Bistros, trattorias and the everyday places where Florence actually eats.
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Florence actually eats.
Trattoria Marione in Florence's Santa Maria Novella quarter runs the unfussy lunchtime carte locals queue for, with the four pillars of Florentine cucina.
OrderRibollita, pappa al pomodoro and the bistecca alla fiorentina by the etto.
TipCash and card; queue from 12:30. Closed Sunday; lunch and dinner both seat at 12:30 and 19:30.
Acqua al 2 in Florence's Santa Croce district has run the signature assaggio di primi (five-pasta sampler) since 1978, and the steak with blueberry sauce.
OrderThe assaggio di primi, bistecca al mirtillo, and any chocolate dessert from the sampler.
TipOpen daily; book a fortnight ahead. The 19:30 and 22:00 seatings; lunch closed.
Trattoria Za Za in Florence's San Lorenzo runs the long Tuscan carte from a square-side terrace on Piazza del Mercato Centrale, with the full Florentine.
OrderThe Tuscan tasting tray, bistecca alla fiorentina and a tagliatelle al cinghiale.
TipOpen daily 11:00-23:00. The terrace fills fastest in summer; book three days ahead.
Cantinetta Antinori in Florence's Palazzo Antinori is the wine-bar-and-trattoria for the 26-generation Antinori wine family, with a 150-bottle list focused.
OrderCrostini misti, pici al ragu, the tagliata and a glass of Tignanello.
TipClosed Saturday and Sunday. Book the front room for the Antinori cellar tasting flight.
Coquinarius in Florence behind the Duomo has run as a wine-bar-and-trattoria hybrid since 1999, with a long Tuscan carte and a 200-bottle list focused.
OrderPici cacio e pepe, the salumi tagliere and a Chianti Classico flight from the by-the-glass list.
TipOpen daily; book a fortnight ahead for the back vaulted room. The Brunello flight adds €25.
I Quattro Leoni in Florence's Oltrarno is the Piazza della Passera trattoria with a summer terrace and the signature fiocchetti dumplings (pear, taleggio.
OrderThe fiocchetti pera-taleggio-asparagi, bistecca alla fiorentina, panna cotta.
TipBook a terrace table three weeks ahead for summer. Open daily 12:00-23:30.
Trattoria Cammillo in Florence's Oltrarno has been the Masiero family's white-tablecloth trattoria on Borgo San Jacopo since 1945, with crepes alla.
OrderCrepes alla fiorentina (spinach and bechamel), bistecca alla fiorentina, the curry risotto.
TipClosed Tuesday and Wednesday; book three weeks ahead. Cash only, dinner only.
Trattoria da Burde in Florence's western edge has been the Gori family's working-quarter osteria since 1901, with the Friday-night dinner the only evening.
OrderThe Friday-night bistecca tasting; otherwise ribollita and trippa alla fiorentina at lunch.
TipLunch Mon-Sat; dinner Friday only. Book three weeks ahead for Friday; bus 35 from Santa Maria Novella.
Gilda Bistrot in Florence's Sant'Ambrogio district runs the small-room modern-bistrot format opposite the market, with seasonal Tuscan plates.
OrderPici al ragu, the crostini di fegatini and a glass of natural Chianti.
TipClosed Monday; book a fortnight ahead. The Sant'Ambrogio market across the square opens at 07:00.
Cucina Torcicoda in Florence's Santa Croce district is a three-room concept (osteria, pizzeria and ristorante) under one roof, with the bistecca cellar.
OrderThe bistecca alla fiorentina from the dedicated ristorante room, or the pizza next door.
TipThree connected rooms with different menus; the ristorante books out 2 weeks ahead.
Buca Lapi in Florence's Santa Maria Novella has cooked the bistecca alla fiorentina in the Palazzo Antinori cellar since 1880, a candlelit basement of long.
OrderThe bistecca alla fiorentina (1.2kg for two) and the tartufo pasta in season.
TipCash and card; book three weeks ahead. The cellar is hot in summer; ask for the front room.
Osteria del Porcellino in Florence sits a few steps from the Mercato del Porcellino loggia, with a wood-grill room and the bistecca, tagliata and Tuscan.
OrderTagliata di Chianina, pappardelle al cinghiale, the ribollita in winter.
