Mad - Souls & Spirits

I want to help you discover the lesser known places in Florence. You already know the David, the Duomo, and Ponte Vecchio. But do you know the best place to get a craft beer? Eat the best Chinese food? Join a summer beach party? I’m here to help you live like a local! I spent two years living in the beautiful Renaissance city of Florence, Italy. Spending so much time in this city allowed me to remove myself from the regular touristy spots that so many people get caught up going to when they have just a few days here. Unfortunately, Florence really does suffer from over-tourism, particularly in the summer months. This can make it difficult to feel like you're truly a part of the life of the city. Fortunately, however, there are a ton of great places around the city, less known to tourists, where you can get to know another part of the city. In this guide, I will introduce you to those spots: the lesser-known, more local hot spots to have coffee, eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, date night, live music, and drink the night away. This guide is perfect for people who want to go to hip and cool places that are off the beaten path, which can be hard to find in Florence. Maybe you're going to be in Florence for just a few days and want to be in the know right away, or maybe you're a student coming to spend a semester in Florence. This guide will help you get a head start on all the best places that your friends probably haven't told you about. I've also provided information about transportation around the city, from walking to biking to the tramvia, etc. What this guide does NOT include: All of the historical sites, art museums, and famous statues. Every blog post includes these types of things in Florence. I want to provide you with another side of Florence.

While Italy is synonymous with the delightful tradition of Aperitivo, its cocktail scene is a whole other world waiting to be explored. As a seasoned traveller who appreciates a perfectly crafted drink (and the friendly chat with the bartender that often comes with it), I've had the pleasure of discovering countless incredible cocktail bars across the country. Whether it's a new city I'm visiting or a familiar favourite I'm revisiting, Italy never disappoints. Lucky for me, Northern Italy is my home base, and it boasts a high concentration of exceptional options. However, the South holds its own when it comes to fantastic cocktail experiences (with Rome leading the charge) This guide represents my curated list of the best-of-the-best, a culmination of expert experiences and the occasional repeat visit for quality assurance (yes, sometimes a second or third try is necessary!). Italy, after all, is the birthplace of iconic cocktail ingredients like Vermouth, Campari, and Aperol. But its treasure trove extends far beyond, with gems like St. Germain, Amaro, Grappa, Amaretto, Limoncello, and the hospitality worker's secret weapon - Fernet.