The papal-era core around the Duomo and Piazza della Signoria, where Caffe Gilli, Rivoire and All'Antico Vinaio anchor the daily food map.
Marco Stabile's Ora d'Aria in Florence's Centro Storico holds a Michelin star for a modern Tuscan kitchen that reads pappa al pomodoro and bistecca through technique-driven plating since 2008.
Signature: Risotto al pomodoro, Pigeon, Tasting menu
Order: The signature pappa al pomodoro risotto and the seasonal pigeon course.
Tip: Lunch tasting €60 vs €120 dinner. Ask for the chef's-counter seats when you book.
Locale Firenze in Florence's Centro Storico sits inside the 13th-century Palazzo delle Seggiole, the Concettini family's Michelin-starred kitchen with a bar and tasting room since 2018.
Signature: Tortelli di rabarbaro, Pigeon, Tasting menu
Order: The tortelli di rabarbaro signature pasta and the pigeon course from the tasting carte.
Tip: The cocktail room downstairs is the cheaper entry point; pre-dinner aperitivo from 18:30.
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 grill in full view of the dining room.
Signature: Bistecca alla fiorentina, Tartare di Chianina, Tagliata
Order: The 1kg bistecca alla fiorentina for two and the Chianina tartare to start.
Tip: Book a window seat over Via Ricasoli a fortnight ahead. Closed Tuesday; lunch is the calmer service.
Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura in Florence's Piazza della Signoria is Karime Lopez's Michelin-starred kitchen above the Gucci Garden, with Bottura's Emilia Burger and modern-Italian tasting carte.
Signature: Emilia Burger, Tortellini al Parmigiano, Tasting menu
Order: The Emilia Burger (mortadella-and-zampone), the tortellini al Parmigiano and the seasonal tasting menu.
Tip: Book six weeks ahead. The €150 lunch tasting is the entry; the €220 dinner the full set.
Santa Elisabetta in Florence's Hotel Brunelleschi holds two Michelin stars under Rocco De Santis, a 24-seat dining room inside a 6th-century Byzantine tower above the centro storico rooftops.
Signature: Pigeon and Yuzu, Mediterranean Risotto, Tasting menu
Order: The pigeon and yuzu signature and the Mediterranean risotto from the tasting carte.
Tip: Book six weeks ahead. The 10-course tasting is €260; €170 for the shorter 7-course set.
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 on Chianti Classico and Brunello producers.
Signature: Pici cacio e pepe, Tagliere di salumi, Carpaccio di manzo
Order: Pici cacio e pepe, the salumi platter and a glass of Chianti Classico from the by-the-glass list.
Tip: Open daily; book a fortnight ahead for the back vaulted room. The Brunello flight is worth the €25 add.
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 on Chianti Classico producers.
Signature: Pici cacio e pepe, Tagliere di salumi, Carpaccio di manzo
Order: Pici cacio e pepe, the salumi tagliere and a Chianti Classico flight from the by-the-glass list.
Tip: Open daily; book a fortnight ahead for the back vaulted room. The Brunello flight adds €25.
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 offal-cuisine carte every day.
Signature: Tagliata di Chianina, Pappardelle al cinghiale, Ribollita
Order: Tagliata di Chianina, pappardelle al cinghiale, the ribollita in winter.
Tip: Open daily 12:00 to 23:00. The wood-grill room books out a week ahead for weekend dinner.
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 grill in full view of the dining room.
Signature: Bistecca alla fiorentina, Tartare di Chianina, Tagliata
Order: The 1kg bistecca alla fiorentina for two and the Chianina tartare to start.
Tip: Book a window seat over Via Ricasoli a fortnight ahead. Closed Tuesday.
Caffe Gilli in Florence's Piazza della Repubblica is the city's oldest cafe, opened in 1733, with the same marble counter and the original Belle Epoque painted ceiling intact.
Signature drink: Espresso at the marble counter
Order: Espresso at the counter (€1.50) and a cantuccino dipped in Vin Santo.
