The 52 best bars in Italy according to Gambero Rosso

In Italy’s bars, real life can still be felt: this is what the new Bar d’Italia 2026 guide by Gambero Rosso – produced as usual in collaboration with illy – tells us. It was presented at the Teatro Manzoni in Milan and is available in bookshops throughout Italy and in online stores. Despite the difficulties of a sector put to the test – in 2024, according to Fipe, a decline of 3.3% in the number of establishments was recorded – the Italian bar continues to reinvent itself, confirming itself as one of the most dynamic and identity-defining strongholds of our country.

A new vision of the bar

Leading the change is not only the adaptation to the economic context, but a new vision: that of a place that changes its skin several times over the course of the day, capable of welcoming at every moment with the same attention, from breakfast to the aperitivo, via quick lunches, creative snacks, evening events. From our observatory – with over 1,100 establishments selected in the 2026 guide – we detect growing phenomena that tell of this evolution. There are 107 new entries, specialty coffee shops are increasingly present even outside major urban centres, while bakeries with cafés, thanks to their flexible format, are experiencing a true golden age.

The rebirth of the neighbourhood bar

Bars speak to an increasingly aware and informed clientele, attentive to sustainability, supply chain, and genuine hospitality. These are the quintessential places of social life outside the home, where one can enjoy an increasingly “slow” experience. The concept of the neighbourhood bar returns to the fore, reinterpreted in a modern key: a pop and accessible place, where one feels welcome, where identity is a value.
Forget, therefore, dusty or anonymous establishments: these are places with an ancient soul but thoroughly modern in philosophy. They reward attention to detail, a comfortable atmosphere, a direct relationship with the customer – which over time becomes trust – and an artisanal offering which, in the best cases, enhances local rituals and traditions, the territory and virtuous producers.

Bar d’Italia 2026 by Gambero Rosso. The numbers and the awards

The number of establishments awarded the highest rating, namely the Tre Tazzine and Tre Chicchi, is growing, reaching 52 this year, with six new award-winning venues: Torrefazione Vittoria (Cremona), Cafezal (Milan), Gustificio (Carmignano di Brenta), Mamm Pane, Vino e Cucina (Udine), Ritorno (Acerra), which is also a new entry in the guide, and Morettino Lab (Palermo). There are 20 Stelle, the symbol that indicates establishments that for at least ten consecutive years have obtained 3 Tazzine and 3 Chicchi, with Marelet of Treviglio (on the cover photo), Gino Fabbri Pasticcere in Bologna and Sal De Riso Costa d’Amalfi in Minori achieving this milestone for the first time. Two Stelle are instead awarded to establishments that for at least 20 consecutive years have obtained the highest score: this year there are 7 in total, with the addition of Colzani of Cassago Brianza (LC).

Mamm Pane, Vino e Cucina – Udine

Bar of the Year 2026

The winner of the illy Bar of the Year Award was also announced: the jury of experts awarded the prize for the 2026 edition to Mamm Pane, Vino e Cucina in Udine, also a new Tre Tazzine and Tre Chicchi, as mentioned above. The motivation is as follows:
“Sustainability here is both the starting point and the goal of a project that explores it in a concrete and authentic way in all its facets – environmental, economic, social – and that is expressed in strategic choices and daily gestures. Energy supply from 100% renewable sources, focus on ethical, healthy, good and fair products from suppliers who share the same values, active anti-waste policies (such as beer made with unsold bread, in collaboration with a nearby company), promotion of synergies with the territory, including work inclusion initiatives with prisons and for asylum seekers.”