Must-see restaurants in Florence

  • Trattoria Mario in Florence is a homey eatery that specializes in meat dishes

    Trattoria Mario

    San Lorenzo & San Marco

    Arrive by noon to ensure a spot at this noisy, busy, brilliant trattoria – a legend that retains its soul (and allure with locals) despite being in every…

  • Florence: People shop at Mercato Centrale market in Florence, Italy. The market is an ultimate Italian shopping experience. It was opened in 1874.
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mercato centrale, blu, crutin, castelmagno, chianti

    Mercato Centrale

    San Lorenzo & San Marco

    Wander the maze of stalls crammed with fresh produce at Florence's oldest and largest food market, on the ground floor of an iron-and-glass structure…

  • Il Santo Bevitore

    Oltrarno

    Reserve or arrive right on 7.30pm to snag the last table at this ever-popular address, an ode to stylish dining where gastronomes eat by candlelight in a…

  • La Menagere

    La Ménagère

    San Lorenzo & San Marco

    Be it breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee or cocktails, this industrial-styled space lures Florence's hip brigade. The concept store is a fashionable one…

  • Outside facade of Mariano

    Mariano

    Santa Maria Novella

    A local favourite for its simplicity and correct prices, around since 1973. From sunrise to sunset, this brick-vaulted, 13th-century cellar gently buzzes…

  • Cibrèo restaurant in Florence

    Ciblèo

    Santa Croce

    Iconic Florentine chef Fabio Picchi draws on his past experience working in Japan to give Tuscan staples an oriental twist

  • Shop front, Buongustai.

    Osteria I Buongustai

    Duomo & Piazza della Signoria

    Run with breathtaking speed and grace by Laura and Lucia, 'The Gourmand' is unmissable. Lunchtimes heave with locals and savvy students who flock here to…

  • Gurdulù

    Oltrarno

    Gourmet Gurdulù seduces fashionable Florentines with razor-sharp interior design, magnificent craft cocktails and seasonal market cuisine from young local…

  • Terrazza Menoni

    Santa Croce

    Luca Menoni's meat stall inside the Sant'Ambrogio covered market has been a favourite with locals since 1921 (his father first ran the business) and now…

  • Gelateria Pasticceria Badiani

    Florence

    Known throughout Italy for the quality of its handmade gelato and sweet pastries, Badiani is located in the Campo de’ Marte neighbourhood just outside the…

  • Raw Vegan Firenze breakfast bowls, superfood salads & creative raw dishes at a bright modern cafe with street tables.

    #Raw

    Oltrarno

    Should you desire a turmeric, ginger or aloe vera shot or a gently warmed, raw vegan burger served on a stylish slate-and-wood platter, innovative Raw…

  • La Leggenda dei Frati Innovative takes on classic Italian cuisine in an elegant dining room & on a patio with city views.

    La Leggenda dei Frati

    Boboli & San Miniato al Monte

    Summertime's hottest address. At home in the grounds of historic Villa Bardini, Michelin-starred Legend of Friars enjoys the most romantic terrace with a…

  • Il Teatro del Sale

    Santa Croce

    Florentine chef Fabio Picchi is one of Florence's living treasures who steals the Sant'Ambrogio show with this eccentric, good-value, members-only club …

  • Essenziale

    Oltrarno

    There's no finer showcase for modern Tuscan cuisine than this loft-style restaurant in a 19th-century warehouse. Preparing dishes at the kitchen bar in…

  • Hotel Savoy in Florence's restaurant, Irene

    Irene

    Duomo & Piazza della Signoria

    Named after the accomplished Italian grandmother of Sir Rocco Forte of the eponymous luxury hotel group, Irene (part of neighbouring Hotel Savoy) is a…

  • Ino, counter

    'Ino

    Duomo & Piazza della Signoria

    Artisan ingredients sourced locally and mixed creatively by passionate gourmet Alessandro Frassica are the secret behind this sandwich bar near the Uffizi…

  • Regina Bisteca in Florence

    Regina Bistecca

    San Lorenzo & San Marco

    Plump for a high stool and beautifully mixed Negroni in the wood-panelled American bar, lined with bookshelves and vintage prints in homage to the space’s…

  • Santarpia pizzeria.

