Molto Bene! Authentic Italian food from Italy is something I dream about days, months, and even years after I visit this country…. yes, it is that amazing! I can honestly say all the restaurants below are fantastic…I mean homemade pasta with fresh sauces and cheese; you literally cannot go wrong. After dining at my pick of restaurants below, I can say all have amazing food, but each has its own style of ambiance. A few are on the fancier side, while others more casual, and others simply a grab and go option too!
Dinner Restaurants
Parione is located on Via del Parione near the Ponte Santa Trinita bridge. I fell in love with this restaurant five years ago and was so incredibly excited to be returning…twice! Yes, I ate here twice amongst my eight day stay in Florence because it’s that great! The combination of amazing food and charming environment won me over as being my favorite spot in the city. We made reservations ahead of our arrival and requested the wine cellar as it is romantic and moody. Parione also has one of my favorite pastas in Florence it’s so unique. It is the Pici pasta with cherry tomatoes, bacon and pecorino cheese in a spicy sauce…. I will continue to dream about this dish!
II Barretto…swoon! This restaurant is located on Via del Parione very close to Parione. If you’re looking for something a little more upscale, this place is classy, has amazing food and the service is outstanding. We dined outside along the quiet street as the sun was setting with waitstaff literally watching and waiting to bring us our next drink, next plate and anything we could need…it was the most attentive service I have experienced in Italy. We enjoyed the caprese salad, the cacio e pepe (PHENOMENAL) and the tiramisu along with the best wine during our stay. I can’t say enough great things about II Barretto.
Trattoria San Lorenzo Firenze was introduced to us by Hotel Spadai (where we stayed) on our first visit to Florence and we had to make a repeat appearance this time around. It is located next to the Basilica di San Lorenzo, right around the corner from our hotel. The restaurant is a little more casual with both indoor and outdoor dining (in the San Lorenzo square) and has a fun environment. Five years ago, we dined downstairs amongst the high ceilings, booths, charming décor and centerpiece bar but on this trip, we learned there was an upstairs. We sat tucked in a cozy corner booth with an open window to take in the fresh air, sounds and views of the square below. It was fun returning and getting to experience an entirely different section of the restaurant. Kevin and I both opted for the wild boar ragu with homemade tagliatelle noodles, and it was divine.
La Buchetta Food & Wine was scrumptious from beginning to end! The restaurant looks quite small but do not be fooled, it has two rooms, and they definitely pack you in there. We started off sharing the pasta “special” which was the cacio e pepe… and quite honestly it was hard to not go back for a second night and order this as my main meal to completely hog all to myself. It was unbelievable! The server brings the fresh cooked pasta to the table along with a cheese wheel where they proceed to add the pasta into the wheel and mix, scrapping chunks of cheese from the wheel. To top it off they shave fresh truffle on top. For the main course we thought this was a great place to try the Florentine steak. Many if not most places offer the Florentine steak, but this restaurant served a plethora of other types of steak which made me have great confidence they had some expertise with steaks. The steak is brought to the table raw and weighed right there so you know what you are getting. We ordered it medium rare (recommended rare or medium rare) and it was delicious. And if the night couldn’t have gotten any better…I had the BEST cheesecake of my life! It was a traditional cheesecake, however the twist…served on a super-hot plate with berries on time. When I poured the berries on top, I could hear it sizzle on the plate! It was out of this world!
Osteria Antica Casa Torre was a pleasant last-minute surprise! This was the most casual restaurant we dined at but was super sweet and quaint with an interior seating only 6-8 tables and the kitchen enclosed in glass so you can watch the cooks at work! I was ecstatic to see carbonara on the menu as this is not a traditional Italian dish and not a dish many places serve…but WOW! The perfect balance of sauce and toppings on top of a great homemade pasta, I was so happy to have found a restaurant willing to break from the “traditional” pastas. Kev was also envious after taking a bite at just how delicious it was.
Lunch Restaurants
Panini Toscani is located on Piazza del Duomo or right behind the dome of the duomo. This is my favorite grab-n-go panini lunch spot in the city, after visiting quite a few of the more popular options. There are two tables in the rear of the restaurant or in the summer months a few tables with umbrellas out front. On your first visit you will enter the front, walk down the narrow hall to the end of the panini station, where the cook will provide a sample tasting of the cheese options as well as inform you of the meat options. You then proceed to pick one of each along with the style of bread you desire and after a light toasting, you can add toppings and order yourself a glass of wine! Panini Toscani is top-notch and has high quality meats and cheeses!
GustaPanino is located in the Santo Spirito square and is a great lunch and dinner spot! Funny story…I actually saved this for a lunch option and completely forgot about it and at the end of the day I wanted to save it for this post and there it was in my favorites already! We were overdue for sitting down and having something to eat and we must have walked the square at least twice trying to pick out what place “looked the best.” I like that GustaPanino had a constant flow of crowds and that all the food coming out of the kitchen looked great. We sat at a table in the shade, relaxed, and ordered an Aperol spritz, bruschetta to share, and a big piece of meat lasagna. When in Italy…eat pasta twice a day!
