Just thinking about eating the Tuscan food found in Florence, Italy gets my mouth watering. Florence is—without a doubt—my favorite food city in the world!
Although quite regional, good Italian dishes are generally comprised of only a few exquisite ingredients, pasta and meat are served as separate courses, and balance is the name of the game—pizzas aren’t dripping with cheese, pasta is not drenched in sauce, and dishes capitalize on fresh, seasonal ingredients. There are many wonderful restaurants in Florence that practice that food ethic.
In Florence, you will find ancient dishes connected to the rich land of Tuscany. Bistecca alla Fiorentina (from Chianina cows who grazed on the nutrient-rich grasses of the region that produces Chianti wine) perfumes the city as grills heat up around dinner-time. It is served medium-rare, dressed simply with salt and olive oil, and melts in your mouth like beefy butter. Bread-based hearty soups like pappa al pomodoro or ribollita are Florentine favorites. Boars (cinghiale) roam the Tuscan countryside and are porky perfection in pasta dishes featuring cinghiale ragu. Make sure you fare la scarpetta—scoop up the leftover sauce with Tuscan bread. The salt-free slices are a perfect vehicle for wiping your plate clean.
You can get a great sandwich (panino) at stands across the city. Lampredotto (the fourth stomach—because the others aren’t as good) is a local favorite. The sandwiches (panini) are served on crusty, chewy rolls with a parsley sauce and chili oil. Have the vendor dunk the top of the roll in the broth for you. I find lampredotto okay, but prefer my panino with boiled beef roast (panino con bollito). This sandwich is served on the same hearty roll as lampredotto with the same sauces. But unlike its offal cousin, it occupies my dreams and is one of the first things I eat when I get to Florence and one of the last (I’ve even had it for breakfast when travel plans necessitated).
No meal would be complete without stopping off for the dessert that the city is probably best known for—gelato. With less air than its American counterpart, it’s remarkably creamy and rich yet lower in fat than ice cream…so you can feel good eating it.
Although I’m always finding new favorites, here are a few of the places that I think are the best restaurants in Florence. Many of these places are old favorites that consistently serve up the best food in Florence, whereas some of them just made the list for the first time this year.
Cafes: Caffe Gilli (via Roma), Caffe Rivoire (Piazza della Signoria), and Caffe Scudieri (Piazza San Giovanni) are all elegance and history personified. The gilded (and sometimes frescoed) interiors boast marble floors and beautiful cases. Stand at the counter to enjoy your morning espresso and pastry and you will find that the duo only costs a few euro. It’s remarkable considering these three richly-designed places occupy some of the best real estate in town on three of the city’s most prominent squares. Gilli has great cappucino. They also have great desserts (try the schiacciate di Firenze—sponge cake). The thick and rich hot chocolate at Rivoire can’t be missed (see the picture). The pastries at Scudieri are perfection.
Florence Restaurants (all are in the center or within a 15-minute walking distance from it):
- La Fiaschetteria (via dei Neri): My husband found this restaurant years ago. We were looking for a place that wasn’t had good prices and served pasta (for me) and pizza (for him). Normally, one can’t find a place that makes both pizza and pasta well, but La Fiaschetteria is the exception. We’ve been going back ever since. It’s a small little gem that we keep revisiting. Both of us usually start the meal with fettunta (toasted bread rubbed with garlic and served with oil). The service is always warm and welcoming and we feel like family there.
- Osteria Buongustai (via dei Cerchi): This female-run restaurant serves some of the best pasta in Florence. They also have a nice selection of bruschetta. My favorite is lardo di Colonnata (thinly sliced ribbons of lard on toasted bread). Who knew fat could be this good?!?
- Trattoria Sergio Gozzi (Piazza San Lorenzo): This restaurant is open for lunch-only, sadly depriving the city of its immense talents at all other times. I adore the pappa al pomodoro (tomato and bread soup) here. Although the menu changes daily, I have never had a pasta dish that I didn’t enjoy. The chicken salad gives a lite diversion from carbohydrate-heavy fare. If they have peposo on the menu–a peppery stewed beef–you should probably order it. This would also be a great place to sample the city’s famous bistecca alla Fiorentina. If you can only come here once, I would come hungry and sample a lot of dishes with your dining companions.
- Trattoria Sabatino (via Pisana): This family-run restaurant right outside the San Frediano gate serves home-cooked food that is so low-priced it makes me wonder how they do it. The low prices don’t mean low flavor though. We dine there several times a year.