Tip: Counter pricing is half of table service. Open daily 07:30 to midnight; the terrace seats 60.
Rivoire in Florence has poured the city's benchmark hot chocolate at the Piazza della Signoria corner since 1872, with a chocolate-making lab in the back and the original wooden counter intact.
Signature drink: Hot chocolate
Order: The dense hot chocolate (€7), the cioccolato fondente in winter, and any sfoglia pastry from the case.
Tip: Counter pricing is half of table; the piazza terrace is worth the €15 minimum for the Palazzo Vecchio view.
Caffe Paszkowski in Florence's Piazza della Repubblica is the 1846 Polish-founded cafe that became the haunt of the early-20th-century literary set, with a piazza-side terrace and live piano nightly.
Signature drink: Espresso and panna cotta
Order: Espresso at the bar, panna cotta in the dining room, an aperitivo Negroni on the terrace.
Tip: Open daily 07:00 to midnight. The terrace seats 80; live piano from 19:30 nightly.
Caffe Le Giubbe Rosse in Florence's Piazza della Repubblica is the 1897 cafe that hosted Marinetti and the Futurists in the 1910s, with a daily literary salon program intact since reopening in 2024.
Signature drink: Espresso at the literary terrace
Order: Espresso at the marble counter, panforte di Siena, an aperitivo Americano.
Tip: Open daily 08:00 to midnight. Look for the Futurist plaques in the back salon.
Scudieri in Florence sits directly across from the Duomo's Baptistery, a 1939 cafe-pasticceria with a terrace looking onto the cathedral and a daily-rotating pastry case in the back.
Signature drink: Espresso facing the Duomo
Order: Espresso, schiacciata alla fiorentina with chocolate cream, the cantuccini.
Tip: Open daily 07:30 to midnight. Terrace pricing reflects the Duomo view; counter is half.
Cantinetta da Verrazzano in Florence's Via dei Tavolini is the bakery-and-wine-bar of the Castello da Verrazzano estate, with a wood-fired oven baking schiacciata and focaccia, served with estate Chianti.
Signature drink: Bakery espresso and Verrazzano Chianti
Order: Schiacciata stuffed with prosciutto, the daily focaccia and a Verrazzano Chianti Classico.
Tip: Closed Sunday. Wine-by-the-glass list goes deep into Tuscan estates; ask for the Sassello.
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
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
Caffe Gilli in Florence's Piazza della Repubblica is the city's oldest cafe (1733), with a house blend roasted under the Gilli label and a retail bean counter for the original 1733 Florentine espresso.
Order: Espresso at the counter, cappuccino, a retail bag of the Gilli house blend.
Tip: Counter price is €1.50 vs €5 at the terrace. Beans ship internationally.
Sources from: Italy blends, Brazil
How they serve: Espresso, Cappuccino, Whole bean retail
Rivoire in Florence's Piazza della Signoria has run its own espresso blend since 1872, with a roasting tradition for the house signature, hot chocolate and a retail counter alongside the cafe service.
Order: Espresso at the bar, the house blend retail bag, a Rivoire chocolate praline.
Tip: Counter price is half of table. The Rivoire blend ships internationally.
Sources from: Italy blends, Brazil
How they serve: Espresso, Cappuccino, Whole bean retail
Signorvino Firenze in Florence's Oltrarno bridgehead is the Arno-side flagship of the national wine-and-pasta chain, with 1500 Italian labels, 100 by the glass and a 100-seat terrace over the Arno.
Signature pour: Italian regional flight
Wine focus: Italian wine across all 20 regions
Food: Pasta, salumi platters
Order: An Italian regional flight by the glass, the daily pasta, a tagliere of salumi.
Tip: Open daily 11:30 to 23:30. The Arno-side terrace fills fastest at sunset; book a fortnight ahead.
Coquinarius in Florence behind the Duomo has run as a wine bar and trattoria hybrid since 1999, with 200 Tuscan and Italian labels, 35 by the glass and a long Florentine carte for full-meal pairings.
