Simply show up with empty bottles or boxes and fill them up with the wine of your choice. It’s typically cheaper than buying a bottle in the supermarket and, most importantly, the wines are of high quality and integrity.

Here are five places I recommend for filling up with wine on tap in Florence:

Enoteca Alla Sosta dei Papi
Via Borgo La Croce, 81r
Neighborhood: Sant’Ambrogio

Located right down the road from Sant’Ambrogio market, this enoteca is a perfect place to fill up on wine after you get your groceries from the market. They offer six or seven wines on tap, almost all from local family-owned wineries. Their most inexpensive red wine is a Montepulciano, at €2.60/liter, while their most popular is the Montalcino for €3.30/liter.

If you are looking for a basic red wine, I would recommend one of their “table” wines: the Rosso Toscano Chianti and the Nero d’Avola (Sicilian), both for €2.80/liter. My personal favorite so far is their Chardonnay for €2.70/liter.

One of the special aspects of this enoteca is that you can organize little (or big) “Apericena” events here. For about €15 a person, you can choose a wine and eat from a buffet of local Tuscan specialties, like local meats and cheeses, bruschetta and other goodies.

Fattoria San Michele a Torri
Via dell’Agnolo, 101
Neighborhood: Santa Croce

Fattoria San Michele a Torri offers a smaller selection of wine on tap, but the wines are all from grapes that are biologiche (organic). I am obsessed with their Merlot (€3.50/liter), but their red and white table wines are also amazing (€2.40/liter).

I would also recommend buying your bread here. Although it is a bit more expensive than what you will find at the supermarket, it is well worth the extra euro. Baked in a wood fired oven, the loaves taste great with local cheeses (which you can also buy here).

San Michele is where all my friends from this neighborhood go to get wine—it’s always packed with locals, a great sign.

I Vinaio
Via delle Carra, 16
Neighborhood: Piazza S. Jacopino

I Vinaio an itsy bitsy little wine and beer shop on Via delle Carre, near Piazza San Jacopino. The wines on tap cost around €2- €5 a bottle and all come from Tuscany or Sicily. I bought a red “Morello” that was amazing for only €3 here.

Unlike most wine stores in Florence, this store also carries a wide selection of artisan beer. Though there is no beer on tap, their prices for bottled specialty beer are not extraordinarily high, so it’s easy enough to come and try a couple from their selection to find one you really like. The owners are very knowledgeable, so if you are unsure of what to try, just ask them and they will help you select the perfect wine or beer to fit your tastes. If you are in the mood for something bubbly, they also have prosecco on tap, how amazing is that?!

Vigna Vittoria
Via Fabroni Giovanni, 14R
Neighborhood: Piazza S. Jacopino

The superstore!  Vigna Vittoria has a huge selection of wine on tap. What makes this place great is their extensive selection of wines from all around Italy, not just Tuscany. White wines from Venice, Liguria, red wines from Piedmont, Puglia, Sardinia etc. and prices that are very affordable. (Basic red/white table wines start at €1.20/liter.)

Plan on coming here when you have lots of time—preferably in the morning or late evenings when it is least busy—so that you will have a chance to talk with a staff member about their selection.

BVeg
Via degli Orti Oricellari, 6
Neighborhood: Santa Maria Novella Station

Not only does Bveg offer some of the best vegetarian food in Florence, but this little bistro has a great selection of beer, hence the name B(eer)Veg(etarian). They have about six beers on tap, all of which are exclusively from Italian breweries.

I recommend the Brewfist Jale, but if you are unsure of what you want, sit at the bar and—if it isn’t too busy—the bartender will let you sample a couple of beers. An average-sized beer costs around €5 and if you come after 7 p.m. they offer a small aperitivo: a selection of delicious little finger foods (some of which are made using the beer!).

This is a place to come and enjoy a glass of beer or wine with friends in a tranquil atmosphere—with great music and free Wi-Fi too!

The post Florence: Buy your wine like the locals… on tap! appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Start with these four bars…

1. McSorley’s Old Ale House
15 East 7th Street
Web site

Call us sentimental, but we feel pretty strongly that a good New York Irish pub crawl (or any New York pub crawl, for that matter) should start with a pilgrimage to this New York City institution, the city’s oldest operating saloon.

Another reason to start here, incidentally, is that McSorley’s is one of the few New York bars that closes at 1 a.m., as we realized on a recent late-night visit. But when you’re this cool (and old), you can close whenever you want to.

Why do we gush so?

