The city gets hot in the summer. One of the best ways to cool off, on a day of blaring heat in the U.S., is to get a large cup of iced coffee. But, iced coffee isn’t really a thing in Italy. For Italians, the custom is to drink a cappuccino in the morning and an espresso in the evening. Even when ordering a hot Americano I receive looks. Not only is our typical type of coffee not part of the Italian culture, but neither is ice; an essential part of the mix to make the delicious Caffe Freddo. Luckily, Florence does have a handful of places that specifically cater to the many tourists and study abroad students that join the city for months at a time. If you’ve been on a tiring search, here is a list of 8 places to go to satisfy your craving. 1. Green Street Green Street Bar is a coffee shop by day and bar by night, like a lot of other cafes in Florence. They just recently expanded their menu from bagels and croissants to salads. Come here for a cold brew or an iced latte with a variety of flavors to choose from. I’m partial to the latte. A cold brew is €3 and a flavored iced coffee is €3.5. If you’re a addict like me, I suggest purchasing the Green Coffee Card. For €30 euro you can get up to 4 coffees a day, each month. This includes any coffee drink; espresso, cappuccino, iced coffee, American coffee, mochas and more! 2. The Diner I go to The Diner daily. Not only do they have iced coffee to-go and the nicest employees, but it is also the cheapest iced coffee you will find. The Diner’s iced coffee is only €1.50! And it is even cheaper if you find a promoter and get a Diner discount card, which gets you 10% off each purchase. 3. Lion’s Fountain Your favorite Irish Pub is actually another great spot for iced coffee. While it is usually more of a popular bar at night, I love coming here to work and drink that tall glass of iced coffee. It is sold for €2.50 and served to-go in a hot coffee cup which can be a little odd. This is why I rarely get it to-go. 4. Le Vespe One of the cutest spots in Florence for American style foods and a great brunch spot, they make a mean iced coffee for €3. They also have alcoholic coffee drinks, start your day with a Bailey's Frap! 5. Santamando Similar to Green Street, down the road towards the Bargello and on the other side of the street, this place has a delicious iced coffee and the guy who owns it definitely puts work into making it as good as it is. Like The Diner, it is cheap as well. Only €1.80! 6. Arnold Coffee While this place isn’t my favorite, personally, it is a good choice for many others because they have a wide selection of coffee options. It is the place to go for those that miss their fun Starbucks drinks. It is a bit pricey and I don’t like that they put iced coffee in hot coffee cups without a sleeve (the cup gets soggy) but there are upsides: the wide selection, with something for everyone, and the convenience of it. They have two locations: one on the Duomo and one by the train station. 7. Ditta Artigianale Ditta also has two locations! One is on Dei Neri and the other is by the Pitti Palace on the other side of the bridge. For an upscale café their iced coffee is surprisingly cheap. I got a delicious iced latte for €2.50. 8. Shake Your favorite fast health food cafe has a pretty good iced coffee as well! You can choose a flavor or a simple iced latte for €2.50. 9. Oil Shoppe Yes! This small panini shop serves iced coffee! Their version, at €3, is like a frappe. It is sweet though, so while it is a favorite among many, I am not the biggest fan! If you're adventurous, I suggest trying their avocado iced coffee too! In addition to these fabulous spots, you can also get something called a Shakerato, at numerous other locations. It is like iced coffee but usually less volume, with the ice poured out, and many times served "elegantly." I have had this at both Reverse and La Menagere.
If none of the above work for you, and you’re really desperate, you could ask a regular coffee bar if they happen to have ice. There shouldn’t be harm in asking, though many won’t want to do it. I have in the past asked for two shots of espresso, ice and a little milk and they have put it together. Definitely helps to know the above in Italian (caffe doppio, ghiaccio, latte). I suggest only doing this when desperate. Many of the iced coffee spots open later than regular bars, so sometimes you need to. But always try to not be annoying when possible and respect Italy’s coffee culture.
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