- Budellino (via dei Neri)—This little wine bar is great for a pre-dinner glass of wine and some charcuterie. Although there are only a few seats up front, don’t let that deter you, because there is more seating in the back.
- Impressione Chongqing (via Sant’Antonino)—This place is intense and crowded, but serves up the best Chinese food I’ve had in Florence (and some of the best in the world). The menu is expansive and prices are moderate; I would suggest getting a bunch of dishes and sharing, but definitely get the dumplings and some fried rice. Prices are quite low.
- Osteria Pepo (via Rosina)—this restaurant is in the touristy Mercato Centrale neighborhood, but has traditional Tuscan food at decent prices. Jon loves the lasagne and I could sing praises about their meatballs (polpette) all day long.
- Trattoria Marione (via della Spada)—Jon and I often order each course and split each one. For primo, this trattoria serves a delightful truffle pasta. For secondo and contorno, I recommend bistecca and spinaci.
- Mercato Centrale (Piazza del Mercato Centrale)—the upstairs of this famous market has a decent food court. I enjoy the pizza place there, as well as Trapazzino. During the day, the market is open downstairs and there are several good vendors there, including famed Nerbone (known for their sandwiches). I have my own favorites for a panino (see below), but Nerbone is good and there are several places to grab the day’s pasta or secondo special.
- Trattoria lo Stracotto (Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini)—this restaurant has outdoor seating. It’s a little touristy, but has decent food. We’ve eaten there a few times now and I’ve enjoyed sirloin steak and pasta impruneta, among others.
- L’Brindellone (Piazza Piattellina)—this restaurant on the Oltrarno side of the river serves local cuisine seemingly to mainly locals. Try sausage with beans (fagioli all’uccelletto). Cannellini beans are cooked with tomato sauce, sage, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper…and are delicious. The roast beef in tomato sauce is excellent, too.
- L’Arte di Dori (via dei Serragli)—while you’re in the Oltrarno, this restaurant is a “can’t miss.” They make your pasta fresh to order. Whatever is in the house sauce is magical.
Gelato: The places that I think serve the best gelato in Florence are (in order with my favorite first): Gelateria dei Neri, Vivoli, Gelateria la Carraia, La Strega Nocciola, and Cono Gelato. All of these places serve up creamy, rich gelato in small batches. They know what they are doing and their flavors explode. You really can’t go wrong with any of them, but the fondente (dark chocolate) at Gelateria dei Neri makes the price of the flight worth it for me.
Panino: I don’t know the name of my favorite sandwich stand, but it is easy to find. It is a red stand (there is generally a woman working) located on a corner within the San Lorenzo market outside of the Mercato Centrale. Inside of the market is Nerbone–a restaurant famed for their sandwiches–which is good, but not as good as this red sandwich stand outside. The prices are great, the service is quick, and the food is amazing. Get the beef sandwich (panino con bollito) with both the green and the red sauce (verde and piccante). Fabulous! If you’re looking for wine and a sandwich, try I Fratellini. This restaurant is literally a hole in the wall, but serves cheap wine and tasty low-priced sandwiches filled with good charcuterie. Hang your wine glass up on the rack on the outside wall when you leave.
Notably, I’m leaving out Al Antico Vanaio, which is a very popular sandwich shop (now several shops) on via dei Neri. They are known for large sandwiches at reasonable prices. Generally, they have lines out the door (there are at least two locations now across from each other) and people clog the streets Instagramming their sandwiches or vlogging about them. Perhaps it is their social media fame that deters me from going…or maybe it is the endless lines, but I can’t report back on that sandwich. For years, I have passed right by (on pretty much a daily basis) and not felt compelled to stop. If you want a report, there are numerous vloggers on YouTube who can report back.
To try truffles (the city is known for its truffle dishes) at a reasonable price, I recommend the dainty, finger-sized truffle cream panini at Procacci. Located on the most expensive shopping street in town, via de’ Tuornabuoni, the interior is sumptuous as are the sandwiches. The panini won’t fill you up, but make a lovely complement to their vast wine selection. Have a couple before dinner as an aperitivo. There are only a few tables though, so space is limited.
I hope that you are able to try out some of these eateries the next time you are in Florence. I’m always on the look-out for new Florence restaurants to try so please leave your favorites in the comment section. Buon appetito!
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