Fumane outside Verona runs a 15th-century barn with primi casarecci and the most complete Valpolicella roster by the glass.

Tip: Twenty-minute drive from Verona; book the cellar table 10 days out for Vinitaly week and add the four-Amarone tasting flight.

Camera a Sud ★ 4.6 · Bologna

Via Valdonica 5, 40126 Bologna BO

Camera a Sud in Bologna's Centro Storico is the natural-wine bar from Andrea Liguori, with a Sicily-and-Emilia-focused cellar, a small plates carte.

Tip: Book three days ahead for the seated dinner; the bar standing-aperitivo runs 19:00-21:00 walk-in. Closed Monday.

Pitti Gola e Cantina ★ 4.6 · Florence

oltrarno · Piazza de' Pitti 16, 50125 Firenze

Pitti Gola e Cantina in Florence's Oltrarno sits across from Palazzo Pitti, with a 600-bottle natural-and-biodynamic list, charcuterie boards.

Tip: Closed Sunday. The 20-seat dining room books out two weeks ahead.

Decanter Wine and More ★ 4.6 · Naples

toledo · Via Carlo de Cesare 46, 80132 Napoli

Decanter Wine and More near Piazza Trieste e Trento in Naples runs an intimate enoteca led by Carol and Fabrizio, with a Campania-led list moving.

Tip: Closed Monday. Book a week ahead for the wood-shelved back room; the cheese-and-charcuterie tagliere is 18 euros.

La Mescita Monteverde ★ 4.6 · Rome

monteverde · Via Fratelli Bonnet 5, 00152 Roma

La Mescita Monteverde in Rome's Monteverde Vecchio quarter near Villa Sciarra is the natural-wine enoteca and bistrot that took over the Litro space.

Tip: Open daily from 18:00. Book the corner table a week ahead; the orange-wine flight at 18 euros is the order.

Bar Cavour at Del Cambio ★ 4.6 · Turin

centro-storico · Piazza Carignano 2, 10123 Torino

Bar Cavour above Del Cambio in Turin pours vintage Piedmont and Italian fine wine alongside a tight cocktail carte; on the 50 Best Discovery list for bars.

Estro Vino e Cucina ★ 4.6 · Venice

Calle Crosera, Dorsoduro 3778, 30123 Venezia VE

Estro Vino e Cucina in Venice's Dorsoduro is the Spezzamonte brothers' wine-bar and bistro with 700 sustainable wines, a Michelin Guide listing for good.

Tip: Counter cicchetti are walk-in; book the dining room ahead. The wine flight is the move; the staff curate it to what you order.

Cantinone Gia Schiavi (Cantina Schiavi) ★ 4.6 · Venice

Fondamenta Nani 992, Dorsoduro, 30123 Venezia VE

Cantinone Gia Schiavi in Venice's Dorsoduro at the foot of Ponte San Trovaso is the De Rossi family bacaro since 1944, with house-made crostini and the canal.

Tip: Eat your crostini standing on the bridge; the bar inside is tiny. Closed Sunday afternoons. Family-run since 1944.

Identita Golose Milano ★ 4.5 · Milan

brera · Via Romagnosi 3, 20121 Milano

Identita Golose Milano at Via Romagnosi 3 near La Scala runs weekly four-course menus by rotating Italian chefs, with a sommelier-selected wine pairing at 85.

Enoteca Picone ★ 4.5 · Palermo

liberta · Via Marconi 36, 90141 Palermo

Enoteca Picone on Via Marconi in Palermo's Liberta since 1946 is the city's senior enoteca, three rooms of wine retail with a tasting bar, the Sicilian wine.

Tip: The third-room degustazione bar opens 19:00; cheese and charcuterie are the standard pairings.

Il Goccetto ★ 4.5 · Rome

centro-storico · Via dei Banchi Vecchi 14, 00186 Roma

Il Goccetto in Rome's Centro Storico is the historic wine bar with a 1500-label cellar, the city's oldest aperitivo room since 1969 and salumi boards.

Tip: Cash only. Open from 18:30; no bookings. The back-room cellar is the spot to ask for after 21:00.

Banco Vini e Alimenti ★ 4.5 · Turin

centro-storico · Via Giovanni Botero 11F, 10122 Torino

Banco Vini e Alimenti in Turin's Centro is an indie natural-wine bar; walk-in only, French and Italian growers, small Italian tapas. Open until 2am nightly.

Affini ★ 4.5 · Turin

san-salvario · Via Belfiore 16/C, 10125 Torino

Affini in Turin's San Salvario is a modern vermouth bar that distills its own. House vermouth on tap, aperitivo plates, low-light Liberty wood interior.

Enoteca Mascareta ★ 4.5 · Venice

Calle lunga Santa Maria Formosa 5183, Castello, 30122 Venezia VE

Enoteca Mascareta in Venice's Castello is the late-running enoteca run by Mauro Lorenzon, with a daily-changing chalkboard list and one of the city's rare.

Tip: Opens at 19:00 and runs to 02:00; the late-night wine room is a Venice rarity. Ask Mauro for a flight, not a single glass.

Vineria Favalli ★ 4.4 · Bologna

Via Santo Stefano 5/A, 40125 Bologna BO

Vineria Favalli in Bologna near piazza Santo Stefano steps from the Two Towers is the small-room natural-wine bar from small artisanal producers.

Tip: Walk-in works for aperitivo; the wine list runs to the natural side and the staff will guide you. Reservations via +39 051 295821 for the back room.

Cantina Bentivoglio ★ 4.4 · Bologna

Via Mascarella 4/b, 40126 Bologna

Cantina Bentivoglio in Bologna's Mascarella from 1987 is the historic jazz wine bar and restaurant with a 500-label Italian cellar, the Bolognese carte.

Tip: Book three days ahead for the dinner-and-jazz seated set; the standing bar takes over after 23:00 and the cover charge is included with dinner.

Casa del Vino ★ 4.4 · Florence

san-lorenzo · Via dell'Ariento 16r, 50123 Firenze

Casa del Vino in Florence's San Lorenzo has been the 1898 wine shop and standing bar behind Mercato Centrale, with a daily crostini and panino programme.

Tip: Closed Sunday.

Il Santino ★ 4.4 · Florence

oltrarno · Via di Santo Spirito 60r, 50125 Firenze

Il Santino in Florence's Oltrarno is the wine-bar annex of Il Santo Bevitore next door, with a 200-bottle natural-wine list, small plates from the same.

Tip: Open daily until 23:00; first-come standing room. The bigger dining room next door takes bookings.