The five best places to enjoy an aperitif in Verona

Verona is a city with an ancient soul, uncover it by walking at night along the streets of the historic center: under the arcades and through the entrances of the medieval buildings, chasing the escapes of the Adige under centenary bridges and retracing the tracks of the secret love between Romeo and Juliet, as told by Shakespeare. But Verona is at the same time a modern and effervescent city, where there is no shortage of cultural events: venues to spend an evening with friends over a glass of wine or an excellent dish, clubs for the after dinner. There are plenty of choices, but surely the right evening begins with a good aperitif.

Here are our tips on where to have an aperitif in Verona.

The terrace bar Al Ponte (via Ponte di Pietra 26, tel. 0459275032) has a small terrace hidden in the greenery and overlooking the Adige river. It offers a breathtaking view of the Ponte di Pietra and the Roman theater. Even during cold evenings, the bar is equipped with infrared lamps to warm the guests and, for the coldest ones, a blanket with ecological fur.

The Zenzerata is the signature cocktail but also the local wines are excellent, accompanied by a platter of raw ham, home-made salami from Verona or mountain cheeses. The kitchen uses local products and mostly coming from an environmentally sustainable production, such as those belonging to the Slow Food presidia.

With a little luck, you will experience an artistic setting: the venue occasionally organizes cultural events, transforming itself into a temporary gallery for exhibitions of photography, painting, design.

Move to the left bank of the Adige, in the Veronetta district as it was called by the French after their arrival in 1801, because this part of the city remained in the hands of the Austrians. Inside a sumptuous early twentieth-century building, you will find Lo Speziale (via XX Settembre 7, tel. 045.2211399), an informal and refined place, which makes the hybridization of genres its success. Ceiling with exposed beams, black and white photographs, old typewriters, pieces of vintage furniture and a piano to make guests feel like home or like being inside of a Berlin cultural center. Lo Speziale is not only for an aperitif: the venue organizes the philosophical evening, the ceramic aperitif, the evening of fairy tales with storytellers, the ethnic dinner.

Beer, wine, spritz or cocktails are sipped with the Cicchetti of the day: bundles, courgette flowers, stuffed olives. Or with the typical meatballs, prepared with fresh market ingredients: beef, sage and lemon; Cimbrian cheese and mustard; turnip greens.

Signorvino (Corso Porta Nuova 2A, tel. 045.8009031) is the perfect place to have an aperitif with a glass of wine chosen from the 1,500 labels selected from large and small selected Italian producers. It is the perfect location to discover new wines to buy, supported by a wine manager who will suggest your best fit.

The aperitif is well accompanied with raw and focaccia, coppa, salami and zola or cheese with mustard and honey, burrata, buffalo mozzarella or the most sought-after canapés: gorgonzola, radicchio and walnuts; bacon, chestnuts and ricotta; creamed cod and red onion; cooked ham, tartar sauce and artichokes.

Dinners with wine tasting (three wines accompanied by three dishes) and wine masterclasses are also an interesting experience to try.

Osteria del Bugiardo (Corso Porta Borsari 17, tel. 045.591869) was opened by a wine entrepreneur in love with Valpolicella and to promote the wine culture. It is a small ambiance, with a rustic but well-kept environment: tables resting on large barrels, stools to sit on and walls with exposed stones that make the atmosphere warm and welcoming.

The place is often crowded and the wine, needless to say, is excellent. In addition to the Buglioni wine label, the homeowner, there are also other wineries to choose from. The goto – as they call the wine by the glass in Veneto dialect – goes well with cold cuts, raw breadsticks, cheeses, croutons with vegetable sauces.

For food lovers area available e traditional regional dishes such as polenta with cod alla vicentina, with pastissada de caval, braised in amarone, luganeghe, lard and gorgonzola, fresh pasta with beans.