Cravings from Florence: What We Love to Eat Most

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On our frequent visits to Florence, we love discovering something new each time. Tuscan cuisine is rich, hearty, and unlike any other region in Italy. From local street food like lampredotto to handmade pasta and sweet treats, Florence is a dream for food lovers.

We often enjoy lunch or dinner at a traditional trattoria, or grab a freshly baked schiacciata from a local forno (Italian for bakery), pairing it with thinly sliced prosciutto or salami from Mercato Centrale. One of our favorite morning rituals is stopping at a coffee bar for a warm, flaky brioche (as pastries are called here), filled with "crema pasticcera".

Between sightseeing, we always make time for a scoop of creamy gelato or a few crunchy cantucci cookies—perfect with a shot of espresso or a glass of vin santo.

On this page, you'll find what we love to eat in Florence, plus our personal recommendations for the best food spots we’ve tried—and think you’ll love too.

Coccoli - light, golden dough balls that are totally addictive

Coccoli quickly became one of our favourite snacks in Florence. These soft, fried dough balls—named after the Italian word for “cuddles”—are a must-try Tuscan street food. Traditionally served with prosciutto and stracchino cheese, they’re the perfect mix of warm, creamy, salty goodness.

We first discovered them at Forno Canapa (Via dell’Ariento 21R), a small bakery near Mercato Centrale, offering both plain coccoli and ones filled with prosciutto. We love grabbing a bunch to snack on throughout the day—sometimes adding a bit of pesto for extra flavour. The coarse salt sprinkled on top gives them that perfect sweet-salty bite we can’t get enough of.

If you’re looking for where to eat coccoli in Florence, check out local friggitorie (fried food shops) for a freshly made batch. Or, for a deeper dive into Tuscan flavours, join a Florence food tour in the Santa Croce neighbourhood—you’re almost guaranteed to come across these delicious bites.

Schiacciata (Tuscan-style focaccia) sandwich

Even a sandwich can be an amazing experience if it's well-made, and schiacciata sandwich is proof of that. Schiacciata is a Florentine version of focaccia, but chewier, and olive oil in the dough gives it a rich and fruity aroma and slightly crisp texture.

You'll find places selling schiacciata sandwiches everywhere in Florence, as this is the most popular street food among locals and tourists. These sandwiches make a great snack or on-the-go lunch.

Schiacciata sandwiches come with various stuffings, including prosciutto, Tuscan salami, cooked ham, mortadella, ricotta, mozzarella, pecorino, porchetta, grilled zucchini, dried tomatoes and any combo of these.

Our favourite place for schiacciata sandwich is I' Girone de' Ghiotti (Via de Cimatori, 23R), close to Piazza della Signoria. Most of the time there is a line in front of it, but it moves quickly, as the staff is fast in making sandwiches.

They make sandwiches in front of you, and you can choose from a variety of stuffings. Their schiacciata sandwiches are generous, crunchy and delicious and affordable (starts from €6). We're always back here!

Bistecca alla Fiorentina (The Florentine steak)

Meat lovers should definitely try Florentine steak, which is a thick-cut T-bone steak, from the Chianina breed of cattle, grilled to the perfection. The steak is grilled for about 3-5 minutes on each side, almost charred, and the inside should be very rare and only warm. It's seasoned with pepper and salt and some olive oil. If you are not happy with a very rare steak, it’s probably best not to order a 'bistecca alla Fiorentina'. 

If you want just to taste Florentine steak to see if you like it, join this 3-hour evening food tour in Oltrarno with Carpe Diem Tours! 

Go to Antica Trattoria da Tito (Via S. Gallo 112R) to try authentic Florentine steak.

Il peposo (Tuscan beef stew)

"Il Peposo" is a hearty Tuscan beef stew, seasoned with garlic, salt, and a generous amount of black pepper, then simmered in red wine. It's best accompanied by creamy polenta or crusty bread for soaking up the delicious sauce.

This stew is so rich in flavour with a delicious spicy kick from the black pepper (peposo means peppery). Head to a local trattoria to eat this amazing Tuscan meat dish (we recommend Vini e Vecchi Sapori and I'Brindellone).

Join a morning Florence food tour with Secret Food Tours to find out where to eat authentic peposo.

If you want to make Il Peposo by yourself, you'll need: beef chuck cut into cubes, a bottle of red wine (Chianti or Sangiovese if possible), garlic cloves, black peppercorns, salt, and olive oil. In the past, this stew was prepared in terracotta bowls and was cooked very slowly.

Pappardelle al cinghiale (pasta with wild boar sauce)

This dish features wide flat pappardelle pasta topped with a rich wild boar ragù. The meat is marinated overnight in red wine, herbs, and vegetables before being slow-cooked with onions, garlic, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and an array of herbs and spices.

Finocchiona (salami with fennel)

Finocchiona is the queen of Tuscan cured meats, and it stands out for its flavour, thanks to the aroma of fennel seeds used in it. This fragrant cured port salami is best enjoyed thinly slices alongside other cured meats. We adore schiacciata sandwich with finocchiona! You'll love finocchiona for its sweet and hearby flavour.

