There are places that do more than just serve drinks: they serve up emotions. Harry’s Bar Florence is one of those places where time slows down, where every gesture is a ritual, every light a promise, and every smile part of a tradition that has lasted for over seventy years.

It all began on Via del Parione in November 1953. A small, elegant, and discreet American Bar that brought a new way of experiencing the nightlife to Florence. A place that immediately became a haven for those seeking an international yet deeply Florentine atmosphere.

The move to Lungarno Vespucci in 1963 marked the beginning of the legend. The soft lighting, the polished wood, the original stools, the bar that would become iconic: everything contributes to creating a place that seems to have stepped out of a movie.

An environment that is not merely frequented, but becomes part of the emotional memory of anyone who passes through it.

And movies, in a sense, really do pass through here. Over the years, Harry’s Bar Florence has become an international salon. Among those who have sat at its tables: Liz Taylor, magnetic and radiant; Margaux Hemingway, elegant and fragile; Burt Lancaster, with his stage presence even off-screen; Paul Newman, with his kindness and those unforgettable blue eyes; Robin Williams, capable of turning a drink into a moment of pure magic; Sting, a lover of the bar’s discretion; Ronnie Wood, with his classic rock soul; Paloma Picasso, who brought art and color to every gesture. And then politicians, writers, entrepreneurs, and travelers from all over the world: each left a piece of themselves behind.

At Harry’s Bar Florence, you don’t just order a drink: you choose an experience that has spanned generations and continues to speak a universal language.

Among the bar’s timeless symbols are the Bellini, with its white peach and Prosecco that become a hymn to lightness; the Martini Cocktail, dry, elegant, uncompromising; and of course the Negroni, born in Florence and perfected here. Every cocktail is a story, every glass a piece of history.

Just as there are cocktails that have shaped the history of Harry’s Bar, there are also dishes that have become true symbols of the house over time. Harry’s classic IGP Italian beef carpaccio combines elegance and simplicity with an unmistakable signature; the taglierini gratin with Parmigiano and prosciutto is a signature comfort food that for decades has embodied a vision of reassuring and impeccable cuisine; the aromatic curry shrimp tails with pilaf rice and mango chutney are a timeless dish, served since the very beginning and still sought after today by those seeking the authentic flavor of Harry’s tradition. These are dishes that are not just recipes, but living memories: cooked since the restaurant opened and, since 2007, carefully preserved and interpreted by current chef Karam Fadel, who preserves their essence without ever betraying their original spirit.

Iconic status is not a label, but a continuity that links a perfect cocktail to a dish that never goes out of style.

Amid all this, there is also a story that does not end in books but lives on in memory. Personally, I did not experience the pioneering years of Via del Parione, but I have had the pleasure—and the privilege—of experiencing all of Harry’s modern Florentine incarnations. From Lungarno Vespucci to the evenings at the Garden, right up to the new rebirth next to the Sina Villa Medici. I’ve seen the faces, the lights, and the furnishings change, but not the soul. That has always remained the same.

When the historic venue closed in July 2023, Florence was left in disbelief. It was as if someone had turned off a light that had illuminated the city for sixty years.

But the story couldn’t end that way: it was clear that the emotional bond tying the venue to the city would not be broken.

Among those who have kept the spirit of Harry’s alive are the current director, Roberto Monsellato, who has held this role for 17 years, and his deputy, Lapo Fantoni, a bar manager who began his career in 2010 at the Lungarno Vespucci location before moving to Sina Villa Medici, when Harry’s Bar The Garden was still a fledgling project. When the historic location closed, Roberto and Lapo stayed. They stayed out of loyalty, out of love for their craft, and out of respect for a place that taught them how to turn a cocktail into an emotion.

And when Harry’s reopens next to the Sina Villa Medici, it is only natural that they are the first to return behind the bar and oversee the dining room. Their presence reassures, welcomes, and speaks volumes without words.

Lapo doesn’t just make cocktails: he interprets them, transforming every gesture into a silent story that customers recognize and seek out.

Those who enter the new location today find in them the same spirit of the Lungarno. The new venue next to the Sina Villa Medici is not a copy: it is an evolution. The original furnishings, part of the staff, the spirit of the place: everything is back, but with a new energy. For those who, like me, have lived through every chapter of this story, it was like seeing an old friend come home.

Harry’s Bar Florence is not just an address. It is a way of being in the world. It is a place where emotions mingle with scents, where memories are served in crystal glasses, where stories never end. And thanks to people like Lapo Fantoni and Roberto Monsellato, and to those who have had the privilege of experiencing all its eras, every evening is a new chapter. Every cocktail or dish is a homecoming. Every guest is part of the story. Because certain places never die. They change form, but they never lose their soul.