Hitting the Bar… Our Favourite Places for a Drink in the 2025-26 Season

Bars in Italy can be many things. From a no-frills coffee shop on the corner to a high-end establishment that serves fancy cocktails, via every sort of pub in between.

We’ve been to a few over the course of the season and have picked out five of our favourites.

The Old Spirit Football Pub – San Benedetto 

One of the beauties of travelling around Italy is going to the smaller cities, those yet to be fully discovered by tourists. Better yet is finding a gem of a bar that is a hotbed for football fans before the game.

The Old Spirit Pub in San Benedetto del Tronto ticks all the boxes.

Opened in 2011, it has become the place for Sambenedettese fans before a match. The interior is plastered with football memorabilia while rugby is also well represented. The toilet walls are covered in iconic imagery from down the decades, including George Best, Paul Gascoigne being grabbed where it hurts by Vinnie Jones, and Diego Maradona sporting a ‘no drugs’ shirt during a charity game in the late 1980s. 

They sell everything from beer to whisky to amaro and anything else you might fancy.

The sheer quantity of beer on tap is impressive, as is the variety of food. But what makes the pub special is the atmosphere before Samb games. It is packed to the rafters in the hours leading up to matches and from there it’s a 40-minute walk to the stadium.

If you’re in San Benedetto, find the time to stop here for a drink and to sample the energy before making your way to the Stadio Riviera delle Palme.

Bar Stadio – Pescara

Bar Stadio is a wonderfully old-fashioned cafe a few minutes walk from the Stadio Adriatico. The bar is more of a versatile, jack-of-all-trades kind of establishment and not just a place to buy alcohol.

From the Pescara flag in the window, to the collection of pennants just above the bar, this is where locals come to chat all things football between the clinking of coffee cups – and have probably done so since it first opened its doors over 80 years ago.

A copy of La Gazzetta dello Sport sits on the bar, the TV in the corner shows highlights of Serie A and Serie B gams on repeat. This is the kind of bar that lives and breathes football. It’s not fancy, but that’s the point. 

Tirovino – Venice

A tiny kiosk close to the Venezia store in Campo SS Apostoli, Tirovino doesn’t look like much from a distance – it’s merely a stall, after all – but real magic happens behind the bar.

Space is at a premium here: there’s just about enough room for you and the bartender. There is no seating except for the occasional table and chairs, but the whole experience is about standing with your drink, admiring your surroundings and taking in the vibe.

You can also take a wander down to the canal and enjoy the beauty of Venice with your drink in hand as long as you promise to return the glass. Wine and cocktails are on the menu, but the real difference maker at Tirovino is spritz, either Aperol or Campari, with the former made using Select – the original aperitif in the cocktail that hails from the city.

Away from the hustle and bustle of Venetian life, Tirovino is the perfect way to unwind and enjoy the view. 

Pau – Campobasso

Located on a pedestrianised street in Piazza Gabriele Pepe opposite Cattedrale della Santissima Trinita (Cathedral of the Holy Trinity), Pau is the place to visit in town for an aperitif in the evening.

There’s a fair chance you’ll be greeted and served by owner Lidio, a real character who told us the bar is frequented by many of the Campobasso players. It’s easy to see why.

It’s central location and outdoor seating make it the perfect place to people watch while sipping a cocktail or glass of wine. The decor is modern but not too modern, an aperitivo comes on a wooden rack and the bar is renowned for creating experimental and funky cocktails.

Pau is also a great place to go during the day for a coffee and a cheeky pastry.

Chelsea Bar – Parma

This entry is completely off the beaten path in Parma. In fact, you have to go out of your way to have a drink here.

But for football lovers, this is one of the best spots in town. About a 15-minute walk from the centre, it sits on via Marco Emilio Lepido in a nondescript part of the city.

Chelsea Bar is truly a no-frills pub, don’t expect any bells and whistles here. What you will find is lots of memorabilia from fans who have been in and donated scarves, from Lazio to Sampdoria, from Leeds to Sao Paulo and from Dinamo Zagreb to Penarol.

This is a bar that’s mostly about the beer, with the selection of food on offer minimal. Yet their panini and burgers are exceptional and named after legendary Serie A footballers and famous figures and locations in Britain.

Chelsea Bar opens at 7pm, even on weekends, so keep that in mind before making the trek out. Yet the effort is very much worth it.