Bars and Cafes in Santa Croce (Florence)

Michael Collins Irish Pub & Cellar Bar

Every town needs at least one great Irish bar, so if you're tired of chianti or just looking for a pint of Guinness, Michael Collins Irish Pub & Cellar Bar is your place. Located on the quintessentially Tuscan Piazza della Signoria, Michael Collins is also a great place to watch your favorite soccer match, catch some live music, or just mingle with a young international crowd. Check their website for info about events and shows.

Enoteca Baldovino

Enoteca Baldovino combines the typical decor of a tavern with a vaguely arabesque style. The large windows facing the street keep the interior well-lit. The Tuscan toasts are good, as are the warm wood-oven baked bread with deli meats, plates of cheeses and salads. Everything can be washed down with Tuscan and other Italian wines. A terrace is available during summer months.

Danny Rock

Popular with a young crowd, this huge American-style restaurant in the heart of the city's medieval district is always busy, no matter what time of day. While waiting for a table, catch up on music videos, cartoons and films shown on TV screens or have a drink at the long, marble bar. As well as great fish and chips, pizza and hamburgers served with fries and any number of toppings, tasty sweet or savory crêpes are made while you wait and there's a wide selection of beers and cocktails. Cinema and theatergoers are entitled to a 10% discount, just remember to show your ticket. Also check out Sunday brunch!

Restaurant Orient Express

Restaurant Orient Express, specializing in fine wines and gastronomy, is ideal for people who want to sample a wide array of wines and seafood dishes in modern, minimalist and relaxing surroundings. To begin with, try the strawberries with tomato and then move on to the mullet roe (alla bottarga). The fish main courses are always well prepared and the wine list is exceptional. The service is excellent and courteous.

Salamanca

This popular Spanish bar and restaurant's combination of good food and great music is hard to beat. Specialties from the Iberian peninsula include bocadillos (sandwiches), sopas (fish or vegetable soups) and verbenas (assorted tapas), whilst drinks range from beer and sangria to fine Spanish wines. Catch the live shows featuring Latin American artists on Mondays.

The Lion's Fountain

A pint of Guinness, karaoke nights, live music sessions, all the sports you need on TV. This is what you will find at this Florentine Irish pub. Not the best place to be if you want to meet a local crowd, but people from all over the world meet at The Lion's Fountain to enjoy a good Irish beer on tap or a super Bloody Mary. Prices are not the cheapest in Florence, but the authenticity is worth it! The Lion's Fountain is the place to be on St. Patrick's Day and wear green, drink a pint of Guinness and celebrate with the Irish in Florence!

Moyo

By day, students type furiously on their laptops, taking advantage of the free WiFi that Moyo provides for free until 7:30p. But by night, the bartenders crank up the music and mix hundreds of cocktails for an energetic young crowd. Bar-goers spill out onto the street during the weekends, clutching Moyo's signature cocktail, a cranberry martini with lemon juice and triple sec. Thursday nights have a hip-hop theme, while on Friday and Saturday a DJ spins the latest remixes.

Angels Restaurant and Wine Bar

Angels Restaurant & Wine Bar is a trendy restaurant in Florence that is neo-classical and has wooden chairs and tables and friendly staff. This restaurant is considered to be a modern place that offers fusion food, which is a mix of traditional Florentine food with Mediterranean flavors. The bar also offers snacks, spirits and cocktails and has a cellar dining area, which can seat around 40 people.

Grom

Love the yummy gooey confection called gelato that melts in your mouth? If you are looking for some of these treats around Florence just step into Grom. Awarded the 'Master of Food 2005 and 2006' by Slow Food and the Province of Turin, this place is a must-try. This is a classy, upmarket gelateria that serves some of the favorite flavors like casata Siciliana, malaga and hazelnut. And if you've had your fill there is always the fruity sorbets and slushes to sip on.

Antico Noe

Antico Noe is a charming Italian restaurant specializing in light fare like sandwiches made from seasonal fresh ingredients. The small eatery is very similar to an American diner in its simplistic decor and ambiance. Worth trying out on the menu is a list of 20 different types of delectable sandwiches, paninis, grilled artichokes, stuffed chicken with porcini mushrooms and cheap tasty wines. You can order the sandwiches off the menu, select the one you want or better still make them recommend one for you. Please note that the alley is not very safe after dark, so move around in a group.

Y.A.G. Bar

One of Florence's newest gay locales, Y.A.G. Bar is right next to Santa Croce. The crowd is mainly men, but women are also welcome. There are computers for customer use, either to go online or to play video games. Nice, new and great beats!

Oibò

As if a perfectly muddled cocktail isn't enough, Oibò offers Mediterranean influenced appetizers and a lounge vibe, that keeps a chic crowd coming back for more. The bartenders never stop moving here, which makes a seat at the bar a spectacular show as they effortlessly create complicated cocktails. Try the Caipiroska - vodka, sugar and fresh muddled limes. In the evening, a chill set from the DJ sets the mood and a lavish assortment of anything from paella, to mini sandwiches, salads and deep fried olives, keep happy customers pouring in like waves.