Fattoria Rossi Firenze is located on Piazza della Repubblica and has limited outdoor dining, indoor upstairs dining as well as basement dining that reminded me of a stone cave. I found this place before arriving in Florence and marked it as a possible lunch or dinner option and as we were walking through the streets, we found ourselves here in time for a light lunch. We decided to order wine and share a meat and cheese board, or as some of us call it in the US… a charcuterie board. Whether it is at Fattoria Rossi Firenze or another restaurant, I recommend ordering a board because everything is so fresh in Italy.
La Bottega is located in the Santa Maria Novella square and was my favorite sit-down lunch…but perhaps I was just so excited to be finally eating pizza! I can’t speak to anything else on the menu besides the pizza, but it was delicious! We shared the four-cheese pizza as well as the staple margherita pizza and both were cooked perfectly thin, soft and crisp all at the same time. I also loved that the restaurant was located right in the square which made for a beautiful outdoor atmosphere.
All’Antico Vinaio is located on Via dei Neri and once you’ve arrived on the street, you’ll know you’re in the right spot by the massive lines! This panini place serves jumbo panini’s and is the most popular grab-n-go option amongst tourists. I ate here on my last visit 5 years ago and thought it was a good lunch option, but this time around I did not want to wait in the 30 plus minute line that you’ll most likely encounter. I’m sure it is just as tasty five years later, by the crowds of people found surrounding the establishment. I do know if you are visiting during school season, its popular amongst the college kids!
Drinks/Aperitivo
It’s Florence…you really can’t go wrong with picking a place for drinks or aperitivo. It was simply charming to enjoy the beautiful weather and sit outside along the cobblestone streets. Of course, some had more outdoor décor and ambiance but after a long day every spot we stumbled upon was wonderful. There were three that stood out amongst the others for a few different reasons.
Osteria Ponte Vecchio is located across the Ponte Vecchio just around the corner to the right after crossing. We stopped here when we peaked through and saw that they had a little terrace with tables and chairs figuring we could grab a drink! This place is super simple with no décor but the views of the Ponte Vecchio are wonderful and the prices are very reasonable for drinks! We enjoyed one of the many Aperol Spritz here as we took in the beautiful view of the bridge.
Hotel Lungarno is also located across the Ponte Vecchio and to the right, a few steps further from Osteria Ponte Vecchio. The hotel has an outdoor covered patio with the same amazing view of the bridge…but this place is fancy. We’re talking NYC or Las Vegas price drinks (around 20 euros) but an environment with background music and luxury seating. This was a splurge night as we were meeting out friend Rob for a drink, who was also in Florence coincidently
Ristorante Pizzeria Ginori located on Via de Ginori, right around the corner from Hotel Spadai (making it super convenient). We stopped here on the last day for an afternoon drink and really liked it because the outdoor seating was decorated with checkered tablecloths, tons of greenery and charming Italian music playing in the background. It gave off the picturesque “Italian vibes” you see in the movies!
Gelaterias
YESS! My favorite section of the blog…the gelato!!! I made sure to try gelato every day in Italy, whether we were in Florence, Tuscany, or Cinque Terre, and sometimes even before I had lunch. Below is a listing of my favorite places in Florence, found in different neighborhoods that way you can always find one of the best! If you branch out from any of the shops below, just know that Italians warn of the shops with mounds of gelato piled high as not being authentic gelato.
Gelateria La Carraia is located across the Arno River via the Ponte alla Carraia bridge, found directly on the corner. This is perhaps my top pick for places as I love they have a mixture of classic flavors and fun fruity flavors and I felt that the serving size was the most generous.
Vivoli is located on Via Isola delle Stinche, a few blocks away from the Santa Croce square. This gelateria is the oldest in Florence and dates back to 1929, keeping the old-fashioned décor alive! The café gelato was really good here!
Sbrino- Gelatificio Contadino has a few locations throughout the city, but I found myself at Via dei Serragli location which is a few blocks from the Santo Spirito square. Perhaps I was over hungry and super-hot at this point, but this gelato was extra smooth and creamy.
Gelateria dei Neri is of course located on Via dei Neri and the highest rated gelato on TripAdvisor…so of course I gave it a go! It didn’t disappoint!
Perche no!…is located on Via dei Tavolini, just west of Piazza della Signoria, east of Piazza della Repubblica and south of the Duomo…this is an easy gelato shop to find yourself at. This one came recommended by our tour guide who was born and raised in Florence as being his favorite. I was super excited when I saw they had tiramisu…with the chunks of tiramisu in the gelato!
