Perché No!
$ | Duomo
Fodor's choice
What many consider the best gelateria in the centro storico embodies the "practice makes perfect" adage. It's been making ice cream since 1939.
16 Best Restaurants in Florence, Italy
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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.
Procacci
$$ | Santa Maria Novella
Fodor's choice
At this classy Florentine institution dating from 1885, try one of the truffle panini and swish it down with a glass of prosecco.
Rivoire
$$ | Piazza della Signoria
Fodor's choice
One of the best spots in Florence for people-watching offers stellar service, light snacks, and terrific aperitivi. It's been around since the 1860s, and has been famous for its hot and cold chocolate (with or without cream) for more than a century. Though the food is mostly good (it's not a bad place for a light, but expensive, lunch), it's best to stick to drinks (both alcoholic and non-) and the terrific cakes, pies, and pastries.
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Cantinetta dei Verrazzano
$ | Piazza della Signoria
Although there are some serious wine offerings at this spot in the heart of the centro storico, it's also a good place for tasty breakfast baked treats and light lunches.
Dolci e Dolcezze
$$ | Sant'Ambrogio
The pasticceria (bakery) Dolci e Dolcezze, just off colorful Borgo La Croce, has the prettiest and tastiest cakes, sweets, and tarts in town.
Finisterrae Firenze Pasticceria
$
Conveniently placed very near the ticket office of the Basilica of Santa Croce, this bar does it all: great coffee, terrific pastries, fine wines by the glass, and tasty sandwiches.
Gelateria Carabe
$ | San Marco
Specializing in things Sicilian, this shop is known for its tart and flavorful granità (granular flavored ices), which are great thirst-quenchers.
Gelateria Carabe
$ | San Marco
Specializing in things Sicilian, this shop is known for its tart and flavorful granitàs (flavored ices), which are great thirst-quenchers. It's also a great place to grab a gelato after seeing Michelangelo's David.
Gelateria la Carraia
$ | Santo Spirito
Although it's a bit of a haul to get here (it's at the foot of Ponte Carraia, two bridges down from the Ponte Vecchio), you'll be well rewarded for doing so, with standard gelato flavors or creative options such as limone con biscotti (lemon sorbet with cookies).
Gelateria La Carraia
$ | Lungarno South
Those in the know contend that this might be the best gelateria show in town. The limone ai biscotti (a delicate lemon sorbet dotted with crumbled cookie) might well illustrate the point.
Gucci Giardino 25
$$ | Piazza della Signoria
Piazza Signoria has a new-as-of-February 2022 hotspot. Breakfast, light lunches (where the dishes have fanciful name), dessert, and afternoon tea are all possibilities.
I Dolci di Patrizio Corsiits
$ | Santa Croce
Florentines with serious sweet tooths come to I Dolci di Patrizio Corsi, which has a deliciously bewildering selection of chocolate- and cream-filled pastries.
I Dolci di Patrizio Cosi
$ | Santa Croce
Florentines in the know come here for the deliciously bewildering selection of chocolate- and cream-filled pastries.
Shake
$ | San Lorenzo
Handily located between Piazza San Marco and Piazza San Lorenzo, Shake serves up creative juices, tasty baked goods, wonderful salads, and great bowls. It's committed to sustainability and to keeping its carbon footprint small.
Vestri
$ | Santa Croce
This shop is devoted to chocolate in all its guises. The small but sublime selection of chocolate-based gelati includes one with hot peppers.
Vincanto
$$$ | Santa Maria Novella
It opens at 11 am and closes at midnight: this is a rarity in Florentine dining. They do a little bit of everything here, including fine pastas, salads, pizzas, and even an American-style breakfast. Because the kitchen stays open continuously, if you're hankering at 4 pm for something to eat, or a pizza laden with Italian pork products, you're in luck. And all of this can be enjoyed with a splendid view of Piazza Santa Maria Novella.
