As you wander through Florence and visit the museums, churches and historical sites, take time to enjoy the city's special eating places.
Pizzerias
Sasha has selected for you the best places where you can eat very good pizzas and where, at least for the moment, only Florentines go...
If you really like pizza you have to visit these ”temples”
Pizzeria Santa Lucia
Via Ponte alle Mosse, 102/r. Phone 055 353 255.
Located not far from the center is one of the best pizzerias in Florence. The place is rough but here you can taste the real Neapolitan Pizza and other typical dishes from southern Italy. It is especially attended by Florentine people and the prices are really fair. It's necessary to book.
Il Pizzaiuolo
Via dei Macci 113/r. Phone 055 241 171.
In the heart of Florence this is one of the most appreciated Neapolitan pizzeria in town. The place is really nice and pizzas are wonderful. Prices are higher than average because of really central location. It absolutely worth a dinner!! Necessary to book before going.
Pizzeria Firenze Nova
Via Benedetto Dei, 122 Phone 055 411 937.
A place far from mass tourism? A place where only Florentines go? A place where pizzas and pastas are really excellent? Go in Firenze Nova and you'll find an answer to all these questions!! The pizzeria is 10 minutes by taxi far from the center, but the atmosphere is really typical. You'll feel like being in Naples! You can't miss it. Prices are fairs. Book before going.
Le Campane
Borgo La Croce, 85/r Phone 055 2341101.
Probably one of the best pizza in town! A fast service and the right price to get one of the best pizza in the historical center of town. Attention, the kitchen closes before midnight.
Danny Rock
Via Pandolfini 13/r Phone 055 2340307.
An American style pub restaurant that also serves good pizzas and very special crepes. Young people from all over the world meet here to dine.
I Tarocchi
Via dei Renai, 12 Phone 055 2343912.
One of the most famous pizzerias. Near the Arno. For lunch you can meet a lot of students stopping here for a salad or a fast “primo”.
L'Assassino
Via Senese, 17 Phone 055 225877
The assassin will not kill you, unless you don't like the very special pizza cooked here. L'Assassino it's also a restaurant that offers also Jewish dishes. Book your table in advance, during the week end this place is very crowded, a good sign that means that the cooking is fine.
Mastro Ciliegia
Via Palmieri 30/r Phone 055 293372.
Mastro Ciliegia prepares very good pizza. This place it's located in the heart of the town, near the Arco of San Pierino. Eating here will not costs you much, but you will taste a very good pizza in a friendly atmosphere.
Pizzeria Cinzia
Via dell'Argingrosso
Good pizza in pure Calabria style. A home run pizzeria that also serves excellent fresh fish meals. Not in the center, but close to Italian culture and style.
Da Tito – I peccati di gola
Via Baracca, 149 r Phone 055 416 726 Closed on monday.
Pizzeria, pub, egyptian cuisine on thursday. Prices are popular and pizzas are excellents! The only problem is that Tito is located outside the city center. But if you live in the Novoli district or in the northern part of Florence don't miss this place!
Maxiscreen for football matches...
Restaurant Pizzeria Cellini
Piazza Del Mercato Centrale, N° 17/r Phone 055 291 541
Typical tuscan cookery, pizzeria with firewood oven, fresh fish, external veranda, tourist menu...
Located in a very typical and living zone of Florence this restaurant is very popular and the prices for the tourist menu are really affordables...
Restaurants
In Florence there are hundreds of restaurants and the quality is high almost everywhere...
In the following pages we've tried to select for you some of the restaurants we prefer because of their quality... and of their price, of course!...
Giannino in San Lorenzo
Via Borgo San Lorenzo 33/35/37r, Florence
Phone & Fax +39 055 21 22 06.
The restaurant is placed in an old open gallery of the 16th century, where there was a small market. It was born after the 1920 and at the time was called 'Old Tavern'. In the last years it expanded a lot with the typical Florentine cuisine, based on country traditions. Here you can find 'the original Florentine beefsteak', the restaurant pride. Other local foods are available too, such as the 'Florentine tripe', the fried and other dishes.
Osteria Antica Mescita San Niccolò
Via San Niccolò, 60/r. Phone 055 234 2836.
Located in the most typical city district - San Niccolò - this Osteria conserves all the atmosphere of ancient Florence. Food and wine served here are perfects. Price are fairs. Don't forget to book some hour in advance!
Osteria Cinghiale Bianco
Borgo San Iacopo, 43/r. Phone 055 215 706.
