Italian Aperitivo in London: Why Dal Fiorentino Does It Differently

The aperitivo is one of Italy's finest traditions, a ritual of good food, good drinks, and better conversation. In a city that does everything well, London has been waiting for someone to do it properly. Dal Fiorentino, the Tuscan food destination with shops in Holborn and Notting Hill, has quietly become the city's most authentic answer.

What Is Italian Aperitivo - And Why Does It Matter?

Ask anyone who has spent time in Florence, Milan, or Venice, and they will tell you: the aperitivo hour is sacred. It is not happy hour. It is not just a pre-dinner drink. It is a deeply ingrained social custom that turns the stretch between work and dinner into something worth looking forward to.

The word aperitivo comes from the Latin aperire, meaning "to open." The idea is exactly that - to open the palate, to open the evening, to open conversation. Traditionally served between around 6pm and 9pm, it involves a light alcoholic drink paired with small savoury bites: cured meats, cheeses, olives, bread.

Unlike the British concept of pub drinks or the Spanish tapas culture, the Italian aperitivo is characterised by its lightness and elegance. Nothing too heavy - just enough to whet the appetite and warm the mood. The drinks are typically bittersweet and light: an Aperol Spritz, a glass of prosecco, or a still wine. The food is shareable, designed to be picked at slowly over conversation rather than eaten in a rush.

It is this tradition - honest, convivial, unhurried - that Dal Fiorentino has brought to London.

Dal Fiorentino: Tuscan Food in the Heart of London

Dal Fiorentino is a Tuscan deli and food shop with two London locations. Everything on the menu is rooted in the food culture of Tuscany - a region where quality ingredients and simple preparation are considered non-negotiable. The schiacciata is baked in-house every single day. The charcuterie is sourced for flavour, not convenience. The cheese selection is curated with the same seriousness you would find in a specialist shop on the streets of Florence.

The aperitivo menu brings all of this together. You choose your board - meat, cheese, or vegetarian - and you choose your drink, and what arrives at the table is the kind of spread you would recognise immediately if you had ever sat outside a Florentine bar on a warm evening.

The full aperitivo experience - boards and drinks - is currently available at the Holborn shop, which has a generous seating area and the complete drinks selection. The Notting Hill store serves the same food boards and freshly baked schiacciata, but alcoholic drinks are not yet available there. That will change soon.

Dal Fiorentino Holborn: 20-23 Holborn, London EC1N 2JD - full aperitivo, large seating area

Dal Fiorentino Notting Hill: 38 Westbourne Grove, London W2 5SH - boards and schiacciata available, drinks coming soon

Both shops also serve the full Dal Fiorentino schiacciata sandwich menu throughout the day - a separate and equally compelling reason to visit.

The Schiacciata: The Bread That Makes the Difference

Every board at Dal Fiorentino is served with a box of freshly baked Tuscan schiacciata. This is not an afterthought. This is the bread that ties the whole experience together - and at Dal Fiorentino, it is baked in-house, every day, from scratch.

Schiacciata (pronounced skya-CHA-ta) is Tuscany's answer to focaccia - but flatter, crisper at the edges, and with a distinct olive oil richness that makes it almost impossible to stop at one piece. The word literally means "squashed" or "pressed," a reference to the way the dough is worked flat before baking.

Where most London aperitivo experiences hand you a bowl of crisps or a few breadsticks, Dal Fiorentino serves real Tuscan bread made the same way it has been made for centuries. It pairs perfectly with the fat, salty flavour of prosciutto, the creamy sweetness of burrata, and the sharp bite of a good pecorino.

The schiacciata is also the base for Dal Fiorentino's popular sandwiches, available throughout the day at both shops.

The Aperitivo Boards: Full Menu and Prices

All boards are served with a box of freshly baked Tuscan schiacciata, included in the price. Drinks are ordered separately.

Small Boards

• Classic Charcuterie - prosciutto, mortadella, fennel salami, spicy salami, olives - £10
• Turkey & Mozzarella - roasted turkey, bresaola, tomato, mozzarella, basil, olives - £12
• Vegetarian Board - tomato, mozzarella, basil, olives - £9

Large Board

• Grande Toscano - prosciutto, mortadella, finocchiona, spicy salami, mozzarella, pecorino, olives, Chianti jam, figs jam - £16

Cheese Board

• Tuscan Cheese Board - pecorino, whole burrata, asiago, Chianti jam, figs jam - £11

A few details worth knowing. The finocchiona on the large board is a Florentine fennel salami with a distinctive aniseed character - a Tuscan speciality that most London delis simply do not stock. The Chianti jam is made from the famous Tuscan red wine grape and provides a sweet, tannic counterpoint to aged cheeses. The whole burrata on the cheese board arrives intact, to be broken open at the table.

These details matter. They are the difference between an Italian-themed platter and an actual Italian board.

Drinks Menu: Italian Classics at Honest Prices

The drinks menu at Dal Fiorentino Holborn is concise by design. No lengthy cocktail list - just the Italian classics, done well and priced fairly.

• Aperol Spritz - £8
• Prosecco by the glass - £7 / bottle - £20
• Wine by the glass - £6 / bottle - £18 (red and white available at the same price)
• Beer - £3.50 for a 33cl bottle (Peroni or Moretti)

If you are visiting as a group and ordering a large board to share, a bottle of prosecco or wine makes strong financial sense and is frankly more enjoyable. The Aperol Spritz is made the proper Italian way: Aperol, prosecco, a splash of soda, and an orange slice - no shortcuts.

