Are you hungry for an authentic taste of Italy? Forget the tourist traps – we’ll show you where the best restaurants are in Florence, where locals go to eat. From fresh pasta to melt-in-your-mouth gelato, you’ll find the city’s best-kept secrets that only those in-the-know frequent. With this list in hand, you’ll be eating like a true Florentine in no time. So loosen your belt, grab a glass of Chianti, and get ready to fall in love with Florence’s food scene.
This no-frills trattoria has been serving homemade pasta, soups, meats and more since 1953. You’ll find locals and tourists alike enjoying ribollita, pappa al pomodoro, and bistecca alla fiorentina (Florentine steak). With meals under €20, it’s a popular spot, so go early to beat the crowds. The only accept cash, so make sure you have some on hand.
Location: Via Rosina, 2r, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
Number: 055 218550
Another old-school trattoria featuring traditional Tuscan cuisine and a wine list with many local options. They’re known for dishes like peposo (beef stew), trippa alla fiorentina (tripe), and crostini toscani (toasted bread with chicken liver pâté). An iconic, family-run spot.
Location: Via Palazzuolo, 100r, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
Number: 055 284302
This hole-in-the-wall wine bar is known for its schiacciata, Tuscan-style focaccia sandwiches. For under €5, you can enjoy a hearty sandwich filled with local meats like finocchiona (fennel salami), pecorino cheese, or porchetta. Wash it down with a glass of Chianti for the perfect cheap eat. They don’t take reservations, so prepare to wait in line with the locals.
Locations: Via Ricasoli, 121r, 50121 Firenze FI, Italy | Via dei Neri, 65r, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy
The bustling Mercato Centrale food market is a budget-friendly option for breakfast, lunch or dinner. On the ground floor, vendors sell everything from fresh produce and meats to Tuscan specialties. Head upstairs to the dining area which features lots of affordable restaurants, bars, and food stalls. Grab a sandwich, pizza, or plate of pasta for under €10 and enjoy it on the terrace overlooking the market below.
Location: Piazza del Mercato Centrale, Via dell’Ariento, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
Number: 055 239 9798
Even as a meat-lover, I appreciate this vegetarian restaurant. They serve high-quality, seasonal ingredients in creative dishes like ravioli with pumpkin and sage, farro and porcini mushroom risotto, and chestnut gnocchi. It’s a refreshing change of pace from all the meaty Tuscan meals around the city.
Location: Via delle Ruote, 30 r, 50129 Firenze FI, Italy
Number: 055 475030
Trattoria Marione’s pièce de résistance is their boar sauce. The boar is braised for hours until fall-apart tender, then served with a deeply flavorful sauce made from the braising liquid and red wine. Set in a spacious dining room with high ceilings and traditional decor, it has been serving up hearty Tuscan cuisine for over 30 years. Make sure to ask for the waiter’s recommendations or order their seasonal specials, too.
Location: Via della Spada, 27/Rosso, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
Number: 055 214756
If you’re after traditional, authentic Florentine dishes, this tavern is a must-visit. Osteria dell’Agnolo has been a neighbourhood staple since 1580, serving up the types of hearty, homestyle dishes that rural Tuscan housewives would have cooked hundreds of years ago. Dishes like lampredotto – boiled cow stomach (don’t knock it til you try it) that has been sliced and stewed in a rich tomato sauce – and pici, a type of hand-rolled pasta shaped like thick spaghetti, showcase the region’s culinary roots.
Location: Borgo S. Lorenzo, 24, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
Number: 055 285923
This neighbourhood restaurant has a loyal local following but sees few tourists. The eclectic decor and tightly packed tables give it a casual, unfussy ambience quite different from the elegant dining rooms many tourists seek out. Il Giova is a family-run local lunch spot known for its daily changing menu, conceived fresh each morning based on the best ingredients found at the San Ambrosio market just across the street. If you find the fried porcini mushrooms on the menu, you have struck gold.
Location: Borgo la Croce, 73R, 50121 Firenze FI, Italy
Number: 055 248 0639
When you dine at Ristorante Buca San Giovanni, you’re dining underground in a beautiful 1300s church crypt decorated with stone archways and religious imagery. ‘Buca’ in Italian today means ‘hole’, but originally, it referred to a place where pilgrims and knights would stop to eat. It was also used as a hiding spot for members of secret societies, and there’s still a certain mysterious vibe to the restaurant. The menu features creative twists on traditional Tuscan fare. Dishes like risotto with celery mousse and marrons glacés (candied chestnuts) showcase high-quality seasonal ingredients prepared with finesse.
Location: Piazza di San Giovanni, 8, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy
Number: 055 287612
I Fratellini is a small, family-run panini shop that has been a Florence institution since 1875. This tiny hole-in-the-wall eatery specializes in sandwiches filled with high-quality local ingredients. Customers squeeze into the narrow shop to order from the glass display case featuring various sandwich options. Popular choices include the prosciutto and truffle sandwich, or, for a true taste of Florence, order the mozzarella and tomato sandwich. You get your order in a paper wrapper so you can munch on it while people-watching on the sidewalk with a glass of wine in hand.
Location: Via dei Cimatori, 38/r, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy
Number: 055 239 6096
With so many good restaurants in Florence, what sets II Guscio apart is its remarkable wine offerings. Serving patrons since 1986, the restaurant places an emphasis on both high-quality, homestyle Tuscan cuisine as well as an extensive wine list showcasing boutique and biodynamic Italian producers. Standout offerings include gnudi dumplings stuffed with scamorza cheese and spinach pesto, thinly sliced sirloin with roasted vegetables, paccheri pasta with spicy ‘nduja Calabrian pork sauce and creamy burrata, and beet risotto made with Arborio rice. Portions are hearty, so make sure you order to share, and save room for dessert.
Location: Via dell’Orto, 49, 50124 Firenze FI, Italy
Number: 055 224421
This brings us to the last stop on our list — of course, no Florentine meal is complete without gelato! This artisanal gelateria uses local, organic ingredients to make unique flavours like ricotta and fig, chocolate with orange, and honey sesame. The flavours are simple yet nuanced, letting the high-quality ingredients speak for themselves. They also offer vegan sorbets and dairy-free options for a guilt-free treat.
Location: Via Toscanella, 15/red, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy
Number: 055 614 2071
So there you have it, my food-loving friends – the inside scoop on the tastiest restaurants in Florence. Now you know exactly where to indulge. As they say, mangiare è una necessità, ma mangiare bene è una arte – eating is a necessity, but eating well is an art.
What else are your favourite restaurants in Florence? Let us know in the comments below!
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