The aperitif is a social phenomenon which has gained increasing importance over the last few years, becoming for many an indispensable ritual, an opportunity to have a quiet chat or catch your breath and relax at the end of a long day.
In the historic center of Volterra the aperitif is consumed from 6.30pm to 9.30pm, then resume after dinner with a greater influx from 11pm. The apericena is not very common, but many people indulge in the long aperitivo, where the meal is limited to just the appetizers.
The aperitivo lungo isn't the same as an apericena, as many might think, as there's no need to ask for extra appetizers or snacks that add to the price of drinks. If anything, the apericena can be considered a tasting, but instead of cocktails, quality wines and beers are served.
There are places where you can enjoy aperitivo until 8:00 PM, and others where, with hindsight, you can stay late into the night. For those working, studying, or simply enjoying a leisurely trip to Volterra, we recommend the best places to enjoy a drink.
SCALI WINE BAR
We don't serve aperitifs here; we'd be using incorrect terminology. It's better to say a classy drink.
Don't go there for drink something, listen to me! Enoteca Scali is for listen, discover, be curious with your nose and palate. The welcome in this wine paradise is captivating: red vaulted ceilings, wooden furnishings, and an abundance of rustic knick-knacks and details with a bohemian feel. Wine is everywhere, and the artistic compositions on the walls featuring their bottles are striking.
With some exceptions, the restaurant closes before dinner., It's best to go in the late afternoon; if it's winter, you can enjoy the beautiful interior, but when the temperatures are right, we recommend a drink outside, tête-à-tête, at the two tables in Piazzetta San Michele. Via Guidi begins here, and so does our journey through fine drinking.
OFFER THE OTHER BELLY
Another institution of quality drinking is Offer the Other Belly. Inserted on the main Via GuidiIt enjoys the proximity of many points of interest.
This wine bar is perfect for those who want to start with a wine tasting and then move on to the full trattoria service. On Saturdays, enjoying a drink at the outdoor tables along the street is very chic: you're exposed to the view of passersby, but on the other hand, you won't suffer from a lack of attention. Very nice place, tastefully furnished and like every original wine shop The walls and ceilings are lined with bottles of wine and typical products, all strictly for sale. The wine cellar is awe-inspiring; tasting alongside one hundred thousand euros' worth of wines is quite an experience, as is seeing only glasses of wine at the table, not drinks.
To be drunk before the usual meal times, Lunch and dinner. For evening drinks, we can instead consider the following venues.
LIFE BISTROT
Lstyle is seen in the details and Life Bistrot is full of them. It's basically that “very strange place” in Via Porta all'Arco: it is a restaurant by weight, it hosts the reception of a widespread hotel, it is a living archaeological find and it presents itself as a cocktail bar. In practice a multifunctional space! The atmosphere is very chic and we literally sit on top of history; Glass floors allow you to observe the ancient Etruscan, Roman and medieval foundations of the city.
A place where good drinking mixed coexists with the proposal vegetarian gastronomy: the appetizers are the most unusual in the entire historic center.
In the summer, the venue also becomes a music stage: sometimes it's hard to believe how a whole band can fit on the outdoor stages, but they're an undeniable attraction for partying. The owner is renowned; he owned this same venue in the early 2000s when it was called Web & Wine. “We're going to Lallo's”, it was said; today with this new commercial formula, Lallo has renewed himself.
THE BAR MEETING
The environment is very friendly, dressed in “ancient empire” style, for the use and consumption of wealthy tourists; First you notice the large sloping chandeliers, then the bicycles and cycles. License plates and international banknotes decorate the high stone walls indiscriminately; over there, the signed T-shirt of Protti, the Livorno footballer; over here, the guitars and black-and-white photographs of the Volterra music scene of yesteryear. Trendy with a decidedly chill sound; the rather quiet atmosphere makes it a suitable place even for the little ones; an ideal place for the whole family.
The average well-off thirty-year-old lives here, with his big watch in full view, his shiny shoes. The familiar faces are those of the authoritative figures of the social fabric of the territory And they come in droves, intent on snagging as many tables as possible. Those late at eight o'clock, however, are content to stand, obstructing the comings and goings, or sitting in the open on the high steps of the shops across the street. Or of the clothing store next door. Or of the artisan's shop next door.
The Incontro Bar is the place that surely you will always find it open. And after 1 a.m., when the doors close to the public, the entertainment moves out onto the street, amidst chatter and laughter.
VOLATERRA
Having several aperitifs at the same bar is like deciding to end the evening; Volterra, at such a slow pace, has many other strategic spots to fully enjoy the nightlife.
L'Incontro may not be high-end enough for certain generations. Then, for the more demanding, decidedly more gourmet, the gates of this bonus venue open. Continue past Via Guidi, upwind on Via Marchesi, and you'll find yourself on Via Turazza. Yes, the lair of the cultured extreme trendsetter park this corner. Suddenly, when you walk through the doors of the VolaterrA you are overwhelmed by an etiquette you didn't know you had. You adopt a polite, calm, and silent demeanor, almost like when you enter a glass shop. It's more natural to ask for a fine red wine from '99, a still prosecco in a sippy glass, a brut champagne from... rather than the usual sloshing long drinks à la Milanese aperitivo.
Here people meet, as in the gatherings of times past, to listen to poets and writers who read and share their poems and stories. A place where everyone can talk and interact with the authors in a mutual exchange of experiences and emotions.
The base notes come from the cotton fields of North America: blues and jazz are everywhere. It's all very beautiful.
QVO VADIS PUB
Crossing the Piazza dei Priori, against the wind along Via Lungo Le Mura del Mandorlo the aperitif is served on the terrace – at night, however, the panoramic view is decidedly poor. Below, close to the walls, you can see the ruins of the Roman Theater, while the majestic Church of San Giusto rises on the horizon. Teenagers have conquered this pub, they made it their own, they live in this world apart and you'll hardly find the regulars in other places. It's either here, or nothing. Qvo Vadis is a classic Irish pub.The setting really seems to come out of a novel and the’the atmosphere is authentically Irish. The beers, but not only, they are the strong point of the place Along with the outdoor gazebo and large underground space for dancing and playing billiards, it's perfect for spending cold winter evenings, just steps from the parking lots outside the historic center. The family-friendly atmosphere and unique character of the venue have contributed to its growing popularity.
As a footnote, it should also be said that the average Volterran is a character to study; The place might be the largest in the world, boasting countless tables with every comfort imaginable, but most people will be sitting outside, in the middle of the street, their drinks freezing in their hands. There's no way it's cold, and it might even rain; barring extreme disasters, staying inside is out of the question. This is obviously an anecdote to stereotype the habits of the locals, but it's very useful for preventing hasty judgments about certain places: you don't have to worry if the place appears empty; it's just appearances; if you pay attention, you'll find them drinking on the parapets or simply in the street. Some even dare to wander around the streets for a while, only to return half an hour later.
