Giving GG to Florence a little makeover after our last trip! Here are my fav places to eat, drink, hang etc!
There's a few reasons why I love Florence so much, it's very walkable, there are tons of things to see and do and even more places to eat and drink. 3 days in Florence felt like the perfect amount of time for us. Granted I could have stayed a month... but I had other things to see / do / eat and we were on the move!
PANINIS + SANDWICHES:
I Fratellini - Some of my favorite sandwiches! It's right by the Duomo.
Ino - More panini’s!!!
Semel Street Food - Another great panini option! Pick your fav depending on the area you’re exploring!
Gustapanino - A brainchild from the Gusta family - but paninis.
LUNCH:
Trattoria 13 Gobbi - Some of my fav pasta ever!
Gustapizza - Pizza in Florence isn’t on every corner like southern Italy, but Gusta is fantastic!
Trattoria Cammillo - Another amazing Trattoria for pasta!!
Cibrèo Ristorante + Cibrèo Trattoria - Both excellent restaurants for amazing food and amazing wine!
Da' Vinattieri - A great place for a quick lunch bite!
DINNER:
Trattoria Sostanza - Make sure to order the butter chicken / house pasta / artichoke pie GET ALL OF THEM!! Best chicken on the face of the earth - I kid you not!
La Giostra - It’s a little touristy but it’s very fun, delish and great service.
Monteverdi - Some of the most incredible food in Tuscany - not technically Florence but needed to share how amazing this place is!
Enoteca Pinchiorri - Def a fancier option but incredible service and a great dinner.
Osteria Tripperia Il Magazzino - The ragu and pasta is life altering! Didn’t go this last trip but the last time we were in Florence was superb!
Ristorante del Fagioli - A fun Trattoria with excellent steak, amazing bruschetta and a chill vibe.
Trattoria I Due G - An incredible Trattoria!
DRINKS + DESSERT:
Gelateria Edoardo il Gelato Biologico - My fav gelato right by the duomo
Rivoire - They have food here - but the cocktails IMO are the reason for a pitstop!!
WINE TASTING:
La Riserva di Palazzo - Great place to grab a quick wine tasting!! Thomas’ loves this brand.
Tenuta Valdipiatta - This family-run vineyard and winery in Montepulciano is incredible.
Cantinetta Antinori - Another great wine tasting spot!!
WHERE TO STAY IN FLORENCE:
Monteverdi - This insanely beautiful Tuscan countryside hotel is lovely and about an hour or two outside of the city.
Four Seasons - If you’re looking to splurge, this is one of our fav hotels that’s a little outside of the town so it’s quiet and very chill.
Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco - It's a bit of a splurge but an absolutely incredible place to stay in Tuscany.
THINGS TO DO:
Hike up to the top of the Duomo - Wake up early and get in line to hike up to the top of the Duomo (just make sure you grab your tickets from the ticket office.)
Uffizi Gallery - It’s a must!!
Boboli Gardens - Great for an afternoon stroll.
Mercato Centrale - It's a giant food hall and you'll never want to leave.
Accademia - That's where the infamous David lives. A quick 20-30 minute viewing, is really all you need!
Walk around the Oltrarno District - And just take in the sights!
Pizzale Michelangelo - Bring a bottle of your own wine and 2 wine glasses, grab a seat on the stairs and watch the sunset.
Download the Rick Steves Renaissance Walk audio guide and get walking - We hit up Campanile, Baptistery, Medici Chapels, Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio, and Ponte Vecchio in just 2 hours!
I know your site is dedicated to recipes/cooking, etc. I own and love many of your books by the way. But I would take travel advice from you too, if you're willing to give it. Planning a Florence in Oct. '24 trip. Am I crazy to home base Tuscany (6 days, 5 nights) from Florence? Can do almost any Italian city on this trip through help of short flights/high speed trains. Even Naples or Sicily. Fly into Venice (2 quick nights on the front end) and out of Milan on the back end. Been to Milan and Rome before, been to Florence for day before. I'm in love with Sorrento/Positano/Ravello - you know, Amalfi, etc. I would go back there EVERY time if I could. Didn't fall in love with Florence during my day spent there hitting the main sites, but maybe I'm missing something. Food and wine are supposed to be the star of this trip (husband's request). Most Italian regions are not off the table. It's hard to focus but ideally only have time for one. In your opinion is Florence worth this much of my time? Traveling with just my husband. 🙂 Active people who like food, hikes, and views. If you have advise, please share. Love your content! Thanks.
If you stay in Florence what is the best way to get to the vineyards? Taxi?
Lovely!! Great recommendations, thank you! Yay! Looks like you guys made it to Milan while you were there too. (that's the Milano Duomo in the left Duomo shot) LOVE Milan!! Can't wait to get back to Italy - the FOOD!!
Have you ever taken a cooking class while in Florence? We are taking our four kids and thought that might be something fun and different in addition to some wine tasting. Any suggestions?
I havent but would be so much fun!
Did you guys go to Tuscany or you stayed strictly in Florence? And, where is your striped dress and leather jacket from? <3
We didn't make it to Tuscany this time 🙁
Striped dress is from ASOS 2 years ago and the jacket is from some random brand at Neimans
Fantastic advice! We just got back from Italy and tried Eduardo Gelato (my favorite), Sostanza, cocktails at the Continentale, I Due Fratellini and Gusta Pizza in Florence. All were amazing! Thank you!!
So glad you did the dome of the Cathedral. The views are amazing from up there. There's a really fascinating Cathedral Museum too.
I loved the gelati too. We had to keep going back to try more of them, too much choice!
This makes me love Florence even more than before!