This was my second visit to Florence but like with a lot of cities, I realised the longer I spent here, the larger my hit-list was going to get. I didn’t manage to go to everywhere I wanted this trip but find my top ten below.
I actually wasn’t a massive fan of this city the first time I visited due to it being ridiculously busy, overrun mainly by American tourists (so I’d probably recommend avoiding key holiday seasons). That said, Florence is ridiculously beautiful; the architecture is incredible, it’s a great city for exploring by foot, there’s so much to see and do, the food options are great, as are the wine bars and it’s a great base for visiting the rest of Tuscany.
A few notes;
📝 Gelato; Vivoli, La Strega Nocciola Gelateria Artigianale, Perché no!…
📝 Wine bars; Casa del Vino, Vineria Sonora, Enoteca Bellini, Le Volpi e l’Uva
📝 Ancient wine holes; During this era of social distancing and anti-coronavirus containment measures, Florence merchants have brought back ‘wine holes’, reinstating them with their original function born during the plague: serving customers without contact. There are a few of these dotted around the city but the one I went to was located at Babae wine bar.
📝 Fiorentina steak is one of most popular food items in the city. On top of Trattoria Mario below, a few good spots I had listed for steak that didn’t make it to; Buca Mario, Buca Lapi, Ristorante Natalino.
📝 A few more spots on my hit-list I didn’t make it to; Trattoria Da Ruggero, L’Ortone, Semel Street Food.
📝 Coffee; Caffè Gilli is famous old school spot in the city centre to stand and grab a quick coffee.
1. La Vecchia Bettola
A beautiful old restaurant with outdoor seating south of the river. I’m normally strongly against two people ordering the same dish at a restaurant but in the case of the penne alla Bettola (vodka sauce) it’s entirely ok to double order here. The cacio con le pere (cheese & pear) & fried zucchini flowers zucchini flowers were great too. Closed Sunday and Monday.
2. Trattoria Sostanza
A beautiful tiled restaurant with marble counters and tables. Go for their famous chicken in butter (although all the dishes were great). The artichoke and egg dish was great too, as was the wild strawberry meringue pie. Like everywhere half decent in Florence it’s hard to get a booking. Either show up early or book way in advance over the phone.
3. Trattoria Sabatino
Simple Fiorentina home-style dishes at great prices. Buzzing atmosphere. With food at these prices and wine being only €3.80 a litre it’s no wonder there’s a queue coming out the door every evening. They don’t take bookings so arrive early.
4. Osteria Nuvoli
This is one of Florence’s most popular spots for a reason. Between the delicious meals and the welcoming atmosphere, it’s the perfect place to bring a date and to enjoy a night just the two of you. It is on par in almost every way: the wine is wonderfully chosen and the interior is comforting and invites you to return again and again. Consider booking a reservation because it is busy almost every night, and the staff’s friendly and fun attitude is often the reason why. Make sure you order one of the antipasti, they have some amazing choices available.
5. Trattoria Sergio Gozzi
A 100+ year old restaurant around the corner from the Duomo. Handwritten menu and marble countertops. Open for lunch only. Queue early or book ahead of time.
6. Trattoria Mario
Tratoria Mario (est 1953) is known for their Tuscan soups, pastas, steaks & regional wines. We came 25 minutes before it opened and managed to secure the last table for lunch service. They only do a couple of specific cuts of steak in Florence; The main being Bistecca alla Fiorentina which is the t-bone (almost more of what I’d call a porterhouse) and cut a few inches deep – starting at around 2.2kg (way too much for two people). The other being the L-shaped bone from the smaller front part of the short loin, near the rib (where ribeye or tomahawk would come from). We went for the smaller version. The Fiorentina breed of cattle is known for their incredibly flavorful meat. It’s only seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Although quite undercooked from how I asked for it, the meat was great. Great atmosphere in the restaurant. Finished the meal with sweet wine & amaretti. The chianti was delicious too. The menu comes in Italian/Itaglish only.
7. All’Antico Vinaio
The cities most popular sandwich shop. They now have a spot on both sides of the street. Both are the same so join whichever queue is shorter.
8. Nerbone
Da Nerbone (est 1873), located in Florence’s Mercato Centrale. I usually go for the beef sandwich with green and red salsa here. I love the little dip of the top bun in jous they do before serving. This is actually their second most popular to sandwich to the the lampredotto (tripe) which I definitely would not have the stomach for in the morning. Open from 08:00am, it’s not uncommon to see locals having a full plate of tripe and glass of chiantti for breakfast here. Hardcore.
9. Casa de Vino
My favourite wine bar in Florence. Beautiful inside. A great choice of wine. Small antipasti dishes & sandwiches.
10. SandwiChic
Another great sandwich shop using only the best quality ingredients. Also very cheap wine. A great spot if you’re looking for a quick and cheap lunch or as a backup if you are unable to get a table somewhere.
James Dimitri 