Strolling thru the streets of Florence because our body clocks hadn’t adjusted, when we saw The Fiddler’s Elbow, packed with people. Stepped inside for a pint before closing. Place was filled with mostly English speaking patrons. Its located in the Piazza Santa Maria Novella(right by the Westin, so many patrons staying nearby). Friendly Bartenders. Grabbed pints of Guinness & Weissbier. Found a table. And was able to catch up on Football highlights & scores. Fun crowd & Open late.
Karen M.
Place rating: 4 New Lenox, IL
This is probably the best Irish pub in Florence, and therefore it’s a great place for tourists or expats who are looking for Guinness, sports, or just a friendly conversation. Conveniently located right off of Piazza Santa Maria Novella, it’s decorated in traditional Irish pub décor and has loads of space, especially in some of the back rooms. The bartenders and staff all speak excellent English as well as Italian, and are some of the friendliest bartenders we encountered during our visit to Italy. They carry a full selection of Irish/British and German beers such as Guinness, Harp, Smithwick’s, Warsteiner, and Beck, which you order by going up to the bar instead of waiting for a server.(Prices go up to 6 Euros a pint after Happy Hour, but that’s about par for the course back home too). They show most major sports games on five big screens and offer free Wi-Fi. Best of all is the mix of people of all nationalities you’ll find here — you can always get into a sociable chat with someone even if you don’t speak each other’s language. We originally dropped in here to see if they would be showing any NFL games that Sunday. Unfortunately, it was the start of the soccer championships(soccer to Americans, that is — it’s football to most Europeans), so they were understandably going to devote most of their screens to that. We still had a great time, though — we watched Roberta Vinci beat Serena Williams in the US Open, which was a major upset and a big thrill for all of the locals there. Definitely a must during any trip to Florence!
Bree N.
Place rating: 5 Chicago, IL
I’m visiting Florence for a few days with my dad, and he was looking for a good bar to go to just to grab a few drinks. We ended up here, right in Piazza di Santa Maria Novella, and loved it. I would describe it as a sort of melting pot for expats of all sorts. Not to say there weren’t some Italians there, but most of the people we spoke to had all come to Florence from somewhere else, so it was nice to meet all sorts of people. A good bar to go to if you’re a bit shaky with your Italian, as well. Definitely a great spot for a late night drink in a great location with interesting conversation.
Aymie R.
Place rating: 3 Calgary, Canada
A fun Irish pub in Florence, overlooking Santa Maria Novella Square. A nice spot to sit outside and enjoy a cold beer on a summer night.
Emma F.
Place rating: 4 New York, NY
This is definitely one of my favorite bars in Florence. The drinks are delicious and a good price. It is in a great location and so nice to sit outside with a drink at the end of the night. Staff is always friendly and it has an overall very pleasant vibe.
Mark K.
Place rating: 4 Galleria/Uptown, Houston, TX
Irish bars belong in every country. One of my favorite places to enjoy a Kilkenny Red on tap and watch a football match in Firenze. The right way to end the day.
Amiria R.
Place rating: 4 Los Angeles, CA
Love this bar, love their beer, and love their staff even more. The Fiddler’s Elbow is one of the best bars in Florence for an American feeling a little homesick. The drinks are a reasonable price, and it’s in an awesome location right by the Santa Maria Novella Station. Best of all, it’s an awesome bar to pop in for an afternoon drink or a great place to start the night with some friends because of its cozy and friendly attitude.
Scott W.
Place rating: 4 Florence, Italy
I have been here a handful of times and I would say every trip has been pleasant enough– typical Irish pub with a little more room in the back to have a little more of a quiet environment. The reason I think I like this place so much is they informed me that«Kilkenny», the beer served all over Florence, is in fact«Smithwick’s» like we find everywhere else. Apparently since Italians can’t pronounce that name, they rebranded it. PRAISEFIDDLERSELBOWBARTENDERWHO’S NAME I CANNOTREMEMBER.(It’s my favorite beer and had been searching for it for 2.5 months) Anyway– so this place is pretty deep. They even have a small pool table in the back right to play on and a dart board. Being an Irish pub, they speak English and Italian so don’t be afraid to strike up a convo with the bartenders– all have been friendly so far.
Nick H.
Place rating: 3 Seattle, WA
The Fiddler’s Elbow is another one of my girlfriend’s old college hangouts and so we stopped by for a pint after a long day of sightseeing. As much as I love Italy it was nice to find a place that had Guinness on tap. It felt like any number of Irish bars back home. The place is pretty cozy and very friendly – there were lots of patrons striking up conversations with each other. My only real complaint is the smokers outside – their smoke doesn’t always stay outside, so if it bugs you I’d try to find a seat in the back. Salute!
Dane G.
Place rating: 4 Honolulu, HI
This was by far the coolest bar/pub in florence. The staff is really cool and the ambiance is really fun. The entire staff speaks fluent english and two of the bartenders were from the UK. Lots of stuff on the walls to stare at, which makes your buzz go a lot further than it would in a more posh venue.
Gianlu
Place rating: 3 Manchester, United Kingdom
I’m going to try and be impartial when conducting this review, but it’s difficult. It’s a place that gave me many a smile and charmed me during my stay. It’s one of the few places on earth that housed so many nationalities, so many locals and tourists in one place, and with a sprinkling of genuine Irish charm, catapulted us all into a Guinness soaked night of sing-songs and laughter. It doesn’t matter that the fellow next to you doesn’t speak your language: you both know what makes a good Guinness and you’re here to relax and have a good time. Traditional Irish pub décor, creaking wooden floors, lots of tables and chairs and plenty of room at the back. Opened in 1990, it’s the original Irish bar in town and has become a meeting point for anyone with a pulse. This place serves a great selection of draughts(including Kilkenny, Harp and Guinness) as well as a good selection of lagers(Becks, Warsteiner) and all pints are 4 Euros during happy hour — the longest recorded happy hour in human history seeing as it lasts from opening hours right through to 9pm.(5 Euros after 9pm). A great place to drop in, watch a game, or else party long into the Florence night. I actually have a long distance relationship with this place and love it like a brother. I suggest you do too.