home > destinations > florence > eat&drink
Eat & Drink
When travelling to Italy, some prosciutto, pasta and gelato may well be everything you are longing for. Yet, Florence is home to some other delicious dishes, and you should not leave town without trying the world famous Bistecca alla Fiorentina (steak), or the Trippa alla Fiorentina if you fancy tripes, or even Baccalà (cod) alla Fiorentina in the fish side of the menu. But, before selecting your main course, try some of the many crostini as a starter, the one with fegatini (chicken liver paté) being the most typical. Florence is also home to “filone”, a salt free bread creatively created when the Pope decided to heavily tax salt, which is also a staple to other dishes including soups and salads. Back to where we started when travelling to Italy: rumors are that the gelato was invented in Florence, so take advantage of being in the land of ice cream and leave your diet for when you head back home.
This was one of those surprising experiences, which has us believing in fate! We were wandering around lost when trying to find another restaurant, and at some point decided to try out the first one we came across. Oh, were we lucky: 13 Gobbi was divine! The charmingly Tuscan rustic wooden décor houses a lively atmosphere, typically Italian, and you can select a table in… Read more »
We explored (yes this is the right verb word for this restaurant) this hidden gem, located right at city center. The setting is quite dramatic: the whole restaurant is housed in a small pallazzo from the 13th century and features the oldest known portrait of Dante Alighieri. As if all this was not enough, on the lower ground floor you can see the remains of… Read more »
A rooftop cocktail bar in a medieval tower in the trendy Continentale Hotel (see our Where to Stay section). It has stunning views of some of Florence’s landmarks, such as the Arno and Palazzo Vecchio, and is the perfect place to relax and enjoy a cocktail on a summer’s evening after walking around Florence. Please note drinks are the specialty and there are not many snacks.… Read more »
One of the most famous dishes in Florence is the bistecca fiorentina, a t-bone steak, and we highly recommend trying the one at Sostanza, a small and informal trattoria run by the third generation of the family. The menu is quite succinct and aside from the typical bistecca serves a never-to-be-forgotten artichoke omelet, a unique combination of tastes which we eagerly yet unsuccessfully tried to… Read more »
Remember that legend has it the gelato was invented in Florence, so this will be like a historical tour for your taste buds! Near the Pallazzo Vecchio, some blocks from Bargello, Vivoli is considered an institution in Florence, so you really must try for yourself. We loved the many gelati we tasted and the highlights were chocolate with orange, Sicilian lemon (super citrus), pistachio and… Read more »
Dinner at this restaurant was simply remarkable. The food was authentic and delicious, and we tasted the wine produced by the traditional family who owns the restaurant and is part of Florence’s history. The highlights were an unforgettable starter made of porcini flan with parmeggiano fondutta followed by pasta with tartufo nero, which was so delicious we returned to Dei Frescobaldi one day before leaving… Read more »