When abroad in Italy” The best places to party in Florence

Study abroad is synonymous with drinking until 5am

Now that you’ve made it across the pond (or applied to study abroad), you’re probably thinking about how soon it is until you can get to the nearest bar. Luckily for students studying at SU’s Florence Center, there’s always a great bar around the corner. Here are the most popular bars according to Syracuse students who have studied in Florence.

Uncle Jimmy’s 

I knew about UJ’s before my flight left from New York. It’s the quintessential American college bar situated in the middle of Florence off the corner of Piazza del Duomo. Every Wednesday, UJ’s hosts a beer pong tourney for prizes with a student travel company called EuroAdventures. Top prizes include a beer tab, a bottle of bubbly, and a free weekend trip. While you’re destroying one of the three pong tables, you can enjoy a fishbowl for 20 euros. The best drink is definitely a Texas Hurricane…in a fishbowl…or five.

The Lion’s Fountain

Lion’s is located near Santa Croce but it isn’t far away from the Duomo either. This bar is actually owned by the same person as UJ’s, Karl. (Yeah, I went there so often that we’re on a first name basis.) Lion’s has a more Irish pub feel but it’s crawling with American college students. I once watched my friend take 10 shots (from their amazing shot list inspired by American universities) in 20 seconds without dying in the Lion’s bathroom. Amazing. My favorite drink is Sex on the Duomo, an original spin on a classic girly favorite. If you’re into soccer, the bar screens games every Sunday night and it suddenly becomes a low-key local hangout.

Tearing up Lion’s on our first night out as college freshmen

MOYO

MOYO can be found near Santa Croce and another famous student bar, Red Garter. It’s a uppity bar with amazing mixed drinks but it also doubles as a hookah bar. It’s a bit pricy to smoke but it makes you feel like a millionaire instead of a poor student. We almost never drank here because it’s so expensive but I highly recommend using their bathroom if you want toilet paper. It’s a hot commodity when there a bunch of drunk college kids running around.

The Shot Bar

I know about two things about this bar because I was so inebriated by the time I left that I don’t remember it. One of them is that it’s right next to The Lion’s Fountain and The Box. The other is that the kebab place next to it open really late and will solve your 2am hanger. This bar will change your life. 5 shots for 5 euros. That’s all.

Last day of classes called for celebration

The Box

The Box is the classic Italian hangout. When you walk down Borgo Pinti, you suddenly come across a bunch of drunk Italian people in the middle of the street with wine glasses. Actual wine glasses! Mind you, there’s a law in Florence that you can’t have glass outside past 10pm. The Box is the classiest bar I went to in Florence and it isn’t even classy. You can get wine drunk for less than 10 euros and then go eat a kebab. What could be better?

10 euros did the job on this infamous night

Rosie’s 

The worst thing in the world is having late classes when you’re abroad but it isn’t that bad when there’s a bar in the piazza across the street from school. Rosie’s is a little shack in the corner of the piazza that serves the strongest drinks you’ll ever have in your life. One of those (for about 7 euros) will knock you out cold and your friends will be dragging your sorry ass back home before the night even begins.

You already know that strawberry margarita did me dirty

Here’s to a semester abroad and to maintaining the Syracuse reputation as a party school while in Italy!

@kaitlynmenegio

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