Since we only spent 3 days in this beautiful city, we tried to taste as much of its flavors as possible. When I think of Italy, the first things that come to my mind are pizzas, pastas and ice creams but of course Italian cuisine is not limited to these.

Florence food and drink :

There are lots of good opportunities where you can eat traditional local foods in Florence .

Pappa al Pomodoro: A thick soup prepared with bread, tomatoes, garlic, basil and various spices.

Ribollita Soup: A thick soup prepared with various vegetables such as beans, carrots, celery etc.

Tuscan creamy white beans and spelt soup: A thick and very delicious soup prepared with ingredients such as white beans, garlic and parmesan

Panzanella: A salad prepared with ingredients such as tomatoes, crispy bread, onion and basil

Lampredetto: A type of street food similar to kokorec. Offal is used and after being cooked it is served in bread.

Bistecca Fiorentina: The most famous meat dish in the region. Especially raised beef is used. It is served rare but we asked for well done. In most restaurants, it is served as a portion of at least 1 kilo. A large portion is bone but the meet is still quite a lot. It is useful to pay attention to the portion size before ordering.

Risotto al nero di seppia: Risotto with cuttlefish

Pici Pasta: A type of pasta specific to the Florence region. It is found on the menu of almost every restaurant. It is usually made with only flour and water and rolled by hand.

Crostini de Fegato: An appetizer prepared with ingredients such as chicken liver, onion and capers and eaten by spreading on bread.

Bruscehetta: It is eaten as a starter. Toasted bread is flavored with olive oil and garlic and served with tomato seasoning on top.

Biscotti: Cookies baked with butter, with almonds, hazelnuts or dried fruit. Biscotti means twice baked. It is available in every bakery and patisserie in Florence. It is a truly delicious cookie.

Cannoli: A tube-shaped pastry with a creamy interior and a crispy exterior that you can find in all patisseries. There are plain, pistachio and nutella varieties.

Gelato: It is available almost everywhere and most of them are delicious

Flavors we experienced and restaurant recommendations:

All’Antico Vinaio: Sandwiches are really delicious. Since we traveled in February, there were no long lines at the door but I can’t imagine it in the summer. Although it melts quickly, there was still a line of at least 15 people in front of us even in this season. We had the “Beatrice” and liked it very much. You can have additional items added to your sandwich by paying an additional fee. Sandwich prices vary between 8-12 Euros. If you are not very hungry, it is big enough for two people to share one. We couldn’t finish it. It is 40 meters away from the Uffizi Gallery. Address: Via dei Neri, 76 R

Trattoria ZaZa: One of the prominent restaurants in the city. We tried to get in without reservation but the line of 20-25 people in front of us scared us. We didn’t wait and made online reservation for the next night. The interior is quite cute, they added whatever they found to the decoration. The food is delicious, the staff is helpful and the prices are not too high. We ordered the local soup tasting plate, “Tris di minestre”, as starter. The most famous soups are Ribollita, Pappa al pomodoro & Tuscan creamy white beans and spelt soup served as a trio. As a main course, we ordered “Creamy Truffled sauce Ravioli” and Lasagna with wine. The Ravioli was really top-notch, we ate it by dipping bread in the sauce, that’s how good it was. The soups were also very good. The Lasagna is edible, but not very special. Address: Piazza del Mercato Centrale

Trattoria Katti : The food is delicious and the prices are reasonable. We had Bistecca Fiorentina here. Bruscehetta, bistecca fiorentina with potato garnish and a glass of wine is 30 Euros per person. The meat comes in a rather large portion. Since we don’t like meat rare, we ordered it well done. Trattoria Katti didn’t disappoint us, everything was delicious, especially the olive oil they used was very good. They apparently bring it specially made for the restaurant. Address: Via Faenze, 31.

View on Art Rooftop Cocktail Bar : A rooftop bar with the most beautiful view of Santa Maria Del Fiore where you can eat or drink something with the view of the Duomo from above. We were lucky to find a seat in the front row as soon as we arrived. I can’t imagine the crowds in the summer. Address: Via Dei Medici, 6.

Babae Restaurant (wine window ) : It is located in San Sprito area. If you wish, you can buy your drink from wine window like we did and drink it on the street or at the tables in front of the restaurant. It is very popular and locals prefer this place. Address: Via Santo Spirito, 21R

Gino’s Bakery: We ate cannolis with pistachio and nutella and were pleased with their cannolis. My favorite is the pistachio one. Address: Via de’ Guicciardini, 3/5

Biscotti Bakery– II Cantuccio di San Lorenzo: Biscottis are very fresh and delicious at this bakery. Address: Via Faenza, 23/red

Pompi Tiramisu: I was a bit disappointed. I found it too oily and heavy. They have various kind of tiramisus but my favorite is the classical one. There are a few tables inside but take-away is possible. Via Faenza, 37/R

La Strega Nocciola Galeteria Artigianale – Ice Cream: There was a long queue in front of it. I think main reason for the queue is that there was only one employee and he was both serving ice cream and looking at the cash register))) but it was worth to wait. Especially the cinnamon ice cream is delicious. It is very close to Duomo Square. Address: Via Ricosoli 16r

Gelateria La Carraia – Ice Cream: Although it is not as delicious as the one we had at La Strega Nocciola Galeteria, it is good. The portion is generous. It is located in the Santo Spirito neighborhood. Address: Piazza Nazario Sauro, 25/r

Caffe Gilli : We couldn’t go in because of lack of time but even if we had time, we would not preferre to go in. We read that the taste of the product are rare but the prices are expensive. At the bottom of Republica Square. Since it is a historical place, you can go inside and have a look.

You will find below the link to my Visiting Uffizi Gallery blog

Visiting Uffizi Gallery