Florence Restaurants

  1. Acqua Al 2

    A long-standing favourite, this is a cheerful old eating den known for its assaggi di primi (mini portions of first courses for tasting). Although well populated with out-of-towners, it retains much of its atmosphere and still attracts Florentines.

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  2. Al Tranvai

    Not just another simple and atmospheric trattoria - OK, maybe it is - this place has a penchant for trippa alla fiorentina (tripe) and other grisly bits as well as the usual Tuscan fare. The combination is so popular with the locals that tables usually end up being shared.

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  3. All'Antico Ristoro di Cambi

    Run by the Cambi family since the 1940s - and barely changed since - this bustling and endearing trattoria is reliable for bistecca alla fiorentina, traditional Tuscan soups and seasonal salads, although they could do with a cushion or two on the hard wooden chairs.

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  4. Alle Murate

    A must for visiting foodies, this elegant and discreet restaurant combines the best of contemporary Italian cooking with a monumental wine list featuring labels from throughout Italy and a few from France. Dine under the exquisite medieval frescoes, among them the earliest known portrait of Dante.

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  5. Amon

    Here you can pick up Egyptian sandwiches such as felafel or fuul (fava beans) - a couple of these will fill most reasonable paunches.

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  6. Angels

    Sturdy stone columns prop up an exquisite timber ceiling in this cavernous restaurant, where the centuries-old structure is combined with a contemporary look. Grand picture windows open the place up to natural light, and the dark tables and white seats suggest hard modern angles. Elegant Tuscan faves are often accompanied, later in the evening, by some DJ-spun music.

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  7. Antico Noè

    It isn't pretty in this arcade but if you want to choose from almost 20 delicious, heaped and filling takeaway sandwiches from this Florentine institution, you'll have to run the gauntlet of the hobos. There's also reasonable food at the comfy cafe next door, where you can enjoy slow jazz and blues tunes with your meal.

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  8. Ashoka

    For fine Indian dining at comparatively reasonable prices it is hard to surpass this place, one of the few Indian options in Florence. A reasonable range of predictable dishes, from tandoori to biryanis and kormas , can be washed down with cold Kingfisher beer.

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  9. Baroncini

    If you happen to be in the area, drop in to one of Florence's most popular gelaterie . Fresh fruit is used in the fruit-flavoured options, and there's also great yogurt and sorbetto al limone .

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  10. Boccadama

    Mobbed by tourists during the day, this place and its location are best appreciated in the evenings when the locals reclaim them. There's a small menu of light and original dishes to complement the standard enoteca fare. The young staff are warm and friendly, and you can choose from hundreds of wine labels.

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  11. Boccanegra

    Like a dark den, the 'Black Mouth' invites you to taste original spins on Italian combinations. The furniture has an antique feel and molten candles shed light on the surprises in your dishes, like piccione in rete (grilled pigeon). They throw in some vegetarian options as well, like the torta di asparagi e seitan su velluta di zafferano (asparagus and seitan pie on a saffron sauce).

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  12. Borgo San Jacopo

    The designer folks behind Ferragamo's Hotel Lungarno have brought similar flare to this hip riverside design restaurant. Try for a low-lit table by the window and watch the sun set on the Arno as you indulge in modern, inventive dishes.

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  13. Cafaggi

    Not an awful lot has changed since Cafaggi was launched back in Mussolini's big year (1922, time of the great dictator's March on Rome). An old-style attention to service, a menu dominated by meat and a muted elegance (beige table linen, dark timber décor) make this a decent, if unsung, choice. Try some old favourites like cervello di vitella fritto con zucchini fritti (fried calf's brain and courgettes).

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  14. Café Caracol

    For a slightly cheesy Tex-Mex atmosphere you could drop by this place for a plateful of nachos, fajitas and other Mexican flavours. It's not going to win any food prizes, but there aren't many places in Florence where you can get corn chips and salsa, and the atmosphere is jolly enough. Happy hour for Mexican cocktails is to .

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  15. Café Concerto Paszkowski

    With more than 150 years of history, this is one of the class café acts of the city and makes a stylish way to start the day. It is worth making the trip to the square for the café's interior alone.

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  16. Caffè Coquinarius

    An excellent choice outside rigid meal times, this laid-back and comfy cafe, housed in a former stables, has light and substantial dishes of crostini , salads, pastas and the usual meaty mains as well as more than a dozen wines by the glass.

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  17. Caffè Italiano

    Full of glamorous locals and a few savvy tourists who see beyond the stand-up bar, upstairs here is a lovely relaxed café with small antique tables, velvet sofas and soft lighting. The food - tangy soufflés, pastas, and hearty salads - is a light alternative to the norm. Otherwise, drop by for the tempting range of coffees, chocolate, smoothies and acquantica - a lightly sparkling flavoured water.

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  18. Caffè La Torre

    If you are in need of snack food of indifferent quality in the wee hours of the morning, or a meal as late as , this is about the only choice you have. It is also a busy bar and a great deal of fun.

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  19. Caffellatte

    The name says it all, and this teeny-weeny spot is a great place to linger over a bowlful of velvety coffee. Caffellatte has been supplying the neighbourhood with milky delights for nearly a century, and also has an organic bakery and healthy, light lunches.

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  20. Caffetteria Piansa

    At this ebullient, vaulted local workers' diner, you basically point and choose from a limited number of cheap and tasty first and main courses. Get in early as it's all over by .

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  21. Cantinetta Antinori

    Feeling posh and flush? This might be the place for you! It offers a reasonable meal accompanied by some fine wines - it is for the latter that most people come here. It's not a bad choice if you have to impress. Try the vitello tonnato (veal in a tuna sauce).

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  22. Casa del Vino

    Step back in time at this traditional vinaio, one of the few examples of the genuine article left in Florence. Join market workers in the morning for a heart starter, or pop in around lunchtime for panini and other snacks over a traditional gottino (tumbler) of fine wine. Via dell'Ariento was lined by such wine shops from the mid-19th century. Here the original walnut furnishings remain in place, but instead of simple plonk the wine served is a choice of fine Tuscan drops.

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  23. Colle Bereto

    A grand café over two floors in the heart of chic Florence, this place is run by a Chianti wine producer. You can have sweet pastries for breakfast, and a light snack and fine wine during the day or early evening.

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  24. Da il Latini

    If you're in a group (or feeling particularly sociable) this cavernous place is perfect for a rousing night of passable house wine and humungous portions of hearty, predominantly meaty fare beneath more dead pigs than you could shake a fork at. Come early, bring freezer bags and be prepared to queue as they don't take reservations.

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  25. Da Nerbone

    In the far left corner of the Mercato Centrale (as you enter from the piazza), Nerbone is your classic frills-free market stall/eatery where budget tourists, hurried locals, market workers and pesky pigeons gather to wolf down cheap and tasty Tuscan staples such as tripe, pasta and pappa al pomodoro .

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