Best Food in Florence, a Local's Complete Guide

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.

Forno Pintucci is a great old-school, traditional bakery to stop at for a quick take-away bite for breakfast or lunch. Enjoy: - "schiacciata", a savory Tuscan flatbread, crunchier than "focaccia"; - "schiacciatine", small, round focacce studded with olives, onions, or tomatoes; - bakery-style pizza by the slice, with a sturdier consistency and baked in rectangular trays. No seating available, but that's no problem at all when you can join the locals in nearby Piazza Santo Spirito on a sun-kissed bench or on the church's steps. During the wintertime it closes at 19:30.

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.

You could spend all day in swanky Ménagère in the San Lorenzo neighborhood, arguably one of the most design-conscious locales in Florence (some would say the most "Instagrammable"), and one of the few in the area that is open from early morning to late at night, serving food and drinks all day. Start off in the morning with a hearty breakfast of pastries or classic international dishes as you catch up on emails on your computer. Enjoy a quick bite for lunch, a decadent slice of cake in the afternoon, or a nice cocktail or glass of wine later on in the evening. La Ménagère also hosts a gorgeous flower store which offers horticultural workshops and bouquets for home (or AirBnB!) delivery, and a pop-up shop corner. Free wi-fi available.