Pisa | Night Around the Town
As part of a good afternoon and out, the barriers between cafés, bars, restaurants, and music venues often blend, since bars, much more so than clubs, are the great centers of entertainment around town. Many bars in Pisa, like much of Italy, offer an aperitivo buffet. At aperitivo time, either for an extra charge or as part of the regular price of a drink, you get a bit of food on the side. Whenever in doubt just politely ask what the deal is. The aperitivo is a fun way to get your night going and once you have, there are lots of options for the sort of bar that will suit your taste.
Argini e Margini Pisa
A relaxing hangout for Pisa’s cultural crowd, this riverside venue offers an interesting music selection and stylish evenings under the stars. Part riverbank bar and part anchored raft, you’re have no problem getting into the vibe, between the months of June and September. Since it’s outdoors, you can always check if you like the music before entering!
Arno Vivo
Named after Pisa’s Arno River, this venue is a perfect place to enjoy a dance to live music or DJ sets, along, you guessed it, the River Arno.This popular open-air venue operates between June and September and is worth passing by to check out the music before entering since it can be heard from a distance.
Bar Mocambo
People enjoy Mocambo for its ambience especially when they organize jazz concerts. Known for good wine, but also cocktails, we found it more than pleasant to pass an evening here. Books on the shelves and a warm atmosphere make this haunt a great choice any time of the year.
Barrique
It’s no secret that Tuscany is a world class wine region. We’ve worked hard to find restaurants that also serve great wine, but nothing beats a wine bar if you want to try several wines at your own pace. In our experience, wine bars are often really just restaurants, so we especially like Barrique because it’s a real bar with a fun vibe, and one with approachable staff and great cocktails to boot. And well, since it’s Italy, so of course there’s also food!
Borderline Club
For those zany dreamers who need to get their groove on each and every weekend, this mainly rock music club is a dream come true. You’ll need to get a membership card (ARCI) Sometimes, as in the case of Borderline, the extra step of acquiring the ARCI card is well worth the effort and that step almost always grants you access to places with fewer tourists than places that don’t require membership cards.
Café Albatross
A rock bar Italian style? Totally a thing in Pisa. Thanks to the university community alternative music fans will feel right at home in this dark and soulful venue. Live concerts cold beers, you know the drill. Happy hour from 19h-20h.
Cecco Rivolta
As best we could gather, this place, whose name means ‘blind revolt’ in Italian, revolts against fast paced commercial party life. We had no trouble getting into this mindset and were impressed by the knowledge and passion of the staff. We can easily recommend the delicious aperitivo set on a piazza that, by the looks of it, was built by architects who had Aperol spritz drinking in mind when they designed it.
ExWide
Jazz, DJ sets, Swing, and more. The venue is just the right size for a party night while still feeling friendly and comfortable enough for a jazz concert. If you’re looking for that sweet spot between classy and friendly this cultural center is a must. Keep in mind as a social club, you’ll need a membership card, this time the 5EUR ENTES card, which can be acquired online
Ristoro della Pe
This charming ‘ristoro’ is the place to find simple and satisfying flavors if you’re not after the bells and whistles of a ‘ristorante’. A smaller menu and more affordable prices than a lot of the competition work well for this casual eatery which, thanks to its open kitchen, makes you feel like you’ve entered the home kitchen of a gang of italian foodies. Outdoor seating and a daily menu that focuses on seasonality make this a place to return to.
