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Ristorante Beccofino
The foreign legion of chefs and management at this sleek restaurant keep their standards high with their innovative Tuscan fare, and Beccofino is a hot spot for young Florentines. Staff are smooth and courteous, the soundtrack is groovy and there's a superb list of wines.
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Ristorante Cibrèo
Famous for being famous - as you will see from the number of guidebook-clutching tourists - Cibrèo offers an elegantly simple dining atmosphere for recherché Tuscan cooking in which pasta has no place. The same people run a couple of other eateries and café on the same street.
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Ristorante Pane E Vino
Having moved from the San Niccolò end of Oltrarno, this gourmet magnet has emerged as one of the star attractions for well-dressed Florentines looking to see, and be seen while indulging in, imaginative Tuscan cuisine. Dine inside, where light-coloured clothes hang on the wall as decorative lamp-shades, or outside in the summer heat. You might like to try the saltimbocca di rana (a breaded frog dish) or taglierini in zimino (pasta with cuttlefish, tomato and spinach cream).
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Ristorante Self-Service Leonardo
It's got all the atmosphere of a factory canteen - offset by the chatty old gents who run it - but this large, overly bright self-service joint will do for an uncomplicated feast of salads, fruits and hot dishes courtesy of bain marie .
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Rivoire
Founded in 1872 by a chocolate-maker from Turin, Enrico Rivoire, this is the place to sip on a cup of sticky cioccolata (around €6.50 ) after overdosing on art in the Uffizi.
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Ruth's
As long as you avoid the house wine, the clean and simple flavours of this kosher vegetarian and fish restaurant next to the synagogue make for a pleasant change from Tuscan tucker. Ruth's dish is a plateful of titbits including couscous, hummus and falafel.
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Samovar
Head through the heavy red drapes into this intriguing Med-Russian-fusion den, a low-lit Buddha Bar from the steppes, where you might opt for a steaming stroganoff or sashimi on a skewer. There's no culinary reverence in this deliberately iconoclastic big-city style chilled dining locale.
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Sedano Allegro
Clearly not that many vegans are circulating in Florence, as this vegetarian hangout has found it necessary to add a fish and seafood menu to its vegetarian specials (many of which don't meet vegan needs either). If you don't want fish you could try a filetto di formaggio al whisky (cheese 'fillet' done in whisky). There is a pleasant, shady courtyard out the back.
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Semidivino
The pickings get a little slim as you edge away from Piazza San Marco, so this place is a welcome option. A blend of new and old, it offers the option of sidewalk dining, or sitting deep inside under low lights. It's as much about ambience as tickling the palate.
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Sésame
The kind of place where you could wear sunglasses at night, just to feel as mysterious as the food combos. A definite departure from the embrace of trad Tuscan, you can opt for Moroccan dishes or a pricey inventive Mediterranean menu.
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Sostanza
This traditional Tuscan eatery is a good spot for bistecca alla fiorentina and the minestrone if you are not fussy about your surrounds. A no-nonsense approach dominates. Locals know the place as Il Troia - the (Male) Slut - because they say its 19th-century owner had the habit of touching up his guests. Don't worry, he's long gone.
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Teatro del Sale
The Cibrèo folk have branched out into a new dining experience with this combined entertainment-food option. First you become a member (around €5 annual fee for nonresidents) and then you check out the concert programme to see what suits. You might be treated to light jazz or world music to go with a well-prepared but no-nonsense Tuscan buffet. Once a member you need to reserve a spot at the mostly communal tables by noon.
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Trattoria Casalinga
On a small street leading to Piazza Santo Spirito, this bright and bustling trattoria is a local favourite and manages to keep its traditions intact despite the tourist madness going on around it.
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Trattoria Cavolo Nero
Well off the main tourist trails - but the 'secret' of most concierges - the Tuscan 'black cabbage' is an elegant and intimate restaurant with flattering lighting and a menu that favours meat-eaters but offers some tempting soups too. Keep room open for dessert.
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Trattoria Coco Lezzone
A significant contributor to Luciano Pavarotti's once ample girth, 'the big, fat cook' is an old-fashioned trattoria with a big reputation, hefty prices, gargantuan portions of top-notch Tuscan grub and, unbelievably, no coffee!
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Trattoria Da Benvenuto
Eating here, on the corner of Via dei Neri, is hardly an ambient experience, but the food is reliable and modestly priced. Mains include some Florentine favourites, including lampredotto and bistecca, while the pasta dishes are innovative, for example the rigatoni alla siciliana (with a slightly spicy Sicilian sauce). It is wise to reserve a table.
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Trattoria dei 13 Gobbi
For rustic comforts, sophisticated food, agreeable service and the company of locals, you'll be hard pressed to top this welcoming spot. There's a lovely plant-filled inner courtyard and the kitchen is more relaxed about closing time than most other places should you have spent lunch seeing the sights.
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Trattoria I Raddi
Just off Via de' Serragli, this trattoria serves traditional Florentine meals in an intimate and quiet location. Generous slabs of meat in the form of bistecca (steak) or hashed up as peposo lead the way in this carnivore's paradise.
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Trattoria Il Contadino
The set menu price says it all. Don't expect gourmet grub, but if you need to fill up without inflicting fiscal damage, this is a good place to do it. A favourite with local workers, who know where to find value for their euro, it is one of several cheapies around here.
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Trattoria Le Cave di Maiano
This place is not dissimilar, in terms of price, atmosphere and clientele, to La Capponcina. Tables are arranged across a variety of interconnected dining rooms and out on to terraces. Getting here without a car is tricky as the restaurant is actually in Maiano, a frazione (division) of Fiesole, and off the bus routes. You could try getting a taxi from central Fiesole.
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Trattoria Mario
Avoid the queues and arrive early at this wonderfully homely family-run trattoria, an excellent place to sink your teeth into the famous bistecca fiorentina or any number of Tuscan classics. They only serve lunch and were long assailed almost exclusively by famished market workers. No credit cards.
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Trattoria Napoleone
Carnivores will want to call by here for a filetto alla Napoleone , a handsome steak dressed in a vinegar and mustard sauce. The pizzas are also reasonable. A down side is that the outdoor dining area on those hot summer nights is in the middle of a car park. An upside is that you can order one in until !
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Trattoria Quattro Leoni
Long a byword for good, cheap Tuscan grub, many Florentines still mention this place with a satisfied smile. It has a pleasingly busy backstreet feel, but is far from a local secret nowadays. Meats dominate but you can opt for a handful of reasonable seafood and fish dishes too.
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Trattoria Vittoria
A simple family-run place, this is one of the few Florentine locations where locals head to satisfy their marine desires with genuine fresh fish and seafood. It's a little out of the way, but if you are sick of Florentine steaks and dining among other foreigners, it is worth making the effort to wander here. Try the spiedino misto, a handsome tray of mixed seafood.
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Vinandro
Here they have gone to some lengths to recreate a sense of the old Tuscan tavern, with long, timber fratina tables conducive to convivial eating. The menu consists of Tuscan staples and snacks, all washed down in tumblers of chianti. In summer you can sit outside too.
