
Visiting Florence for the First Time? Here's What to See and Do
Our must-do's to help first-time visitors experience the best of the Tuscan capital.
Shake up the Renaissance with a little rock and roll at the Hard Rock Café Florence—one of the brand’s scores of music-themed restaurants worldwide. Rock aficionados can peruse the impressive collection of memorabilia that covers this shrine to 20th-century music while satisfying cravings for classic American dishes.
Hard Rock Cafes attract music fans in cities across the globe with their rollicking rock-and-roll soundtrack, relaxed diner-inspired menus, and museum-quality artifacts marking the history of contemporary rock music. The Florence outpost is a popular attraction among music fans and young travelers, so skip-the-line tickets are a must to dine at the bustling two-story restaurant. You can also visit the themed gift shop to purchase branded Hard Rock Cafe Florence souvenirs—including the iconic guitar-shaped pins that loyal fans collect from each location.
Hard Rock Cafe Florence is located in Piazza della Repubblica—one of the main squares in the center of the city, and a short walk from the train station and main attractions like the Duomo and the Uffizi Gallery.
Italian restaurants are generally open only at mealtimes—around 12:30pm to 3pm and around 7:30pm to 10pm—and they typically close in the afternoon. Hard Rock Cafe Florence instead serves non-stop from noon until midnight—or 1am on the weekend—so is the perfect option if you are still adjusting to later meals in Italy and are hungry in the late afternoon before other restaurants are serving dinner.
Golden records, classic guitars, concert costumes, and other rock memorabilia decorate the two floors at Hard Rock Cafe Florence. Highlights include one-of-a-kind pieces such as Jimmy Hendrix’s hippie shirt; an old Cavern Club membership card, signed by all of the Fab Four; a handwritten draft of Prince’s The Glamorous Life; one of Elvis Presley’s red shirts; a hat worn by Bono from U2, during their 1987 “The Joshua Tree” tour; and guitars belonging to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Aerosmith, and The Who.