Cosimo Rooftop: A Cocktail List Inspired by the Medici Gardens
Some places tell the story of Florence without saying a word. The Cosimo Rooftop Restaurant & Bar, on the top floor of the Hotel Excelsior, is one of them. From up here the eye takes in the Arno, Piazza Ognissanti, the hills and the rooftops of the historic center — one of the widest views in the city. That’s the backdrop for the rooftop’s new season, which reinvents its aperitivo with a menu built for sharing and a signature cocktail list inspired by one of the most fascinating things about Renaissance Florence: the gardens of Cosimo I de’ Medici.
(If you’re collecting Florence’s high-up views, it’s on our roundup of the best rooftop bars in Florence.)
An aperitivo made for sharing
The idea behind the new food menu is simple: put the pleasure of sharing back at the center. The bar runs a selection of small plates built for aperitivo hour, mixing great classics with local products — crostini with burrata and Cantabrian anchovies, a board of Tuscan DOP prosciutto and pecorino, pappa al pomodoro croquettes, the Cosimo Burger, Gillardeau oysters, sea bass carpaccio, tuna tataki. Enough to build a casual aperitivo or a light dinner, always with the city as your backdrop.
When the Medici gardens become cocktails
The real news of the season, though, is the cocktail list. The concept turns the gardens Cosimo I de’ Medici once commissioned — places where nature, architecture and power sat in perfect balance — into a sensory experience. Lemon houses, aromatic herbs, flowers, roots and citrus become the ingredients of a liquid narrative that runs through the city’s history.
Each drink tells a fragment of that world. Nettare di Corte (“Court Nectar”) evokes the scent of the Medici lemon houses with Grey Goose, sparkling grape juice and lavender. Alchimia dei Giardini (“Garden Alchemy”) plays on botanical, herbal notes with Amaro Nonino, bergamot and tonic, while Pesca del Giardino Ducale (“Ducal Garden Peach”) combines Bombay Sapphire gin, peach, thyme and butter for a surprisingly soft, aromatic result. Among the boldest picks are Labirinto Fiorito (“Flowering Labyrinth”), with hibiscus tea, tequila and absinthe, and Ombra di Tonka (“Tonka Shadow”), where bourbon, coconut water, lime and tonka bean build something deep and spiced. Alongside the new creations you’ll find reworked classics — the Cosimo Negroni, the Cosimo Spritz, the Blue Cheese Martini — plus a small run of house zero-proof drinks: Limonaia, Roseto and Verde Mediceo.
Drinking Florence from another angle
More than a new drink list, Cosimo Rooftop’s is an invitation to look at Florence differently. Medici history becomes contemporary inspiration, the view keeps every toast company, and aperitivo goes back to being a ritual you take your time over — plates to share and cocktails that tell the city through aromas, botanicals and echoes of its Renaissance past. In a season when Florence fills up with visitors and events, the rooftop doubles down on what it is: a place where food, mixology and skyline meet for something more than just a drink.
Cosimo Rooftop Restaurant & Bar — The Excelsior, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Florence. Piazza Ognissanti 3. Reservations: +39 055 27152783 · @cosimorestaurant
