Perché No!
What many consider the best gelateria in the centro storico embodies the "practice makes perfect" adage. It's been making ice cream since 1939.
13 Best Restaurants in Florence, Italy
Florence's popularity with tourists means that, unfortunately, there's a higher percentage of mediocre restaurants here than you'll find in most Italian towns (Venice, perhaps, might win the prize). Some restaurant owners cut corners and let standards slip, knowing that a customer today is unlikely to return tomorrow, regardless of the quality of the meal. So, if you're looking to eat well, it pays to do some research, starting with the recommendations here. Dining hours start at around 1 for lunch and 8 for dinner. Many of Florence's restaurants are small, so reservations are a must. You can sample such specialties as creamy fegatini (a chicken-liver spread) and ribollita (minestrone thickened with bread and beans and swirled with extra-virgin olive oil) in a bustling, convivial trattoria, where you share long wooden tables set with paper place mats, or in an upscale ristorante with linen tablecloths and napkins.
Those with a sense of culinary adventure should not miss the tripe sandwich, served from stands throughout town. This Florentine favorite comes with a fragrant salsa verde (green sauce) or a piquant red hot sauce—or both. Follow the Florentines' lead and take a break at an enoteca (wine bar) during the day and discover some excellent Chiantis and Super Tuscans from small producers who rarely export.
International cuisine in Florence is a hit-or-miss affair. Although numerous Asian restaurants have sprung up since the 1990s, only a select few are worth a visit. Still, if you need a break from Italian, some relief is available.
Pizzas in Florence can't compete with their counterparts in Rome or Naples, but you can sample a few good approximations.
Cafés in Italy serve not only coffee concoctions and pastries but also sweets, drinks, and panini, and some have hot pasta and lunch dishes. They usually open from early in the morning to late at night, and are often closed Sunday.
Caffè Italiano
This small pizzeria is favored by locals. Make a reservation or come early to grab one of the few tables in front or round the back, and don't mind the fact that service here is intentionally rushed: turning tables is paramount.
da Rocco
At one of Florence's biggest markets, you can grab lunch to go, or you can cram into one of the booths and pour from the straw-cloaked flask (wine here is da consumo, which means they charge you for how much you drink). Food is abundant and Tuscan, service is fast, and locals pack in. The ample menu changes daily (nine secondi are the norm), and the prices are great. On Friday, fish is served.
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Ditta Artigianale
This place is always crowded with mostly young folk lingering over non-Italian cups of coffee. Light lunch and brunch are also on offer, and, in between, there's a steady supply of cakes, cookies, and croissants. Cocktail hour means it's time for the "tapas" part of their menu.
Finisterrae Firenze Pasticceria
Conveniently placed very near the ticket office of the Basilica of Santa Croce, this bar does it all—great coffee, terrific pastries, fine wines by the glass, and tasty sandwiches.
Fuoco Matto
Whether you're craving a wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizza or a Florentine bistecca, this place around the corner from Piazza dell'Indipendenza has you covered. In addition to cozy booths and family-style tables, this busy, neighborhood restaurant, whose name means "crazy fire," has bar seating that enables you to see the pizzaiolo at work. The dizzying menu has six steak options, more than a half-dozen pizzas (gluten-free available), house-made pasta, and a wide selection of antipasti. Designed for sharing, the white pizza with four cheeses and dried citrus stands out. The quality of the food is high, and the service is jovial.
Gelateria Carabe
Specializing in things Sicilian, this shop is known for its tart and flavorful granitàs (flavored ices), which are thirst-quenchers. It's also a great place to grab a gelato after seeing Michelangelo's David.
Gelateria Carabe
Specializing in things Sicilian, this shop is known for its tart and flavorful granità (granular flavored ices), which are great thirst-quenchers.
Gelateria la Carraia
At the foot of Ponte Carraia, two bridges down from the Ponte Vecchio, find standard gelato flavors or creative options such as delizia carraia (white chocolate with pistachio sauce).
I Dolci di Patrizio Cosi
Florentines in the know come here for the deliciously bewildering selection of chocolate- and cream-filled pastries.
La Ghiotta
You can assemble a perfect dinner, from soup to nuts, at this Florentine favorite, which specializes in whole and half chickens, grilled or roasted. Order takeout or eat in, which is what many locals do.
La Spada
Near Santa Maria Novella is La Spada. Walk in and inhale the fragrant aromas of meats cooking in the wood-burning oven. You can either eat in or take it away.
Pugi
Conveniently across the piazza from San Marco, Pugi sells the popular pizza a taglio (by the slice) as well as delicious focacce (bread). It's a great place to grab a quick lunch or snack.