As soon as you enter in this ancient restaurant you'll believe to be in the Medieval Age. Walls are made of stone and everything remember you about the glorious past of the city. The food is perfect, wine excellent. Prices are enough highs but they really worth the dinner. The place is suggested for romantic evenings. Book in advance is necessary.
Trattoria Latini
Via Palchetti, 6/r. Phone 055 210 916.
The right place for the real Tuscany food experience. Everything remembers Tuscan tradition from food and wine to old furniture. Absolutely to taste the mytical 'bistecca alla fiorentina' (T-bone steak)!. Book in advance.
Bordino
Via Stracciatella, 9r Florence phone 055 213048 Closed on Sunday.
Are you in the historical center at lunch time? Probably Bordino offers you the best (and cheaper) lunch in town. For just 10.000 lire you get a typical Italian meal; and a quarter of liter of Chianti will costs you just 5.000 lire. Wonderful interiors and a fast service. Things (prices) changes if you go there for dinner...
Cesarino
Via Niccolini, 16/r Florence Phone 055 2479169.
A family run trattoria with competitive prices. Typical Tuscany dishes. Book your table and ask for the menu del giorno, Cesarino prepares just a small variety of dishes per day. A must.
Da Tito
Via San Gallo, 112/r Florence Phone 055 472475.
Touristic menus for every prices. Tito's family runs this trattoria since the beginning of the century. Different prices for lunch or dinner.
Zà Zà
Piazza Mercato Centrale, 26/r Florence Phone 055 215411.
Very famous trattoria. In one of the most central squares of Florence, taste the typical Tuscany dishes. Special prices for lunch, more expensive at dinner time
Sant'Agostino
Via Sant'Agostino, 23/r Florence Phone 055 215214.
The owner was a farmer for the Frescobaldi family and learned all the secrets of the ancient Tuscany cooking. Ask the owner to show you the wine cellar, it's beautiful!
Buca di S. Giovanni
Piazza S. Giovanni, 8 Florence Phone 055 287612.
Just in front of the Duomo and the Battistero, one of the oldest restaurants in Florence. The cooking it's fine and the atmosphere is magic. This place it's one the favorite of theater and movie actors.
Masticabrodo
Borgo allegri 58/r Phone 055 241 920.
Their aim in creating MASTICABRODO has been to recreate the popular atmosphere of the genuine ancient florentine "vineria" . Discover this wine bar-osteria in the heart of the Santa Croce district...
Trattoria da Garibardi
Piazza del Mercato Centrale, 38/r Phone 055 212 267
High quality and average prices in this central Trattoria. We suggest you to try the tourist menu. The price is reasonable (if you drink only water...) and the quality is good. The Trattoria Garibardi is situated in Piazza del Mercato, a stone's throw from The Cappelle Medicee. In the restaurant you can taste tipical tuscan dishes (à la carte or in the tourist menu).
Dining room reserved for non smokers. External patio for your "al fresco" lunch or dinner.
Mamma Gina
Borgo S.Jacopo 37/r (Ponte Vecchio) Phone 055 239 6009
Housed in a 15th century palace, it first opened in the early 1950's when Signora Gina started cooking meals for the workmen dredging sand from the Arno for use in the many building sites involved in repairing the damage left by the last war...(full story inside...).
Very nice place, high prices...
Dulcamara
Via Dante da Castiglione, 2 - Cercina Ph. 055 425 5021
Closed on monday.
Located in the wonderful countryside around Florence, this restaurant is charming and elegant. The atmosphere is really comfortable, thanx perhaps to the presence of a big fireplace (always "on" in winter) and of the big welcoming garden all around, perfect in summer time...
The price is around 35 Euro per person (without wines...). Suggested for your important, romantic dates...)
Fastfood
Shame on you if you come to florence, the home of slow food, to eat at a McDonalds. But if you cannot resist to flavour of the french fries here are the places that you will sure enjoy! Also the Italians have their tipical fast foods, they are called Trippai, from the name of the famous trippa, the meat plate served here.
You can recognise the trippai by the withe colour of their small mototrucks parked in various parts of the town; taste the one in Piazza Sant'Ambrogio and the one in Via Sant'Antonino!
1) Located in Piazza Santa Ambrogio you can find the typical 'Ape Van' of the real Florentine fast food tradition...
Don't forget to ask for: trippa or lampredotto...!
2) McDonalds
Viale Talenti (inside UPIM store)
Via Cavour 61/r
Piazza della Stazione 25r Inside the Santa Maria Novella Railway Station.