Alcoholic drinks are currently available at the Holborn location only. Notting Hill will have a full drinks menu available soon.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Dal Fiorentino Aperitivo

Choose the right board for your group

• For two people, the Grande Toscano at £16 is the sweet spot - generous, varied, and excellent value.
• For a solo visit or a lighter bite, one of the small boards paired with a glass of prosecco is more than enough.
• Groups of three or more should consider ordering two boards: the large charcuterie and the cheese board together create a spread that covers every flavour base.

Start with the Aperol Spritz

If you are new to the Italian aperitivo tradition, the Aperol Spritz is the natural starting point. Its bittersweet flavour and relatively low alcohol content are specifically designed to open the appetite - exactly the function of an aperitivo drink. Follow it with a glass of wine if you are planning to stay a while.

Do not rush the schiacciata

The freshly baked schiacciata deserves your full attention. Tear it rather than cut it, and use it to carry the meats, cheeses, and jams on your board. The combination of crispy, oily bread with a sliver of pecorino and a smear of Chianti jam is one of those simple food moments you remember long after you have left the table.

Holborn for the full experience, Notting Hill for the neighbourhood feel

The Holborn shop has a large seating area and the complete aperitivo menu. If you are planning a post-work Italian aperitivo in central London, this is the place. The Notting Hill shop on Westbourne Grove has a more intimate feel and is perfect for a board or a schiacciata sandwich in the neighbourhood - with drinks arriving soon.

Why London Needed This

London has excellent Italian restaurants. It has good Italian delis. What it has historically lacked is the spirit of the Italian aperitivo - that specific combination of modest food, good drinks, and time deliberately set aside to enjoy both.

The aperitivo tradition has never fully translated to the UK because the component parts were missing: the right bread, made fresh; the right salumi, sourced properly; the right drinks, served simply. Dal Fiorentino has assembled all of these things under one roof - twice - and created something that feels genuinely Italian without being a theme-park version of it.

There is no performance here. No faux-rustic décor or clichéd Italian stereotypes. Just very good Tuscan food, honest Italian drinks, and the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to stay another hour.

If you have been looking for Italian aperitivo in London - the real kind - this is where you go.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Italian aperitivo?

Italian aperitivo is a pre-dinner social tradition typically enjoyed between 6pm and 9pm. It combines light alcoholic drinks - such as Aperol Spritz, prosecco, or wine - with small bites like cured meats, cheeses, olives, and bread. The word comes from the Latin aperire, meaning "to open" - the ritual is designed to open the palate and the evening before dinner.

Where can I have Italian aperitivo in London?

Dal Fiorentino offers the most authentic Italian aperitivo experience in London. The full experience - charcuterie boards, cheese boards, freshly baked schiacciata, and a complete drinks menu - is available at the Holborn location at 20-23 Holborn, London EC1N 2JD. Boards and schiacciata are also available at the Notting Hill store at 38 Westbourne Grove, London W2 5SH, with drinks coming soon.

How much does aperitivo cost at Dal Fiorentino?

Boards range from £9 for the small vegetarian board to £16 for the large charcuterie board. Drinks range from £3.50 for a beer to £8 for an Aperol Spritz, with wine at £6 a glass and prosecco at £7 a glass. A full aperitivo for two - one large board plus two drinks - comes in at around £30 to £35, which is very good value for central London.

What is schiacciata bread?

Schiacciata is a traditional Tuscan flatbread, similar to focaccia but thinner and crisper, seasoned generously with olive oil and sea salt. At Dal Fiorentino, it is baked fresh in-house every morning and served alongside every board. It is also the base for the shop's popular schiacciata sandwiches.

Is there a vegetarian aperitivo option?

Yes. The vegetarian small board features tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil, and olives, and is priced at £9. The cheese board - pecorino, whole burrata, asiago, Chianti jam, and figs jam - at £11 is also entirely vegetarian. Both come with freshly baked schiacciata.

What Italian drinks are available at Dal Fiorentino?

At the Holborn location: Aperol Spritz at £8, Italian wine by the glass at £6 or a bottle at £18, prosecco by the glass at £7 or a bottle at £20, and Peroni or Moretti beer at £3.50 for a 33cl bottle. Drinks are not yet available at Notting Hill but will be coming soon.

Is Dal Fiorentino good for groups?

The Holborn location has a generous seating area that works well for groups. The shareable board format is ideal for socialising - a large charcuterie board plus a cheese board between three or four people, paired with a bottle of prosecco, makes for a very satisfying aperitivo experience.

What is finocchiona salami?

Finocchiona is a Florentine salami flavoured with wild fennel seeds and sometimes fennel pollen. It has a distinctive, mildly aniseed flavour that sets it apart from other cured meats. It is one of the signature products of Tuscan charcuterie and features on Dal Fiorentino's large board.

Can I visit Dal Fiorentino just for a sandwich?

Absolutely. Both the Holborn and Notting Hill shops serve schiacciata sandwiches throughout the day - the same freshly baked Tuscan bread, filled with quality ingredients. It is one of the most popular items on the menu and available at both locations.

Come for the Aperitivo. Stay for the Schiacciata.

Dal Fiorentino Holborn - 20-23 Holborn, London EC1N 2JD Dal Fiorentino Notting Hill - 38 Westbourne Grove, London W2 5SH