Cocktails at the restaurant: The best ones are in Viareggio. Here’s where

At 30, with seven years’ experience at the Atrium Bar of the Four Seasons in Florence, Simone Corsini has been the Bar Manager at the Principe di Piemonte, a five-star luxury hotel in Viareggio, for a year and a half. Famous for its Art Nouveau architecture, the hotel has now also gained recognition for its cocktails, earning the title of Italy’s best in Gambero Rosso's dining guide.

The Hotel Principe di Piemonte

Built in 1922, this hotel recently celebrated a century of history, commemorated with a volume of historical photos showcasing the "dolce vita" on the Tuscan coast. Yet, rather than resting on its glorious past, the hotel is experiencing a revival. After being acquired in 2020 by GB Invest Holding, which also owns other iconic sites in Viareggio and Pietrasanta, the new ownership has revitalized the hotel, including a complete renovation and the addition of high-profile hires like Giuseppe Mancino, the chef of Piccolo Principe, a Michelin-starred restaurant and award-winner in the Ristoranti d’Italia guide.

Chef Giuseppe Mancino

The latest addition to the team, arriving last summer, is general manager Gianmaria Vitagliano, followed by Lorenzo Caiazzo, Restaurant Manager of Piccolo, Davide Macaluso, F&B Director, and finally, Simone Corsini, who leads the Bar del Piccolo. This elegant bar, adorned with mirrors and glass, moves to the panoramic terrace in summer, with views of the Apuan Alps and the sea, complemented by a heated pool.

Simone Corsini and the Drink Menus at Piccolo

Corsini’s initial goal was to create a cocktail menu that served as an identity card for the hotel, naming it “101” after the hotel’s age. Collaborating with local artist Tiziana Ricci from Carrara, Corsini designed the menu as an illustrated booklet, featuring a fictional woman exploring the hotel’s Art Nouveau spaces. The drink list includes nine signature cocktails, most notably the “101,” a twist on the Negroni bottled for easy enjoyment. Corsini describes it as a “completely Tuscan” blend that captures Viareggio’s character, featuring Ginarte from Florence, Prato’s floral vermouth, Amarancia Borsi from Livorno, and Lunigiana’s china Clementi. The drink is filtered through white marble pebbles to create a clean, distinctive flavour reminiscent of the hotel’s seaside setting.

Carnival, cocktails, inclusivity

After exploring the hotel’s essence, Corsini expanded the vision for the 2024 cocktail list to encompass the entire city of Viareggio. Named “102 Beyond,” this list is inspired by Carnival, a cornerstone of local life that symbolizes both hiding and revealing identity. To deepen this theme, Corsini collaborated with the Versilia chapter of the Italian Association of People with Down Syndrome (AIPD), inviting participants to write phrases expressing their identities. Each phrase is paired with a cocktail, creating a metaphor for the masks people wear, whether chosen or imposed. The “102 Beyond” signature drink, another Negroni twist, features tropical notes of coconut and coffee, with a base of Vecchia Romagna 3 Botti brandy, Select, and Chazalettes red vermouth. Aged with brandy and bitters for 12 days, the cocktail captures the theme of individual uniqueness, represented by Cinzia, a woman with Down syndrome who speaks about her desire to be seen beyond her diagnosis.

With future plans focused on Tuscany, Corsini hints at the next chapter in this series, promising further innovation. For its creative, thoughtful approach to cocktails, the Ristoranti d’Italia guide awards Bar del Piccolo for the best cocktail programme in Italy.

Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte - Viareggio (Lu) - Piazza Puccini, 1 - 0584 401806 - www.ristoranteilpiccoloprincipe.it