This Renaissance city is home to extraordinary works of art; some of them can be found on a plate. We’ve found 9 of the best restaurants in Florence to dine at during your next visit.
Any list of Florence’s top chefs has the name Simone Cipriani near the top thanks to the inventive approach to Tuscan classics he demonstrates at Essenziale. Opt for one of the set menus to get the full experience, which may include anything from zucchini flower stuffed with mussels and pecorino, to yakitori pigeon with cacciatore sauce. Essenziale also breaks the mould in other ways, including offering a weekend brunch. essenziale.me
The crowd at Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura is divided into two tribes, foodies and fashionistas, and both leave content. With a prime perch in front of the Gucci Garden museum in Piazza della Signoria, this exquisite eatery is as beautifully designed as a stage set, with everything from the crockery to the staff aprons carefully customised, which makes it one of the best restaurants in Florence. With Massimo Bottura overseeing the menu, the food is of course top-notch, and the friendly service is equally impressive. gucciosteria.com/en/florence
Don’t have time or the appetite for a full meal? Take a seat in Obica Mozzarella Bar’s atmospheric covered courtyard to enjoy a more-ish range of small bites that includes a selection of mozzarella, ricotta and burrata cheeses from around the country. Obica’s pizzas are also superb (one of the main reasons it makes our ‘best restaurants in Florence’ list), with unusual toppings such as mortadella and Sicilian pistachios or porcini mushroom with pumpkin. obica.com/restaurants/florence
Love to sink your teeth into a great piece of steak? Then you will want to feast on Florence’s signature dish, the huge T-bone steak known as Bistecca alla Fiorentina. The best restaurant to try it is Regina Bistecca, a former antiquarian bookshop that has retained its elegant ambience. Beyond the succulent steaks themselves – take your pick from a range of breeds – it’s the details that delight here, from the bone-handled knives to the dessert trolley. Be aware that nothing will get you sinbinned faster than asking for a well-done steak; medium is the max. reginabistecca.com/en
If walking past the aromatic stalls neatly stacked with wheels of parmesan at Florence’s Mercato Centrale whets your appetite, you’re in luck. Head up to the second floor where a range of artisanal producers serves up delicious bites. Some are typically local – offal lovers should try the lampredotto sandwich, stuffed with cows’ stomach, made by a family that has been perfecting its recipe for 100 years – but you can find everything from French pastries to Chinese dumplings here. There’s 26 eateries to sample here with some of the best restaurants in Florence the size of a market stall. mercatocentrale.com/florence
A little from Column A, a little from Column B. That’s the magic of La Ménagère, a former department store transformed into sumptuous venue with a space to match every mood. Enjoy an al fresco breakfast or lunch indoors on ceviche or a club sandwich; catch up on emails over afternoon tea or head to the buzzing bar for an evening aperitivo before dining in one of the cosy back rooms. An in-house florist and live music sessions provide that little something extra that make this addition a worthy one to our list of the best restaurants in Florence. lamenagere.it/en
After a morning visit to the Uffizi, reward yourself with a meal at one of Florence’s best restaurants, Trattoria Marione, the Tuscan trattoria of your dreams where the old ways are still the best ways. The menu is filled with comfort food classics like ribollita soup or roast chicken, but be sure to ask the staff about seasonal specials – they do a mean wild boar ragu. trattoriamarione.it
In fashion they call it the diffusion line: the more wearable range that real people can actually afford. That’s a good analogy for Trattoria Cibreo, the more casual sibling of Ristorante Cibreo, a fine dining destination for more than four decades. Known affectionately as the Cibreino, the trattoria serves up typical Florentine cuisine, from tripe salad to chicken and ricotta meatballs. There is a no-bookings policy so if you don’t want to wait, opt to eat either early or late to ensure you don’t miss out on dining at one of the best restaurants in Florence. cibreo.com/en
No foodie trip to Florence is complete without paying a visit to All’Antico Vinaio. The sandwich shop serves toasted schiacciate (Italian white bread) packed with Tuscan beef carpaccio, stracciatella cheese, sbriciolona salami, cream of pecorino cheese, just to name a few. While the original take out shop is here, in Florence, you can actually bite into these authentic sandwiches around the world, including New York, LA and cities around Italy. It’s no wonder this humble restaurant ranks as one of Florence’s best. allanticovinaio.com
