Today I’m sharing all my favorite places and restaurants in Florence (Firenze) with you. During my stay last year, I fell in love with the city, the people and (of course…) the food. While all my culinary experiences in Florence were more than positive, some places and dishes really stood out. And it’s those special addresses that I share here. If you have any great suggestions yourself, please add them as a comment!
COFFEE. I love the Italian tradition of drinking a cappuccino (only before 11 am!), macchiato or espresso while standing at a bar. There are many places in Florence where you can have a perfect cup of coffee, standing between a wide variety of locals and truly experiencing the Italian coffee culture. While the service is quick and prices are cheap, the quality of the coffee is sublime. (And that’s a big difference compared to other countries: where coffee places – with their baristas and crazy prices – turned coffee into a luxury product) I also like the many options these bars have for little sweets to accompany your shot of caffeine. From a crispy cannoli with ricotta, to cantucci or a mini croissant; everything is made with love and a perfect bite in between big Italian meals. My favorite places were Rivoire (Piazza della Signoria 5) and Robiglio (Via de’ Tosinghi, 11-red).
ICE CREAM. Florence truly is an ice cream loving city and every Florentine has a favorite address for the best ice cream. I’ve tried them all (believe me!) and my absolute favorite is Grom (Via delle Oche, 24-red).
Grom is a small chain, with places in New York and Paris as well. There’s a monthly changing variety of flavors, that way the ingredients and combinations match with each season. The ice cream is made from the best, natural, local ingredients and Slow Food products (like Amalfi lemons and Sicilian pistachio). Just before serving, the ice cream gets beaten and that’s what made this the creamiest ice cream I’ve ever had. My absolute favorite flavors are the turrone and salted caramel, those in itself are worth a trip to Italy…
SANDWICH. In a small side street close to the Duomo you can find I Due Fratellini (Via Sant’Antonino, 60/62/R). This place is pretty much only a window, from where you can get the best sandwiches in the entire city. There’s a long line of customers waiting during lunch time, but service is fast (and you can use those few waiting minutes to decide on your sandwich choice).
For only 2,50 euro you’ll get a warm, crispy bun with for instance fennel salami and goat cheese. And for another 2,50 euro you’ll get a (real) glass of wine to drink with it. You eat your sandwich on the sidewalk and put your empty glass back on the wooden shelf outside. I Due Fratellini truly proves that ‘La Dolce Vita’ can also be quick and cheap!
Thanks for reading!
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Makes me remember all the fun exploring Florence last Fall! I can just taste that salted caramel ice cream Denise! You sure know how to uncover some great finds!
Thanks, Robin. We had such a great time!
What a lovely entry! I too am nostalgic for Florence’s nice coffee and amazing gelato. I ate so much over there so it’s nice to know I’m not the only one.
Thanks Alana! And you’re definitely not the only one:)
I’d LOVE to go to Florence one day, so thank you for all of your tips. My parents visited recently and couldn’t stop raving about the food, and well that ice cream from grom sounds amazing. I love super creamy ice creams.
You would love this city! Let me know if you’ve plans to visit, then I’ll give you some more recommendations!