Food destinations within easy reach of Florence, worth the early start.
Food destinations within easy reach of Florence. worth the train, the rental car or the early start.
Famous for: Chianti Classico cellars and Tuscan lunch in the piazza
Greve in Chianti, 35km south of Florence, is the historic capital of the Chianti Classico wine region, with the triangular Piazza Matteotti, the Castello di Verrazzano just north and 15 cellars open for tasting within 10km.
Famous for: White-truffle hunting and tasting October to December
San Miniato, 50km west of Florence, holds the annual Mostra Mercato del Tartufo Bianco every November weekend, with the rare San Miniato white truffle harvested from the surrounding Tuscan hills.
Famous for: Buccellato cake, tordelli lucchesi pasta, the Saturday market
Lucca, 80km west of Florence inside its 16th-century walls, runs a parallel Tuscan kitchen with the buccellato sweet bread, tordelli lucchesi (pork-and-Swiss-chard ravioli) and the Saturday morning market on Piazza Antelminelli.
Famous for: Pici cacio e pepe, panforte, ricciarelli, Palio season summer
Siena, 75km south of Florence, runs the canonical pici cacio e pepe in every trattoria off Piazza del Campo, with the panforte and ricciarelli pastry tradition that the Nannini bar pours alongside espresso.
Famous for: Brunello di Montalcino tasting cellars
Montalcino, 110km south of Florence, holds the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG appellation, with 250 producers including Biondi-Santi, Argiano, Casanova di Neri and the annual Brunello Anteprima tasting every February.
Famous for: Tagliatelle al ragu, tortellini in brodo, mortadella
Bologna, 100km north of Florence and 37 minutes by Frecciarossa train, is the canonical Emilia-Romagna kitchen, with tagliatelle al ragu (never spaghetti bolognese), tortellini in brodo and the Mercato delle Erbe.
Famous for: Cecina chickpea pancake, pasta alla renaiola, seafood
Pisa, 80km west of Florence, runs a separate Tuscan-seafood kitchen with the cecina chickpea pancake from the wood ovens of Lungarno Pacinotti, pasta alla renaiola and the Arno-mouth seafood trattorias.
Peak food season in Florence is year-round.
Local dining hours: lunch around 12:30, dinner from 19:30.
service is typically included; small extra is welcome but not expected.
Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Florence rewards trust.