    Santarpia

    Santa Croce

    Florentines can't get enough of the thin-crust Neapolitan pizzas oven-fired by master pizzaiolo (pizza chef) Giovanni Santarpia at his thoroughly…

  • Trattoria Le Massacce sign detail

    Trattoria Le Mossacce

    Duomo & Piazza della Signoria

    Strung with legs of ham and garlic garlands, this old-world trattoria lives up to its vintage promise of a warm benvenuto (welcome) and fabulous home…

  • Close-up of Semel sandwich

    Semel

    Santa Croce

    Florentines swear by this pocket-sized sandwich bar opposite Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio. There is no fixed menu, rather an impossible-to-decide choice of…

  • Product detail, Grom.

    Grom

    Duomo & Piazza della Signoria

    Rain, hail or shine, queues run halfway down the street at this sweet address that many say makes some of the best gelato in the city. Ingredients are…

  • La Bottega del Buon Caffè

    Boboli & San Miniato al Monte

    Farm to table is the philosophy of this Michelin-starred restaurant where head chef Antonello Sardi mesmerises diners from the stunning open kitchen. Veg…

  • Brac

    Santa Croce

    This hipster cafe-bookshop – a hybrid dining-aperitivo address – cooks up inventive, home-style and strictly vegetarian and/or vegan cuisine. Its decor is…

  • iO Osteria Personale

    Oltrarno

    Persuade everyone at your table to order the tasting menu to avoid the torture of picking just one dish – everything on the menu at this fabulously…

  • La Toraia

    Florence

    'Bringing the countryside to the city' is the driver behind this cherry-red artisan food truck whose name translates as 'breeding shed'. Parked riverside,…

  • Da Nerbone

    San Lorenzo & San Marco

    Forge your way past cheese, meat and sausage stalls on the ground floor of Florence's Mercato Centrale to join the lunchtime queue at Nerbone, in the biz…

  • In Fabbrica

    Florence

    In Fabbrica, 1.5km south of Porta Romana along Via Senese on the Oltrarno, fuses Florence's outstanding tradition of craftsmanship with its equally fine…

  • Pugi

    San Lorenzo & San Marco

    The inevitable line outside the door says it all. This bakery is a Florentine favourite for pizza slices and chunks of schiacciata (Tuscan flatbread)…

  • UqBar

    Santa Maria Novella

    Grab a vintage pew between book- and bottle-lined shelves inside the city's most dynamic independent bookshop, select a glass of well-chosen wine, and…

  • Enoteca Pinchiorri

    Santa Croce

    Niçoise chef Annie Féolde applies French techniques to her refined Tuscan cuisine and does it so well that this is the only restaurant in Tuscany to…

  • Le Vespe Café

    Santa Croce

    A particular favourite with Florence's vegetarian and vegan crowd, this retro-fashioned cafe in Santa Croce is a hipster spot to hang out over freshly…

  • Berberè

    Santa Croce

    How fabulous. San Frediano's hugely successful pizzeria has spawned a second, equally popular branch near the historical centre in trendy Santa Croce…

  • My Sugar

    San Lorenzo & San Marco

    Young artisan ice-cream maker Alberto Bati, partner Giulia and sister Deborah have quickly lured a huge local following with their contemporary artisan…

  • All'Antico Vinaio

    Santa Croce

    The crowd spills out the door of this noisy Florentine thoroughbred, pride and joy of the Mazzanti family since 1991. Push your way to the tables at the…

  • Trattoria Cibrèo

    Santa Croce

    Dine at chez Fabio Picchi and you'll instantly understand why a queue gathers outside before it opens. Once inside, revel in top-notch Tuscan cuisine:…

  • Trattoria Sergio Gozzi

    San Lorenzo & San Marco

    Keep things simple with a traditional Tuscan lunch at this two-room trattoria, tucked between cheap leather shops near Mercato Centrale. Dining is at…

  • S.Forno

    Oltrarno

    Shop at this hipster bakery, around for at least a century, for fresh breads and pastries baked to sweet perfection in its ancient forno (oven) by local…

  • Burro e Acciughe

    Oltrarno

    Carefully sourced, quality ingredients drive this tiny trattoria that woos punters with a short but stylish choice of raw (tartare and carpaccio) and…

  • Antica Trattoria da Tito

    San Lorenzo & San Marco

    The 'No well done meat here' sign, strung in the window, says it all: the best of Tuscan culinary tradition is the only thing this iconic trattoria serves…

  • FAC, shop façade

    FAC

    San Lorenzo & San Marco

    Celebrated Florentine chef Simone Cipriani from Essenziale cooks up affordable, 'fast and casual' dining inside food emporium Eataly. Head up to the 1st…

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