Florence is a city, which is charming to all the senses and the palate may be the most prodigal. It is a living gallery of flavours that one should enjoy. As soon as you get there, the odor of fresh espresso is floating through marble-clad cafes and the shop windows are filled with golden balls of old Pecorino and cured Cinta Senese.
We’ve solved the puzzle. This guide will provide you with a time-efficient, sensory-filled foodie tour exploring breakfast, lunch, aperitivo, and dinner, and walkable solely around the top sights of Florence, and will suit traveler with limited time but endless appetite. You will dine where the Florentines dine, you will drink where the Florentines drink, and you will go away knowing that you have tasted the true Florence.
Morning (8:00-11:30)
Rise as early as you can in Florence and you will know why the Italians have made it an art to start their day. It is as though the morning light shines on the Arno in a different way in the morning, and the city is just as much a part of those who know how to take advantage of it.
Breakfast at a Local Bar (8:00-9:00)
Italian breakfast has its ritual, which tourists fail to notice as they come into the crowded cafes hoping to have elaborate spreads. The actual magic comes when you are at the counter, holding the cup of tiny espresso in one hand and a buttery cornetto in the other, and can see the city rising around you.
Ordering: The cornetto must be hot so that the chocolate or jam inside it is still a little sticky. Unless chocolate is the option, one can taste cornetto vuotto (empty) or cornetto alla crema with that golden custard fill.
Where to Find It:
The Caffe Gilli (Piazza della Repubblica) is a very ancient bar in Florence, which was in operation since 1733. The marble counter is shiny and the espresso smell appears to have oozed out of the walls.
Ditta Artigianale (Via dei Neri) is also more local but at the same time does not lose its quality. The baristas are passionate about their work and you will find a regular approaching them like a dear friend.
Snack Store (10:00-11:30)
Two hours after, when the market stalls just get shut, it is schiacciata time.
Expected: Schiacciata Tuscan flatbread, crispy on the exterior since it was baked on hot stone but somehow tender and heavy on the inside. The prosciutto thin enough to be almost transparent, salty pecorino cheese, which softens slightly under the influence of warm bread, or creamy truffle stuff, which makes the eyes close automatically.
The bread itself must then be drizzled with golden olive oil or even a pinch of sea salt.
The Unmissable Spot:
The most popular street food, Via degli Neri (All’Antico Vinaio) justifies the title. Great line deteriorates frequently down the street, particularly at lunch, but is fast at breakfast time. Order the schiacciata ripiena (stuffed) and watch the owner slice your filling by hand like it is one of the thousand times he made this sandwich. Their trademark is the prosciutto and pecorino combination, though the truffle cream one should not be brushed off in case.
For a Quieter Experience:
La Fettunta has served schiacciata in a less crowded environment without making concessions. It is in a more cosy mood, the walk is slower better when you wish to find time to take your breakfast, and not be in a hurry about it.
Lunch (12.00-14.00)
The first one is Mercato Centrale: Where Florence Feeds Itself.
The air is filled with the combined odors of fresh herbs, old Parmigiano and frying oil. The upstairs dining hall is plainly furnished with simple wooden tables.
This will be ideal when you are alone or with a few people. No reservations required and no fixed menus. But simply traverse the market and to order where the crowds are most numerous.
Must-try dishes:
Ribollita comes in a deep bowl, a Tuscan bread soup so dense that it is hard to eat without a spoon. The day-old bread is crumbling into a bottom of white beans and Tuscan kale and bound together with tomato and a serious glug of fruity olive oil. Peasant food brought up to the level of poetry homely, comforting, and savouring of every mouthful of the Tuscan country.
Lampredotto sandwich may seem like a bold idea (it is simmered tripe), but believe us: the soft pieces are melting down your one-tongued, wedged into crunchy bread and sprinkled with salsa verde. A single bite is the reason why this is the favorite street food in Florence.
The pasta here is not daintily cooked! it is a mound of home made pappardelle or tagliatelle covered with a reduction of russet sauce that has been simmering since daybreak. The meat is made so tender it is hardly there, pure concentrated flavor.
Option 2: Classic Trattoria Lunch -Trattoria Mario
To get a slower tempo, go to Trattoria Mario in San Lorenzo. The walls are filled with decades of graffiti of people who have eaten here preceding you, the tables are almost touching elbows, the atmosphere is loud, authentic and contagious.
The menu is concise and straight forward-they prepare what they are familiar with.
It is pappardelle al cinghiale, broad strips of fresh pasta covered and sophisticated. The sauce is black, verging on wine-black, and every strand is smeared with pure flavor.
Pro Tip
The steak should always be asked to be cooked al sangue (rare). Cooked so over here the thin crust covering the outside, the inside cool and all pink.
Afternoon (14.30-17.00)
Gelato Break (14:30-15:00)
True Florentine gelato (as opposed to ice cream) is more substantial, more heavily flavored, and, indeed, it is much less sweet in the end.
Best Gelaterias
Gelateria dei Neri is hiding in a diminutive street, and it is the house of people who understand that this is the place where the real gelato is located. Their pistachio is green and nutty, their stracciatella (chocolate chip) is sprinkled with real dark chocolate pieces.
La Carraia makes your experience of enjoying gelato with a viewpoint in mind. Their chocolate and nocciola (hazelnut) are consistently and smoothly creamy and not too sweet.
Cultural Coffee Break (15:30-16:30)
Now that the afternoon energy is low, it is time to revive oneself with something warm and ritual Italian.
Caffe Rivoire: Art & Espresso
Located on Piazza della Signoria, Caffe Rivoire seems to transport one to the 1950s Florence. The cafe counter is an art of polished wood, the atmosphere is full of Italian conversations, and the walls are whispering about artists and thinkers who have been sitting in exactly the same place that you are sitting.
Get the cioccolata calda Florentine hot chocolate in case you want an incredible sensory experience. It comes in dense, thick, nearly spoonable, not that watery hot chocolate you are accustomed to using elsewhere. Dip a crispy biscotti into it.
Evening (17:30-21:30)
Aperitivo Hour (17:30-19:00)
You order a cocktail a simple one, a cheap one, always and what you get before you is the unexpected bounty of little dishes in front of you. A handful of olives. Crostini with chicken liver pate. A wedge of cheese. As far as prosciutto-wrapped breadsticks are concerned.
Where to Drink Like a Florentine
La Terrazza Rooftop Bar is nearly dizzying in their loveliness. You can get a seat on the edge, and as the daylight dies, you will see the city coming into view slowly. Early (17:30) to get a table, by 18:30, it is full to the brim.
Dinner (19:30-21:30)
Florentines do not eat dinner early, they eat it slowly. Look forward to spending two pleasant hours. This is not efficiency but it is philosophy.
Where to Eat
Trattoria 13 Gobbi is small place, the tables are too close and suddenly you are in the middle of the conversation of your neighbor. The light is warm and low. Order up the rigatoni in Tuscan sauce, a sauce made of tomatoes, garlic and time, which is served over pasta cooked to the optimum between tender and al dente. It is pure neighborhood dining.
Osteria Santo Spirito is different: a bit more sophisticated, never pompous. The gnocchi is cushioned and falls in your mouth, the sauce is creamy and buttery and sage-y.