TipOpen daily 12:00-23:00. The wood-grill room books out a week ahead for weekend dinner.
Zeb in Florence's San Niccolo quarter runs the mother-and-son counter-seating format, a 16-seat L-shaped bar where Alberto Navari plates his mother.
OrderTortelli ricotta e spinaci to order, the daily pasta and any tagliata.
TipClosed Wednesday and Sunday dinner. Counter-only; first-come, no bookings.
Trattoria Sostanza in Florence's Santa Maria Novella quarter has cooked the same bistecca and butter chicken on a coal grill since 1869. Priced at €€.
OrderThe bistecca alla fiorentina (1.2kg for two) and the pollo al burro butter chicken.
TipCash only; book three weeks ahead by phone. Two seatings at 19:30 and 21:30.
Regina Bistecca in Florence's Centro Storico is the dedicated bistecca house behind the Duomo, with Chianina dry-aged in glass cabinets and a wood-fired.
OrderThe 1kg bistecca alla fiorentina for two and the Chianina tartare to start.
TipBook a window seat over Via Ricasoli a fortnight ahead. Closed Tuesday.
Giovanni Latini's Osteria di Giovanni in Florence's Santa Maria Novella sits opposite the family-original Latini room. Kitchen leans florentine, tuscan.
OrderBistecca alla fiorentina, pici cacio e pepe and Giovanni's pappa al pomodoro.
TipBook a fortnight ahead; the front room is the one to ask for. Dinner only.
Trattoria da Rocco in Florence sits inside the Mercato Sant'Ambrogio under the loggia, a market-canteen format with a chalkboard daily carte and lunch.
OrderThe daily pasta, ribollita and a quartino of house red from the bar.
TipLunch only, Mon-Sat 12:00-15:00. Cash only; come at 12:30 to beat the stall-keepers' second rush.
Trattoria La Casalinga in Florence's Oltrarno just off Piazza Santo Spirito has been the family-run home-cooking room since 1963, with the four pillars.
OrderRibollita, pappa al pomodoro and trippa alla fiorentina.
TipClosed Sunday; cash only. Lunch is calmer; dinner books up a week ahead.
Fierucola di Santo Spirito in Florence is the monthly Tuscan-small-producer market on Piazza Santo Spirito, every third Sunday since 1984, with 70 stalls.
OrderPecorino di Pienza from a contadino, mountain honey, organic Tuscan olive oil.
TipThird Sunday only, 09:00-19:00. The piazza fills out from 10:00; Tuscan producers cluster on the south side.
Trattoria BBQ on Piazza Tasso in San Frediano cooks over wood: bistecca by the hectogram, chicken under a brick, peposo and pici with wild boar ragù.
OrderBistecca alla fiorentina (€6 per hectogram) or the mixed grill for two (€36); pici al cinghiale (€12) first.
TipPiazza Tasso is a residential square ten minutes west of Santo Spirito, so tables come easier than in the centre. Closed Wednesday; phone bookings 10:00-19:00.
Nerocarbone is a small Tuscan bistrot on Via del Parione, open since 2019 near Palazzo Strozzi: beef tartare cut daily, pappardelle al cinghiale, ribollita.
OrderThe 150 g beef tartare, then pappardelle al cinghiale or trippa alla fiorentina; crostini di fegato to start.
TipA handful of tables, so book for dinner; Sunday runs lunch and an early dinner. All-day hours Tuesday to Saturday make it a late-lunch stop near Via Tornabuoni.
Risotteria Melotti on Via dei Servi is the Florence room of the Melotti rice farm near Verona: a gluten-free menu of risotti cooked with the family's rice.
OrderRisotto all'Isolana (€16), the Veronese original, or the Amarone risotto (€17); rice-flour arancini first.
TipOpen all day from 11:00, two blocks from the Duomo towards Santissima Annunziata, so it works as an off-hours lunch. Sister rooms in Verona, Rome and New York.
Sina Hotpot on Via Ghibellina is the Florence branch of a Prato hotpot house: a simmering pot per table, mild, spicy or split broth, thin-cut meats and tofu.
OrderThe split pot, half mild and half spicy, with the sliced meat platter and mushrooms, added as you go.
TipBookings by WhatsApp or online; the Prato original runs late, the Florence room closes at 23:00. Good for groups, since the pot is shared and the pace is slow.
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