Florence For Food Lovers

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If you are a foodie, the beautiful Florence is an ideal destination for you. A city blessed with everything from cheap and lively trattorias to high-end Michelin starred restaurants and everything in between. Discover where to find the best schiacciata sandwich or take a cooking class. Or where to grab the best gelato! Buon appetito!

1. Grab baked goods from local forno 

Follow the inviting scent of freshly baked bread to a local forno (bakery) to eat freshly baked schiacciata (glistening with olive oil), panini or a slice of hot pizza. Pair these baked good with slices salami or prosciutto and have an amazing meal.

We can recommend "Forno Canapa", close to Mercato Centrale for these products. They also sell delicious "coccoli" - little balls of deep fried dough. Their coccoli are so soft and delicious, sweet and salty at the same time. Choose from the plain one or paired with prosciutto and stracchino.

Forno is the perfect stop for a snack at any time of day.

2. Eat something sweet from pasticceria

Sweet lovers will love to visit pasticcerias, selling a selection of pastries, those with cream, chocolate, pistachio filling... Or grab some dry cookies, like cantucci to pair with a cup of coffee and tea.

Some cafes sells Schiacciata alla Fiorentina, a flat cake dusted with icing sugar - delicate and soft. During the Carnival period in February, you can find cenci and frittelle in pasticcerie - a good reasons for visiting Florence in February.

3. Join a walking tour of Florence

Eat your way around the city with a local guide who will take you to the best eating places in Florence. Try the best schiacciata sandwich or lampredotto panini, sample local salami and cheeses (along wine), see how Italians do their shopping at Sant’Ambrogio market and find the best gelato in the city. Choose from many foodie tours available throughout the day. 

4. Grab a scoop of gelato

Of course, one of the greatest indulgences in Florence – especially as the weather gets warmer – is its abundance of gelatarias serving cups and cones of mouth-watering gelato. There is always a queue outside the well-known Italian chain GROM, but a less commercial option is Perche No!, a 70-year-old artisanal gelato shop located between the Duomo and the Piazza Dell Signoria. The seasonal flavours include lavender, rose and fresh mint alongside the Italian favourites of pistachio and stracciatella (the Italian version of chocolate chip). The best part? You can add a scoop of tiramisu to your gelato cup.

Insider’s Tasty Tip: you must try the crema Buontalenti, also called ‘cream fiorentina’, the most Florentine of all flavours, made with fresh eggs and sugar.

5. Visit local trattoria for authentic Tuscan food

While in Florence, don't skip to visiting local trattoria for delicious food. Food you should try range from pasta, steak, soups...

Trattorias/restaurants travellers love:

  • Osteria La Dolce Vita Firenze
  • Lo Scudo Ristorante
  • Trattoria Antichi Cancelli
  • Osteria Pepò
  • Vini e Vecchi Sapori
  • Trattoria Antico Fattore
  • Casella 18
  • Trattoria Zà Zà
  • Osteria Cinghiale Bianco
  • Trattoria Antico Fattore
  • Trattoria Sostanza
  • Osteria de'Cicalini
  • Osteria Del Gatto E La Volpe

5. Eat lampredotto - unique

2. Lampredotto – Only for the daring

Lampredotto is one of Florence’s culinary symbols. It’s ingredients might not sound appetising, but it’s truly delicious if you are prepared to give it a go. It’ s made from cow’s stomach boiled with herbs and vegetables, and served on its own or in a bun (‘sèmelle’, the quintessential Florentine panino) soaked in hot broth and with pungent salsa verde. Soft, tender and with a similar taste to Trippa alla fiorentina – Florence’s other offal speciality. Simply irresistible.

6. Have an aperitivo

Come late afternoon, apertivo time begins. A great Italian tradition (and standard at most bars), the apertivo happy hour involves paying a slightly elevated price for your drink in exchange for a heaving buffet of chips, panini, pasta, snacks, olives and salad – almost negating the need to have dinner at all. 

7. Visit local food market

An obligatory stop for anyone who loves food. San Lorenzo Food Market was once the ‘popular’ market of the city, a couple of years ago it has been completely redesigned to become one of Italy’s top food markets. Downstairs you have all sorts of food stalls, from veggies to salumi to fish, cheeses and bakeries. Some prepare sandwiches and have a few informal seating areas when you can eat cheaply, Florentine style fast-food.

The second floor is altogether different with trendy design and lighting, big communal tables, and plenty of food offerings, from traditional dishes to pizza and gelato, and some restaurants where you can sit down for a primo piatto.

8. Take a cooking class

Learning to make pasta might be just what you need to make your gastronomic experience complete. With this Small Group Pasta Class you’ll learn a few tricks and tips from a from a professional chef. Learn to make a few different kinds of pasta – ravioli, tagliatelle, and spaghetti. Then, try your hand at some authentic Italian sauces and taste some wines for the perfect pairings. Class size is limited to eight for personalised attention from the instructor.

9. Wine and cheese tasting

Take a break from sightseeing in Florence with a Wine and Cheese Tasting at a family-run wine bar in the heart of the city. Relax in a Florentine “enoteca” and sample three Tuscan wines served with local cheeses, olive oil, and other regional specialties. Learn about each wine and its pairing from a professional sommelier, and get some tips on how to choose and serve Tuscan wines.

Planning Your Trip to Italy 

Best Food Tours in Rome
What to See in Florence
Rome to Florence by Train