1) The bar, which was established in 1854, is a living museum, littered lovingly with everything from yellowed photographs to the chair in which Abraham Lincoln enjoyed his share of McSorley’s ale.

2) You get two drink options here, light or dark McSorley’s ale, and for $5 you get two glasses of it.

3) It’s been the subject an E.E. Cummings poem, a John Sloan painting and several short stories. Plus, its walls talk—and you can usually sweet talk the famously curmudgeonly bartenders to pick up where they left off.

2. Bull McCabe’s
21 Saint Marks Place
Web site

Just a block north of McSorely’s, the gritty little dive bar Bull McCabe’s dominates a somewhat kitchy block of St. Mark’s. The crowd here tends to be on the young and rowdy side, but the drinks are cheap, the music is fun and the pool table is… well, a pool table. There is also a great patio for those nice-weather days.

3. The Thirsty Scholar
155 Second Avenue
Web site

Those who like their pubbing on the more “refined” side (snobs!) would do well to check out Bull’s sister bar, the Thirsty Scholar. You bring your best James Joyce commentary, they supply the charcoal portraits of Samuel Beckett. Oh, and the libations of course, which are cheaper during daily happy hour, from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m.

4. Puck Fair
298 Lafayette Street
Web site

This tri-level bar just a block from EuroCheapo’s headquarters has a lot going for it, including a fun atmosphere and a crazy-comprehensive array of beers, both bottled and on tap. If the options are overwhelming, know that you’ll never go wrong with the Guinness, which, thanks to a schmancy cooling system, tastes almost as good as it does in Dublin.

A little trivia tidbit: The bar’s across from the gorgeous red Puck Building, but its name actually comes from the goat-themed festival that takes place every August in Killorglin, County Kerry (read about its history on the wall above the bar).

5. Molly’s Pub and Shebeen
287 Third Avenue
Web site

Still standing? Take a little breather by way of hopping on the “6” train (at Bleecker and Lafayette) and making your way up to Gramercy Park. There awaits a gem of a joint, with sawdust-covered floors, stucco walls and a working fireplace. Molly’s has been doing its thing since 1895, paused only by a brief stint as a grocery store during Prohibition.

Molly’s is the adorable, friendly sort of spot on which modern Irish pubs model themselves. But Molly’s has experience on its side, and what better way to wrap up the night than with a few beers, a crackling fire and a bit more history. Oh, and don’t forget about your umpteen new friends (also known as the rowdy, cheerful crowd that goes hand in hand with any good Irish bar).

The post Exploring New York: An Irish pub crawl appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Ideal Bar at VEGA
Enghavevej 40, 1674 København

One of the Copenhagen’s most high-profile clubs, VEGA is a mammoth complex of four lounges, bars, and music venues. While VEGA proper regularly hosts international superstars like Kylie Minogue, Moby, and Fatboy Slim (with the price tags to match), the more modest Ideal Bar has plenty of free events.

Stop by the Ideal Bar Wednesday through Saturday, when the lounge offers free admission to DJ sets and parties with different musical themes. Aside from the wonderful perk of free entrance, the spot offers an intimate, low-key vibe that you won’t find in VEGA’s other mega-clubs. Check the Ideal Bar’s calendar to see what’s playing when you’re in town. The lounge is closed Sunday through Tuesday.

Laurits Betjent
Ved Stranden 16, 1061 København K

If you’re looking for a young vibe and student-friendly prices, Laurits Betjent is a good bet. Located on Ved Stranden near the pedestrian-only Stroget, the club hosts a “17+” party every Thursday from 10 PM-5 AM. Entrance costs 60 DKK (about $11), and includes free beer and champagne. (Note that clubbers under 18 will only be served soda and Carlsberg 2.7% beer.)

On other nights of the week, Laurits Betjent offers a similarly cheap cover charge and Cheapo-friendly drinks. Complete with two dance floors and a foosball table, it’s a thoroughly fun place.

Andy’s Bar
Gothersgade 33, 1123 København K

Less scene-y and more retro, Andy’s Bar offers a pub-style atmosphere with cheap beer, to boot. Located near Rosenborg Slot, this watering hole is a favorite of musicians and artist types who congregate over glasses of cheap beer. The bar stays open till 5 AM.

Don’t miss Andy’s wonderfully faded exterior, which is a testament to the bar’s many years of operation.

Copenhagen Nightlife Tips

Make sure you know the age limit before you queue up for a club, as many venues set the bar at age 23.

Also, know that several clubs will require you to check your coat, which costs around $4.

The post Copenhagen Nightlife: Where to dance and drink on the cheap appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.