Signature pour: Chianti Classico Gran Selezione flight
Wine focus: Chianti Classico and Tuscan growers
Food: Pici, tagliere, carpacci
Order: Chianti Classico flight (€18), pici cacio e pepe, the salumi tagliere.
Tip: Open daily; the back vaulted room is the booking spot. Brunello flight adds €25.
Cantinetta da Verrazzano in Florence's Via dei Tavolini is the wine-and-forno bar of the Castello da Verrazzano estate in Chianti, with wood-fired schiacciata served alongside the estate Chianti by the glass.
Signature pour: Castello da Verrazzano Chianti Classico Riserva
Wine focus: Castello da Verrazzano estate Chianti
Food: Schiacciata, salumi, pasta
Order: Schiacciata calda con prosciutto, a glass of Verrazzano Chianti Classico, the daily focaccia.
Tip: Closed Sunday. Standing-room counter; the wine-by-the-glass list goes deep into Tuscan estates.
Locale Firenze in Florence's Centro Storico runs the cocktail bar inside the 13th-century Palazzo delle Seggiole, with the Smoked Negroni, a daily-changing carte and small plates from the Michelin-starred kitchen.
Signature drink: Negroni Smoked
Food: Small plates from the Michelin kitchen
Order: Negroni Smoked, Aperol Sour, a small plate from the Michelin kitchen menu.
Tip: Open daily 18:00 to 02:00. Book the front-courtyard table for the Renaissance loggia view.
Manifattura in Florence's San Pancrazio square is the all-Italian-spirits cocktail bar, every bottle from an Italian producer, every drink a riff on a classic with a Tuscan or Italian botanical twist.
Signature drink: Italian-spirits-only Negroni
Food: Snacks
Order: The all-Italian Negroni, the Spritz with Cocchi Americano, an Italian-amaro nightcap.
Tip: Open 18:00 to 02:00 daily. The 30-seat counter is the seat to book a fortnight ahead.
Rivoire in Florence's Piazza della Signoria has poured aperitivi at the cafe-bar since 1872, with a Negroni programme using the house chocolate as the bitter, and a piazza terrace overlooking Palazzo Vecchio.
Signature drink: Negroni with Rivoire chocolate
Food: Chocolate, salumi, aperitivo plate
Order: Negroni with Rivoire chocolate, Americano, the daily aperitivo plate at 18:30.
Tip: The piazza terrace is worth the €15 minimum. Counter price is half.
Caffe Gilli in Florence's Piazza della Repubblica pours aperitivi at the marble counter since 1733, with a strong Negroni programme (the Negroni was invented up the road in 1919) and a daily aperitivo plate at 18:30.
Signature drink: Negroni at the marble counter
Food: Salumi flight, aperitivo plate
Order: Negroni at the counter (€8), Americano, an aperitivo plate of crostini and salumi.
Tip: Counter pricing is half of table. Open daily until midnight.
All'Antico Vinaio in Florence's Via dei Neri has run the schiacciata-counter format since 1991, with the Mazzanti family stuffing the 30cm flatbread to order, the queue wrapping the block from 12:00 daily.
Try: Schiacciata sandwich
Order: La Favolosa schiacciata (porchetta, pecorino, artichoke cream) for €8.
Tip: Four shops on Via dei Neri now (1r, 38r, 65r, 76r). The Via dei Neri 65r counter is the original.
I Due Fratellini in Florence's Via dei Cimatori has run the mini-panino counter since 1875, a hole-in-the-wall format with 28 panini varieties for €4 each and the original wine-glass-on-the-shelf service.
Try: Mini panini
Order: Wild boar salami panino, the soppressata-and-pecorino, a glass of house Chianti.
Tip: Cash only; standing room on the kerb. Closed Sunday. The shelves outside hold your wine glass.
Trippaio del Porcellino in Florence is the lampredotto cart at the Mercato Nuovo loggia, next to the Porcellino bronze boar, with the lampredotto and trippa panini served from a steel cart since the 1980s.
