Cafeography
Florence · Oltrarno

Cafés in Oltrarno

Piazza Santo Spirito, Via dello Sprone, Via Maggio and Borgo San Frediano, south of the river.

Photo: Sunil Bhardwaj, Pexels License

Oltrarno means "beyond the Arno": the part of Florence south of the river, with Santo Spirito, Palazzo Pitti and the slope up to the Belvedere and Piazzale Michelangelo.1 Tourism and short-term lets have changed the district, and residents have fought plans such as an underground car park under Piazza del Carmine.1

The cafés start at the bridge. Caffè Pontevecchio stands at Ponte Vecchio 57r, and Via de' Guicciardini leads past Cortese Café and Maioli to the bars on Piazza Pitti. West of there, Via Maggio, Via dello Sprone and Piazza Santo Spirito hold the densest cluster, and Borgo San Frediano runs on toward Porta San Frediano.

Local tip: Ditta Artigianale on Via dello Sprone has a quieter upstairs room; head up the stairs if the ground-floor counter is crowded.3

At a glance

41Cafés listed
8With opening hours
07:00Earliest opening
01:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Caffè Porta Romana, from 07:00 (Mon–Sat 07:00–20:00 · Sun 08:30–12:00).
  • Closes latest: La Cité, until 01:00 (Mon–Thu 14:00–00:00 · Fri–Sat 14:00–01:00 · Sun 15:00–00:00).
  • Most listed streets: Borgo San Iacopo (2).
  • Most common features: indoor seating (20%), outdoor seating (15%), vegetarian options (10%).

Le Bonta' di Michele

  • Via di San Niccolò, 19 R
  • Mon–Sat 08:00–14:00, 16:30–20:00 · Sun Closed
  • +39 055 2466259
  • Card payment
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Coffee chains in Oltrarno

Via dello Sprone and the rebuilt streets

Ponte Vecchio was the only bridge in Florence the Germans did not destroy when they retreated in August 1944.2 Ditta Artigianale's second bar, at Via dello Sprone 5r, opened in March 2016 in a 1950s building by the architect Giovanni Michelucci, with the coffee bar on the ground floor and a lounge upstairs for longer stays.3 It came less than 18 months after the original on Via dei Neri.3

It now opens daily 07:30–19:00. Caffè degli Artigiani is across the street at number 16, and Gusta Bar and SottArno are on Via Maggio.

Piazza Santo Spirito

The Augustinians began their church here in 1252, and in 1301 houses were bought and cleared to make the square in front of it. Brunelleschi was drawing the present basilica by 1428 and died in 1446, ten days after its first columns arrived; his façade was never built, which is why the front is still plain.4 Inside, the sacristy holds the wooden crucifix that Michelangelo carved at 17.4

Caffè Ricchi, at number 9r, and Cabiria, at number 4r, both put tables out on the square, and Popcafé is at number 18. Caffè Surace, on Via Sant'Onofrio, and Caffè de Serragli, on Via dei Serragli, are a few minutes west.

San Frediano and Via Pisana

La Cité, at Borgo San Frediano 20r, is a bookshop café that hosts author talks, debates and live music.5 Wi-Fi and outlets reach most of its wooden tables, set over several levels.6 It opens from 14:00, until midnight from Monday to Thursday and until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Farther out, Manly The Office, at Via Pisana 48r just beyond the gate, was opened by Maykol Martino and brews coffee from the Florentine roaster D612.7 It serves breakfast and brunch from 08:00, closing at 15:00, Tuesday to Sunday. Bar Le Nuvole is on the borgo at number 31.

Toward San Niccolò and Porta Romana

East of the bridge, Caffè Melloni and Caffè Maioli sit side by side on Via de' Bardi; Melloni opens weekdays 07:30–18:30 and closes on Sundays. Le Bonta' di Michele, on Via di San Niccolò, opens Monday to Saturday with a break from 14:00 to 16:30. Up the hill, Il Bar del Forte has outdoor tables on Via di San Leonardo by the Forte Belvedere.

At the southern end, Caffè Porta Romana on Via Senese opens at 07:00 from Monday to Saturday, and Caffe Petrarca is on Piazzale di Porta Romana itself. Conventino, on Via Giano della Bella, stays open until 23:00 from Tuesday to Saturday.

Sources

  1. Oltrarno, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  2. Ponte Vecchio, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  3. Firenze. Ditta Artigianale apre ristorante e Gin bar Oltrarno, Scatti di Gusto (February 23, 2016), accessed October 2026
  4. Santo Spirito, Florence, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  5. I books cafè fiorentini, spazi alternativi dove la lettura diventa protagonista del quotidiano (Cristina Fontanelli), Libreriamo (January 18, 2013), accessed October 2026
  6. 7 Smart Working Cafes in Florence (Lauren Mouat), Romeing (December 15, 2025), accessed October 2026
  7. The best specialty cafés in Florence, the city for coffee lovers (Michela Becchi), Gambero Rosso International (February 16, 2024), accessed October 2026
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In Oltrarno, also browse: Outdoor seating Pasticcerie Open late Vegan & vegetarian Wi-Fi

FAQ

Oltrarno cafés: questions

Which cafés are on Piazza Santo Spirito in Florence?

Caffè Ricchi at number 9r and Cabiria at number 4r both have outdoor tables on the square, and Popcafé is at number 18. The square was created in 1301 in front of the Augustinian church, whose Brunelleschi basilica still has a plain, unfinished façade.

When did Ditta Artigianale open on Via dello Sprone in the Oltrarno, Florence?

In March 2016, less than 18 months after the first Ditta Artigianale on Via dei Neri. It occupies a 1950s building by Giovanni Michelucci, with the coffee bar downstairs and a lounge upstairs, a short walk from Ponte Vecchio. It now opens daily from 07:30 to 19:00.

Where can you work on a laptop in a café in the Oltrarno, Florence?

La Cité, a bookshop café at Borgo San Frediano 20r, has Wi-Fi and outlets near most of its tables and opens from 14:00 until midnight or later. Manly The Office on Via Pisana and Ditta Artigianale on Via dello Sprone, with its upstairs lounge, open in the morning.

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