The basic format
You walk into a bar between 6 and 8pm. You order a drink — typically EUR 8–12 in cities. The bartender brings you, free with the drink, an assortment of small bites: olives, focaccia, salumi, mini sandwiches, sometimes pasta or pizza. Some places (Milan especially) put out a self-serve buffet.
The canonical drinks
- Aperol Spritz — Aperol, Prosecco, soda, ice, orange wedge. The default; bright orange, slightly bitter, perfect for warm evenings.
- Negroni — Campari, sweet vermouth, gin. Stronger, more bitter; classic. Invented in Florence (claims vary by historian).
- Negroni sbagliato — same recipe with Prosecco instead of gin. "Mistake Negroni." Lighter.
- Hugo — Prosecco, elderflower syrup, mint, soda. South-Tyrolean origin; lighter than Spritz.
- Americano — Campari, sweet vermouth, soda. The Negroni's lighter ancestor.
- Bicchiere di vino — a glass of local wine. Always an option, often the cheapest.
Regional variations
- Milan — invented the buffet aperitivo ("apericena") in the 1990s. Pay EUR 10–15 for a drink, get free access to a substantial buffet that can replace dinner. Brera, Navigli, and Porta Garibaldi are the three classic neighbourhoods.
- Venice — uses cicchetti (Venetian small plates) at bacari (traditional bars). Order multiple cicchetti with an ombra (small glass of local wine, EUR 1.50–3). The closest thing in Italy to Spanish tapas.
- Turin — claims to have invented aperitivo (Antonio Benedetto Carpano invented Punt e Mes vermouth here in 1786). Strong vermouth tradition; many bars serve their own house version.
- Rome — less aperitivo-focused; the Roman equivalent is the vermouthino in upmarket bars. The southern regions don't have a strong aperitivo tradition.
How to do it without looking like a tourist
- Order at the bar — most places. If you want to sit, find a table first and look for a server.
- Don't pile your plate — even at the buffet apericena, the local style is one or two small plates, not a tower of free dinner. Locals will judge.
- Don't order a Negroni in summer — it's a winter drink. Spritz, Hugo, or chilled white wine in summer; Negroni and americano in cold months.
- Stick to one or two drinks — aperitivo is pre-dinner, not a full evening. Italians eat dinner at 8:30 or 9pm; you should still have an appetite.
Five aperitivo bars worth knowing
- Camparino in Galleria, Milan — historic café in the Galleria; the canonical Spritz with a view of the Duomo.
- Caffè Mulassano, Turin — Belle Époque interior, claims to have invented the tramezzino (a triangular crustless sandwich, the perfect aperitivo bite).
- Bacaro Risorto, Venice — small Castello bacaro with the city's freshest cicchetti.
- Procopio, Rome — modern Roman aperitivo at the Mercato Trionfale.
- L'Antica Vineria, Florence — wine-focused aperitivo near the Mercato Centrale.
Practical tip
The cheapest, most local aperitivo is at any neighbourhood bar around 7pm — order an Aperol Spritz and a small plate of olives at the bar in any non-tourist part of any Italian city for EUR 6–8 total. The most expensive (and least Italian) is at a hotel rooftop catering to tourists; the markup is 100–200%.
More on Italy: Browse our 10 culture essays, or jump to a city guide for practical info on where to live.