Originally Posted by
helosc
As a regular reader of this forum, this fact has not escaped my notice....
I am staying at the Hilton Metropole (I have my reasons for this) so probably not a good starting point.
It was Milan that made me aware of the concept of apiritivo/apericena and I just assumed that Florence was north enough to also have the custom.
Italy is very regional. Something done in one town, or some food eaten, may not be heard of 100 km away. There may be a few bars that offer it in Florence, but it is not a custom, and not on the same scale as Milan or Torino, where it is an inherent part of the food scene. In Florence, if you get hungry, you can go to the market, and there are also many good places for a cheap eat. But if you wait to eat until you Just walk into a bar expecting apericena, you'll probably starve. Whereas at just about any nice bar in Torino or Milan, if you walk in after 6 you can expect aperitivi. It's woven into the culture and into the food scene.