Tag: Italy

My Florence Recommendations

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My favorite restaurants, markets, and cooking classes in Florence, Italy.

After having spent one month in Florence, Italy studying cooking, I made sure to document all of my favorite places to eat, shop, and learn about food across the city. I hope this guide will be helpful to you on your next trip to this Italian culinary gem.

General Notes on Eating Out

  • Always make a reservation for dinner beforehand. Italians often take hours to eat, therefore tables can be hard to come by, especially on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.
  • While I was in Florence, I utilized Trip Advisor for researching places to eat. For many restaurants, you can make a reservation right online at tripadvisor.com, which I found extremely helpful.
  • Restaurants usually open for dinner at 7:00 pm.
  • Unlike in the United States, you have to ask for the check when you are ready to leave or else the waiters will not bother your table.
  • A cover charge is often included, denoted as “coperto” on the check. If it is not, you can add a few Euros to the bill or up to 5% for service, but no more.

Best Breakfasts

Every small cafe is good in Italy to stop in for a coffee and croissant, but here are two memorable spots I recommend.

Caffe’ Pasticceria La Loggia Degli Albizi

  • Address: Borgo 37 50122, Borgo degli Albizi, 21, 50122 Firenze, Italy

Notes:

  • My favorite croissants in the city along with a wide variety of sweets
  • Delicious coffee
  • Outdoor seating (the sparrows make great company)

Ditta Artigianale

  • Address: Via dei Neri 33, 50122, Florence, Italy
  • Located near the Uffizi Gallery

Notes:

  • Not an Italian breakfast, (it serves croque madames and monsieurs) but it has a delicious breakfast and excellent coffee selection

Best Lunches

Gusta Panino

  • Address: Piazza Santa Spirito | Santa Spirito 1R, 50125, Florence, Italy
  • In the square in front of Santo Spiritu

Notes:

  • Excellent paninis to-go if you are on the other side of the Arno

Pugi

  • Address: Piazza San Marco 9/b, 10, 50121, Florence, Italy
  • Right around the corner from the Galleria Academia

Notes:

  • Great place to get a quick pizza or focaccia
  • You can sit in or take it to go
  • Pay after you order and finish your meal

Enoteca Bar Fuori Porta

  • Address: Via del Monte alle Croci 10r, Florence, Italy
  • A great place to go after visiting Michaelangelo’s Square

Notes:

  • Excellent crostini, cheese, salad, and wine options
  • Beautiful outdoor seating

Ara: E Sicilia

  • Address: Via Degli Alfani 127 R, 50121, Florence, Italy
  • Very small inside

Notes:

  • Tasty lunch right near the Duomo
  • Not a formal sit down
  • Serves yummy rice balls (which I highly recommend), stuffed breads, and sweets

Alimentari Uffizi

  • Address: Via Lambertesca 10r, 50100, Florence, Italy
  • Tucked away down a very narrow side street

Notes:

  • The owner is incredibly nice and all of the prosciutto comes from his son’s farm
  • Excellent paninis made with fresh breads, cheeses, and meats

Best Dinners

Pizzeria Santarpia

  • Address: Largo Pietro Annigoni, 9, 50122 Firenze, Italy
  • It’s hidden behind the Sant’ambrogio Market in a large square

Notes:

  • Best pizza and calzones in Florence
  • Relaxed, fun, and casual atmosphere

La Ménagère

  • Address: Via de’ Ginori, 8, 50123 Firenze, Italy

Notes:

  • Modern, unique, and delicious food
  • Beautiful interior
  • Serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner
  • Free Wifi

Konnubio Corso Tintori

  • Address: Via dei Conti 8r, 50123, Florence, Italy
  • There is another Konnubio in Florence, but this location is better

Notes:

  • Yummy and interesting dishes
  • Comfortable and beautiful atmosphere
  • Excellent service

Olio & Convivium

  • Address: Via di Santo Spirito, 4, 50125 Firenze, Italy

Notes:

  • I ordered one of the fixed menus and it was delicious
  • Italian food with a unique twist
  • It is also serves as a gourmet shop

Trattoria 4 Leoni

  • Address: 4 Leoni, Via de’ Vellutini, 1r, 50125 Firenze, Italy

Notes:

  • Tasty authentic Italian food (must order the pear ravioli, which they are famous for)
  • The menu is all in Italian, but do not hesitate to ask the waiter what everything means
  • Outdoor seating in a rustic square

Il Santo Bevitore

  • Address: Via di Santo Spirito, 66r, Florence, Italy

Notes:

  • Excellent elevated Italian food
  • Best restaurant dessert in Florence
  • Overall very delicious

La Cucina del Garga

  • Address: Via San Zanobi, 33r, 50129, Florence, Italy

Notes:

  • Beautiful restaurant that practically doubles as an art gallery
  • Amazing authentic cuisine that is packed with flavor

Il Borro Tuscan Bistro

  • Address: Lungarno Acciaiuoli 80r, Florence, Italy
  • The location overlooks the Arno

Notes:

  • Delicious Italian food with classic flavors
  • If you sit in the back of the restaurant you can watch the chefs at work

Best Sweets

Dolci e Dolcezze

  • Address: Piazza Beccaria 8/r, Florence, Italy
  • Easy to spot because it is bright green on the outside

Notes:

  • Excellent coffee, cream filled croissants, tarts, and cakes
  • Very pretty atmosphere to sit and have a mid afternoon pick me up

Gelateria La Carraia

  • Address: Piazza Nazario Sauro, 25, 50124, Florence, Italy
  • Two bridges over from the Ponte Vecchio on the other side of the Arno
  • Green on the outside

Notes:

  • Easily the best gelato in Florence
  • Wide variety of flavors and cones

Best Markets

Mercato Centrale

  • Address: Piazza del Mercato Centrale, 50123, Florence,Italy
  • The first floor hosts all different food stands and vendors, the second floor is an amazing open food market, and the third floor has two restaurants that can be reached through staircases from the second floor on either side of the market (they are hard to find, feel free ask someone who works there if you cannot locate them)

Sant’Ambrogio Market

  • Address: Sant’Ambrogio Market, Piazza Lorenzo Ghiberti, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy
  • Indoor food market boasting family owned, traditional vendors the sell everything from local honey to homemade pastas.

Best Cooking Classes

 

  1. Giglio Cooking School

    • Best school to learn the delicious basics of Italian cooking.

  2. La Cucina del Garga-Cooking Classes (recently closed)

    • Cooking classes took place in the restaurant’s actual operational kitchen. Really interesting experience to work in a real commercial kitchen and see what the chefs do during normal hours.

  3. Great Tastes of Tuscany Cooking Class

    • Classes take place in a Tuscan villa outside of Florence. Prepare yourself for a full day of delicious cooking (and eating!) in a beautiful setting.

  4. Mama Florence Cooking School

    • High tech kitchen and informative instructors. Best class for the beginners!

  5. Cucina Lorenzo de’ Medici-Cooking School (Mercato Centrale)

    • Every student gets to work on their own state of the art cooking station. Very fast paces, so bring someone along to help out!

Like A Florentine

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A cookbook inspired by a culinary Florentine adventure.

Whenever I am ever asked about my favorite book, my mind immediately reaches for one obscure and often opened book, Like a Florentine, a cookbook that I created for my senior study project when I was in high school. This cookbook is not my favorite because of its poetic writing, expert photography, or unparalleled illustrations, but because it reflects a very distinct inflection point in my life.

When beginning to think about what I wanted to do for my senior project, I explored many different options, yet none completely satisfying.

During one brainstorm, my dad finally asked me “if you could do anything, what would you do?”

I quickly responded that I would travel to Florence, Italy to take cooking classes and learn about Florentine cuisine. His simple response “then do it,” would be the surprising faith and confirmation that I needed to pursue this dream. I soon met with a travel agent to help with the planning of the trip. From this meeting, I spent days sitting on the floor of Barnes and Noble, diving into every Italian travel book I could find, and scouring the internet for cooking classes in Florence. I also set up a Kickstarter campaign to help with the financing of the trip. Using Kickstarter, I self-funded the trip in 25 days, raising $6,350 from 39 backers. I used this money to take cooking classes, partake in local market tours, and try various authentic Florentine restaurants over the course of one month.

The culmination of this trip was a 96-page cookbook filled with the recipes, photos, illustrations, anecdotes, and observations from this Florentine focused culinary experience. The self-fulfillment of this dream stands as one of the most impactful events of my life. Although I love to reach for the book in times of nostalgia and when I am hungry for homemade focaccia, I sift through the pages more often to remember the completion of, what seemed to be, such a large feat. I reread Like a Florentine to remind myself to continue to have the courage to take on risky ventures. Completing and documenting this culinary journey gave me the confidence that I could pursue other passions and strive for more challenging dreams. My cookbook serves as a continual reminder to me that I have the grit to take challenges head-on and the ability to overcome any obstacle that comes my way.

To view my Kickstarter page click here!