Florence Culinary Essentials, a Local's Selection

The oldest Caffè in Florence, since 1733. Located on the corner between Via Roma and Piazza della Repubblica, Florence's very first square. Visit Caffè Gilli for an authentic espresso experience or for a classic Florentine-born Negroni cocktail. You’ll find a mix of locals and visitors at the counter ("bancone"), perched so the cornetto crumbs can fall to the floor, and standing slightly askew so more people can fit in. The espresso-at-the-counter experience is usually as follows: first purchase your espresso or coffee of choice at the cash register (“munirsi di scontrino alla cassa”), then order it at the bar, receipt in hand. Caffè Gilli is a great place to enjoy delicious pastries like sfogliatine (you can find a great recipe for them in Emiko Davies’s cookbook “Florentine”) and traditional Tuscan baked goods such as ricciarelli, or seasonal specialties like schiacciata alla fiorentina, frittelle di riso, or cenci, typically found during the Carnival season, or chocolates and candy coal during the Epifania in early January. 🍷🥃🍸🍹 This is also an excellent place to circle back to later on in the evening to enjoy one a carefully selected glass or bottle of wine, or one of the best Negroni (and Negroni sbagliato!) cocktails in the world made under the guidance of Negroni expert and historian Luca Picchi. Fun fact: Negroni was invented in Florence by Count Camillo Negroni. 336's best bar in the world for Top 500 Bars! For aperitivo it's best to book in advance, especially for larger parties.

Craving an espresso and a little Italian breakfast? Then visit this family-run artisanal bakery, located in the "Oltrarno" ("across-the-arno-river") neighborhood, which has been serving some of the best pastries in town since 1949. They have the usual suspects of Italian pastry shops, like some fabulous "cornetti" (similar to croissants, but not so buttery), plus interesting concoctions like the occasional beet or spirulina cookies, hard-to-find gluten-free options, and artisanal jams. Be on the lookout for seasonal baked goods like: - schiacciata alla fiorentina farcita; - castagnaccio; - cenci; - frittelle. This a great place for a savory breakfast as well (a rarity for Tuscany), try: - bakery pizza; - egg, ham and lettuce panino; - sweet-and-salty cornetto or schiacciata with ham and cheese (yum). Fun fact: you’ll see a sign reading “qui arrivò l’Arno” which refers to how far up the 1966 flood arrived inside the bakery. You can find signs like these all over the city.

Florentine born-and-bred specialty coffee roaster and coffee shop + brunch and aperitivo spot. The biggest out of four Ditta Artigianale in Florence (plus there’s one in Toronto, Canada). This is where you’ll find excellent ethically sourced coffee (try their “Mamma Mia” blend) but also American-style food and drink, for example: pumpkin spice lattes, ooey-gooey chocolate cake, and the occasiona crab roll with sweet potato fries. Come for the coffee, stay for the free Wi-Fi (except on weekends, when it's super busy, or over lunch if you're not planning on eating). Sant’Ambrogio location 2021 winner best Interior Design of Food and Wine Italia awards. From their website: Ditta Artigianale was founded in 2013 by Francesco Sanapo, world-renowned barista and coffee taster champion, and by Patrick Hoffer, after long studies and extensive research around the world on the different ways of interpreting coffee,. Our main aim and mission is to bring to Italy high quality coffees, and to describe them in a brand new way, by focusing on the total transparency and eco-sustainability in, and for, all the different production steps.

Currently my very favorite lunch spot in town — which also happens to be quite affordable! Check it out before Lonely Planet finds it and remember that you heard it here first 😉 Dalla Lola, located in the lively and artsy Oltrarno neighborhood, is a Tuscan restaurant with a punk spirit, and one of the reasons why I love it is that Matilde Pettini, head of operations, gives zero f***s. Specifically she gives zero f***s about what most would consider a proper Tuscan restaurant because, while it might look the part, sitting on a corner just off of piazza Santo Spirito, with its yellow paper placemats and a short, handwritten menu on a blackboard, here Matilde will serve everything and anything she wants, for example tagliolini with zucchini and turmeric (*gasp*) or traditional but obscure dishes like fried frog legs... with Sriracha sauce, just like she had in Thailand. Some favorite dishes ⤵️ - tagliatelle with "sugo finto" - a vegetarian sauce meant to imitate the flavor and intensity of meat ragù, usually made with carrots, celery, onions, red wine, and tomatoes; - tagliolini with zucchini, turmeric and pretty flowers on top; - "trippa finta" - a complex version of a frittata, sliced and cooked with a rich tomato sauce and meant to resemble beef tripe; - "rane fritte" - fried frog legs; - "francesina di lingua" - stewed chopped beef tongue and onions; - "fegatini e cipolle" - chicken livers and onions. Also: her cakes are amazing, and also happen to be 100% gluten-free. Fun facts: - one of the few spots in town with a 6-seat convivial table, where you can sit together with the other locals and make friends - highly recommend; - the placemats at Dalla Lola are actually "carta gialla" ("yellow paper") which has been used to sell food for centuries, for example by butchers to wrap meat in or by street food stalls as a cone for fried foods; - Matilde Pettini studied at Cordon Bleu cooking academy and is the daughter of Maria Chiara Masiero of world-famous Trattoria Cammillo; - go early or book ahead! Tap on the link below for an article I wrote about Matilde and three other women in food in Florence. Open for lunch Tuesday - Saturday and for dinner Wednesday - Friday.