How to Find the Best Food in Florence Italy

The best food in Florence can be found in unlikely places. This Florence food guide will help you discover the best eats around this incredible city.

The best food in to try in Florence can be found in unlikely places. This Florence food guide will help you discover the best eats around this incredible city.

The best food in Florence can be found in unlikely places. This Florence food guide will help you discover the best eats around this incredible city.

Florence Food Guide

I’ve written a ton about what to eat in Italy, but since the food in various regions of Italy can be so vastly different, I wanted to help you find the best food in Florence.

The time in Italy is always too short, so I know it’s essential to make every meal count when you are looking for the best restaurants in Florence Italy. The best places to eat in Florence have a wide range of budgets and I’m sure you can find something that suits your taste and your wallet!

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Take a Florence Food Tour

The best way to taste the best way to experience the best food in Florence is to take a tour. There are many awesome Florence food tours out there, but these are my favorites:

But you don’t have to take a tour to try the best food in to eat in Florence. It’s literally all around the city.

The best food in Florence ranges from a mouth-watering sandwich in charming hole-in-the-wall butcher shop to a classy aperitivo in a rooftop restaurant with stunning views of the duomo. Depending on what you like, there is something for everyone. Without further ado, I will share the best food in Florence Italy. 

Florence Traditional Food is a Must

Like every region in Italy, you will find unique Tuscan cuisine in this Tuscan city. Florence cuisine is delicious and hearty and makes use of seasonal flavors from locally-grown products that you’d see displayed at the Sant’Ambrogio Florence food market.

You can enjoy a flavorful panini with a bowl of minestrone Toscana or some vegetarian ribolitta soup at various restaurants throughout the city.

Florence Food Burrata chees

Burrata cheese is a must eat in Florence! It’s a creamy mozzarella filled with cream and topped with truffles and olive oil. You can find my favorite one at Osteria del Pavone, one of my favorite fine dining restaurants in Florence.

 For the more adventurous, a traditional Florentine dish is lampredotto, a succulent cow-intestine sandwich and Florence street food which has been enjoyed for generations by locals.  Go on a Florence food tour, and there is no doubt that you will be trying this local specialty.

The Best Pasta in Florence Italy

The best food in Florence can be found in unlikely places. This Florence food guide will help you discover the best eats around this incredible city.

It is impossible to name only one best pasta restaurant in Florence, but L’Osteria di Giovanni definitely fits the bill. This place is recommended by locals as one of the best restaurants Firenze has to offer if you want to enjoy pasta such as tortelli with pears, pecorino and leek sauce or pici pasta with sausage and kale ragout. You should also try the traditional meats like bistecca alla fiorentina. Their handmade desserts are to die for, especially the typical Florentine sweet cake, lemon cake, and tiramisu.

Pasta lovers will also want to try tagliolini with butter and truffles. Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco is a high-end restaurant with a delicious version of this popular dish, along with another regional favorite, pappardelle in wild boar ragù made with flavorful tomato sauce that’s perfect with a side of Florentine steak. Get away from the hoards, simply by crossing the bridge to these charming traditional dishes that will be sure to serve the season’s most delicious flavors.

If you want to try the top restaurants in Florence, these are two solid choices. Reservations are recommended.

The Best Florence Restaurants with a View

There are several Florence restaurants with a view to die for.  One of them is quite off the beaten path, and it’s one of the places to eat in Florence that you won’t be surrounded by crowds of tourists.

Caffeteria delle Oblate is above the Oblate Library in the city center and it has a stunning up-close view of the dome. Just locate the Biblioteca delle Oblate and take the elevator up to the cafeteria. Prices are reasonable, and you can carry your light meal with wine or coffee and pastry out to a table after you order at the counter.

The Best Pizza in Florence Italy

The best food in Florence can be found in unlikely places. This Florence food guide will help you discover the best eats around this incredible city.

You can’t come to Italy without eating pizza, so I know you will be wanting to find the best pizza in Florence. Even though pizza is not a typical Florentine dish there are still plenty of places to eat in Florence where you can order what you are craving.  

Some of the best pizza Firenze has to offer is found at Il Pizzaiuolo near the famous Florence food market, Sant’Ambrogio. This Neapolitan (originating from Naples) style pizza has a chewy, flavorful crust and deceptively simple toppings.

The Best Cheap Eats in Florence

The best food in Florence can be found in unlikely places. This Florence food guide will help you discover the best eats around this incredible city.

If you are on a tight budget, there are quite a few cheap places to eat in Florence.

Some of the best food in Florence can be found in tiny sandwich shops with only a few stools like Il Buffalo Trippone. You stand in a line, order what you want and see if there is a stool to squeeze onto while you drink a glass of house wine and enjoy your food. I always recommend ordering the special of the day because you know it will be one of their tastiest options.

All’ Antico Vinaio is one of the biggest and most delicious sandwiches in the world and it’s perfect for those looking for cheap restaurants in Florence. A gigantic sandwich is €5 and they have self-serve wine as you wait in line then you pay at the register.

If you are heading down Via de Neri from Palazzo Vecchio, you will want to go to the All’Antico Vinaio location on the right side of the street as there are two across from each other. This sandwich is one of the best eats in Florence and you may dream of it for years to come!

In addition to delicious sandwiches, many of the best restaurants in Florence Italy will have lunch specials that are much cheaper than dinner. A great option for the best lunch in Florence is a €12 three-course set menu at Trattoria Anita.

How to Find the Best Gelato in Florence

The best food in Florence can be found in unlikely places. This Florence food guide will help you discover the best eats around this incredible city.

I’ve saved the best for last. When you are wondering what food to eat in Florence, gelato should definitely be on the list. It should have its own food group, right?

One of my personal quests in life is to enjoy as much gelato in Italy as possible and Florence doesn’t disappoint. Your first stop should be the brilliantly named Perché no! (translated: Why not?) for authentic gelato that the locals love. Vivoli is another artisanal shop I highly recommend for high-quality gelato. Gelateria Santa Trinita, right near the Ponte Vecchio is one of my favorites because they have grapefruit sorbetto, my favorite flavor!

One way to tell if you have found great gelato is by observing the colors of different flavors. Do the colors look natural? Pistachio shouldn’t be saturated mint green and banana should not be sunshine yellow, as these colors are for crayons and not naturally occurring in food! Use this rule to help you find the authentic gelato wherever you go.

You can learn more about how to find the best gelato in Italy in this guide.

While these are just the tip of the iceberg, I hope this helped you narrow down where to eat in Florence so you can focus on enjoying the food. Florence food will delight your palate and keep you satisfied so you can make the most of your time seeing The Best Things to do in Florence.

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