Pasticceria Gualtieri in Florence's southern Oltrarno corner has run as a family pasticceria since 1937, with the bignoletti cream pastries, a daily cake counter and a chocolate praline lab.
Must order: Bignoletti panna (cream-filled choux), the schiacciata alla fiorentina in Carnevale, chocolate pralines.
Tip: Closed Monday. Standing-room counter; bignoletti sell out by 11:00 on weekends.
Address: Via Senese 18r, 50124 Firenze, Florence
Ditta Artigianale in Florence's Via dei Neri runs a sourdough-and-pastry programme alongside the roastery, with a daily-baked focaccia, sourdough loaves and the brunch carte every weekend.
Order: Sourdough toast and avocado, the daily focaccia, the brunch eggs benedict.
Tip: Open daily 08:00 to 22:00. The roasted-bean retail counter ships internationally.
Worth the queue: Sourdough toast and avocado
Amble in Florence's Santa Maria Novella corner runs the bakery-cafe-bar format inside a Renaissance courtyard, with a daily sourdough programme, focaccia and the breakfast-to-aperitivo all-day carte.
Order: The slow-rise sourdough loaf, the daily focaccia, the breakfast tartine.
Tip: Closed Monday. The courtyard seats 25; loaves often sold out by 13:00 at weekends.
Worth the queue: Sourdough loaves
Cantinetta da Verrazzano in Florence's Via dei Tavolini runs a wood-fired forno inside its wine bar, with bread, focaccia and warm schiacciata stuffed-to-order across the day from 08:00.
Order: Schiacciata calda con prosciutto e stracchino, focaccia, a glass of estate Chianti.
Tip: Closed Sunday. The schiacciata-to-order counter is on the right of the entrance.
Worth the queue: Schiacciata calda con prosciutto
Scudieri in Florence's Piazza San Giovanni is the 1939 cafe-pasticceria facing the Duomo, with a daily-rotating pastry case, the chocolate-cream schiacciata fiorentina and a wedding-cake lab.
Order: Schiacciata alla fiorentina (in Carnevale), the daily bignoletti, a chocolate praline.
Tip: Open daily until midnight. Pastries are €2.50 standing; €5 at the Duomo-side terrace.
Worth the queue: Schiacciata alla fiorentina
Caffe Gilli in Florence's Piazza della Repubblica is the city's oldest cafe-pasticceria, opened in 1733, with the original baked-on-site cantucci, panforte and a daily-rotating Florentine pastry case.
Order: Cantucci con mandorle, panforte di Siena, cioccolato fondente in winter.
Tip: Counter price is half of table service; cantucci ship vacuum-packed.
Worth the queue: Cantucci con mandorle
Ditta Artigianale in Florence's Via dei Neri runs a sourdough-and-pastry programme alongside the roastery, with a daily-baked focaccia, sourdough loaves and the brunch carte every weekend.
Order: Sourdough toast and avocado, the daily focaccia, the brunch eggs benedict.
Tip: Open daily 08:00 to 22:00. The roasted-bean retail counter ships internationally.
Worth the queue: Sourdough toast and avocado
Rivoire in Florence's Piazza della Signoria has poured the city's benchmark hot chocolate since 1872, with a chocolate-making lab in the back, daily pralines and the original wooden counter intact.
Order: Dense hot chocolate (€7), cioccolato fondente bars, daily pralines.
Tip: Counter pricing is half of table; the piazza terrace fronts the Palazzo Vecchio.
Worth the queue: Cioccolato fondente in tazza
