Martini Temples

Harry's Bar, Firenze

'Harry's Bar' is since decades synonymous with 'Martini Cocktail', and, though I personlly loathe the little square tumblers used in the Venezia bar, we must admit that the name is still quite romantic and evocative of better times, when a cocktail was for the selected fews and gentlemen dressed for dinner.

In Firenze, Harry's is a great classic and the young, very cultured bartender Thomas Martini (nomen omen...) mixes an excellent Martini, that I asked to base on the Williams gin and was excellent. The fried 'sandwiches' were a pleasant memory of when Harry's in Venezia was such a pleasant place and was not catering only for overweight tourists drinking orange juice in the main room.

The style of the Harry's in Firenze is also due to the maintaining of some classic details like the old-fashioned drawings on the menu and other printed matter. A nice eponymous book about this establishment is a very pleasant read about the history of this bar, of vintage Firenze and lots of other very nice things as well

And for a great Bistecca nearby, try 'Olio Restaurant' in Santo Spirito....

Thomas Martini serving the extremely good 'Bloomsbury', a rare premium variation on the classic Tanqueray theme. Not many places in Italy can offer this superb gin, and look at the ice on the bottle! This is how it has to be offered for a proper Martini....

Harrys is one of the old classics in Firenze and the manners of the staff is impeccable. Even a simple hamburger can be a delicacy here

'Caldo Ristorante' is what makes Harry's in Firenze a true Harry's Bar. Other places with the same name will not serve you anymore this delicacy of fried cheese and ham, whose thickness, apart from being delicious, will coat your insides before another Martini

The really nice thing is seeing that very few tourists come here pursuing some clichés; it is mostly a place for Fiorentini, Firenze-born wealthy bon vivants with class and money (old money, and lots of it, as Ian Fleming would say...) that enjoy of the few places in Firenze where we all speak our language and all like the same things, be it an excellent Martini, a vintage Bentley, or the finest Cashmere coat. And the house is packed....

5 June 2020

Is there a better way to celebrate the end on the interregional lockdown than to sit down at our favourite corner table at Harry's and having a Martini (or two) and their Steak Tartare....?

Harry's Bar,

Via Lungarno Amerigo Vespucci, 22R, 50123 Firenze
Telefono: 055 239 6700

info@harrysbarfirenze.it