<div id="c3be0912bb716eee4ca644c1dfc4ecde4"></div>Imagine checkered tablecloths, twinkling lights, and your date arriving to pick you up in a cherry red Vespa. Oh yes, you’ll be waving your chiffon scarf in the wind like Audrey Hepburn, because you are about to go on an Italian holiday for date night without ever leaving Tampa Bay.
Perhaps you’ve read about the infamous “Wine Windows” in Florence, or been fortunate enough to visit them yourselves in Italy, but if you love wine and you love Italy, well, you’ve got it made when I tell you the big secret Tampa Bay has been hiding. Tampa's very own wine window a la Firenze is on the Davis Islands.
Not sure what a wine window is or why I’m so excited to share it with you? Don’t worry, I’ll break it down here, along with where to find it in Tampa and the best way to enjoy it.
READ MORE: Best Wine Bars in Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay's Wine Window
What is a Wine Window?
Here’s an Italian lesson for you. In Florence, Italy’s hub for art and culture, a growing craze has taken hold: finding secret “buchette del vino” or “wine holes.”
These small windows date back to the 1600s plague era, when passing items through a hole in the wall helped prevent disease spread. Nobles also allegedly used them to dodge alcohol taxes.
Ironically, the pandemic brought them back into popularity for similar reasons, sparking a modern-day Italian happy hour trend.
So what exactly is it?
Think of it like a fast food window, pedestrians find a tiny window (part of the fun), and food, wine, or cocktails are served from inside. A menu is usually posted nearby, and a bell signals that your order is ready.
It’s a fun, historic concept that’s thrilling wine lovers—but for now, you’ll only find the real deal in Florence.
I did exhaustive research on this, which you can read here, and although many wine windows exist outside Florence, they are generally ‘false wine windows’. I.e. – relics of the past, not in operation.
Where Can I Find Tampa’s Wine Window?
Lucky us, a buchetta del vino just opened in Tampa at Davis Islands’ Oggi Italian restaurant, and it’s a whole lot cheaper than purchasing a flight to Italy.
More specifically, it’s located at their “Buchette Oggi Spritz Bar” just next to the restaurant’s main entrance.
How to Visit
Now the fun part – getting your wine served in an authentically recreated wine window, right there in Tampa!
Simply visit the Buchette Spritz Bar, browse the options, and place your order. It's a walk-up service, separate from their sit-down restaurant. Your drink order will be served through the window at the ringing of a bell!
Be sure to take plenty of Insta-worthy photos to brag to your friends, because for those in the know (us winos), this is really cool to have so nearby.
What’s On Offer?
The wine bar serves wine, beer, and wine-based cocktail options including a fairly extensive list of spritzes and martinis. Choose from limoncello or lychee spritzes, or perhaps an espresso martini. I personally recommend a glass of Montepulciano if you want to channel the most authentic Italian vibes.
They also offer flatbreads, burrata and a mean charcuterie board, to name a few of their snackables. Be sure to visit for happy hour (up until 6pm daily) for discounts on your spritz!
If You Go
Buchette Oggi Spritz Bar is located at 236 E Davis Blvd, Tampa, FL 33606.
Hours are posted as such:
- Hours: Monday, Wed-Fri: 4:30-10
- Sat: 3:30-10 Sun: 3:30-9
- Closed: Tuesday all day
If you are in need of a shake up to your typical happy hour routine, or simply want to check out and go to Italy for an evening, then Oggi’s Buchette Spritz Bar and wine window in Tampa is sure to punch that ticket for you.
Enjoy a touch of romance and impress your friends with your new knowledge of the ultra-trendy wine window craze.
Buon appetito e salute!