If you want to eat authentic finocchiona, join a 3.5-hour food tour in Santa Croce with Walking Palates. Or buy sliced finocchiona from Mercato Centrale or Mercato Sant'Ambrogio (500g costs around €25) and eat together with some schiacciata (ideal brunch).

Crostini con fegatini (chicken liver crostini)

Crispy toasted bread topped with a rich and salty chicken liver pâté, making it a perfect appetizer for your afternoon or evening aperitivo. These are also called crostini neri, literally the black crostini, a name given after the brownish colour of the chicken liver spread.

To find the best version of these tasty appetizer, join this morning food tour in Florence.

Read also: What to Eat in Rome

Gelato every day: Our sweet obsession in Florence

We never skip a chance to grab gelato while exploring Florence. Honestly, it’s a daily thing for us—sometimes even more than once (no shame!).

Whenever we’re out and about, we’ll pop into a gelateria for a quick cone or cup loaded with creamy, dreamy goodness. At around €3–4, it’s the perfect little snack—especially when you’re too busy sightseeing for a proper meal. And let’s be real, is there ever a bad time for gelato? We don’t think so.

Our ultimate gelato duo? Rich chocolate and nutty pistachio. We can’t get enough.

Our favourite gelato spots in Florence

Over the years, we’ve tried a lot of gelato (strictly for research, of course). A few places have totally won us over:

• Gelateria dei Neri – Super creamy textures and bold flavours. Their pistachio is next-level.
• La Carraia – Great prices, generous scoops, and some of the smoothest gelato in the city. We adore their 'cioccolato all’arancia' - so delicious! There is an outdoor seating where you can sit down and enjoy your gelato! We always visit when take a stroll along the Arno River.
• Venchi - Not exclusively from Florence, this gelato is creamy and super rich (we love their pistachio flavour). We adore their dark chocolate and pistachio combo.
• Strega Nocciola Gelateria - delicious artisanal gelato (find them on several locations such as near the Duomo or Ponte Vecchio) and friendly staff; they keep gelato in stainless steel containers (pozzetti), which is a good sign that gelato is excellent.
• Sbrino - Gelatificio Contadino - an amazing gelateria in Santo Spirito. We am sure you won't regret any flavour you get, as they all taste magical. The price is amazing - we got 3 big scoops of gelato in a cone for €5.

If you're wandering around the city and spot any of these, do yourself a favour and stop in.

Read also: Finding Pasta Making Class in Italy

We can't resist cantucci—and brutti ma buoni are a close second

Wandering the streets of Florence, it’s hard not to be drawn in by the golden glow of cantucci cookies lining the windows of cafés and bakeries. These crunchy, nutty little beauties seem to call out for a cup of coffee or tea—and honestly, we can never resist.

One of our absolute favourite spots to indulge is Leonardo Firenze, a small gem tucked away on Via Porta Rossa—one of our most-loved streets in the city. It’s become a bit of a tradition for us to stop there whenever we’re in town.

At Leonardo Firenze, the cantucci are sold by weight, and the options are almost too tempting. A small bag packed with cookies runs about €6, and it’s worth every cent. The almond cantucci are the classic, of course—but they also offer irresistible variations with hazelnuts, pistachios, big dark chocolate chunks, candied orange peel, and dried figs. (Seriously, the chocolate chunks are no joke—they’re huge.)

We’re also obsessed with their pistachio brutti ma buoni—those delightfully chewy, nutty little clouds. They might not be pretty, but the flavour more than makes up for it.

Bringing home a few bags has become our go-to gift for friends and family—and okay, we always save a bag for ourselves too. And the best part? If you're not lucky enough to be in Florence, you can still get a taste—Leonardo ships their baked goods worldwide.

Castagnacio (chestnut flour treat)

Castagnaccio, the part of "Cucina povera" tradition, and it's originally made of chestnut flour, water and rosemary, while nowadays you can find variations with pine nuts and raisins. This autumn pastry eaten in Tuscany is dense is so flavourful - you'll become addicted. 

Authentic castagnaccio can be found at Chicco di Grano inside Mercato Sant'Ambrogio, Forno La Pagnotta (Borgo la Croce 109), Antico Forno Giglio (Via Vincenzo Gioberti, 151R), Forno Becagli (Borgo Ognissanti 92R) and Forno Palatresi (Borgo Ognissanti, 102R.

More delicious places to eat in Florence that we love

Ciro and Sons Restaurant Pizzeria is great food venue close to Basilica di San Lorenzo and a short walk from Florence Cathedral. Their pizzas are amazingly delicious and richly-topped. Try also their pastas!

Da Garibardi is a small local trattoria serving tasty traditional Tuscan cuisine. This is where you should get the wild boar ragu! There’s also a great wine list and plenty of gluten free options to pick from. Location is convenient close to Mercato Centrale!

More to Discover in Italy

Naples Street Food Tours

What to See in Florence

Best Rome Food Tours

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