The bartenders here are class acts, and they serve up massive drinks — including the famed Negroni Sbagliatio(or Negroni Wrong), with champagne instead of gin, which is claimed to have had its origins here. Bar Basso is packed during design week, with crowds spilling out into the streets until dawn. You can’t come to the Salone without a stop at Bar Basso.
Yanyan H.
Place rating: 4 Florence, Italy
Famous for being a hangout of starchitects in the 60s(like Gio Ponti!), Basso is a distinctive Milanese bar where people hang out during art and design fairs. Part of the interior is quite funny with all the fake plants, wood paneling, and strange-looking framed paintings, but the drinks are amazing. We got spritzes the size of a soda bottle, and plates upon plates of olives, chips, and savory pastries. Great outdoor seating area and a beautiful section with a mirrored wall.