Try: Lampredotto cart
Order: Panino al lampredotto with salsa verde, trippa-and-fagioli plate for €7.
Tip: Cash only; the cart moves around the loggia. Standing only; lunch is the busiest hour.
Cantinetta da Verrazzano in Florence's Via dei Tavolini runs a stand-up schiacciata counter alongside the wine bar, with wood-fired bread stuffed-to-order and the Castello da Verrazzano Chianti by the glass.
Try: Wood-fired schiacciata sandwich
Order: Schiacciata calda con prosciutto e stracchino, focaccia, a glass of Verrazzano Chianti.
Tip: Closed Sunday. The schiacciata-to-order counter is on the right of the entrance; €7 each.
Birra del Borgo in Florence is the Florence outpost of the Reanense Lazio brewery, with 16 taps of Italian-craft beers, the house Re Ale and ducale and a small-plates carte built around Italian salumi.
Order: Re Ale APA, the duchessic dunkel, an Italian-salumi platter.
Tip: Open daily 18:00 to 01:00. The Reanense flagship has eight more rotating taps than here.
Baladin Firenze in Florence is the Florence outpost of Teo Musso's Piedmont brewery, with 22 taps of Baladin beers including the Nora, the Isaac and the Wayan, plus a hamburger-and-pizza carte.
Order: Baladin Nora, Isaac white, the house burger with Baladin BBQ sauce.
Tip: Open daily 18:30 to 01:00. The Cimatori square location is the smaller of two Florence Baladin rooms.
BrewDog Firenze in Florence's Piazza della Repubblica is the Italian outpost of the Scottish craft chain, with 24 taps including Punk IPA and Hazy Jane, plus rotating Italian-craft collaborations.
Order: Punk IPA, Hazy Jane, the rotating Italian-collaboration tap.
Tip: Open daily 16:00 to 01:00. The terrace fronts the piazza; busy from 19:00 for aperitivo.
Mercato del Porcellino in Florence's Centro Storico is the 1547 Mercato Nuovo loggia, now mostly leather and souvenir stalls, with the lampredotto cart that holds the street-food line for the centre.
Order: Lampredotto panino from the cart, a glass of Chianti at the wine stand.
Tip: Open daily; the lampredotto cart runs from 09:00 and packs up by 19:00.
Florence Gelato Festival is the annual gelato-makers competition at Piazzale Michelangelo, every May since 2010, with 20 gelaterie tasting heats and the Italian Champion final by public vote.
Festa della Rificolona in Florence is the annual lantern festival on the eve of September 8 since the 1600s, with a Piazza Santissima Annunziata procession, street-food carts and Tuscan vendors all night.
Festa di San Giovanni in Florence is the city's patron-saint day on June 24, with the historic Calcio Storico final in Piazza Santa Croce, street food across the centre and fireworks over the Arno.
Cooking Classes in Florence near Mercato Centrale runs three-hour Tuscan classes daily, with pasta-making, tiramisu and a market-walk-and-cook combo that starts at the San Lorenzo stalls.
All'Antico Vinaio in Florence's Via dei Neri is the schiacciata-counter chain with four shops on the same street, with the 30cm stuffed flatbread for €8 across the carte, the queue running daily from 12:00.
Try: Schiacciata sandwich
Order: La Favolosa schiacciata (porchetta, pecorino, artichoke cream).
Tip: Four shops on Via dei Neri; the 65r is the original. Eat on the steps of Santa Croce.
I Due Fratellini in Florence's Via dei Cimatori has run the mini-panino counter since 1875, a hole-in-the-wall format with 28 panini varieties at €4 each, and a glass of house Chianti for €4.
Try: Mini panini
Order: Wild-boar salami panino, the soppressata-and-pecorino, a glass of house Chianti.
Tip: Cash only; standing on the kerb. Closed Sunday. Shelves outside hold your wine glass.
Trippaio del Porcellino in Florence is the lampredotto cart at the Mercato Nuovo loggia next to the Porcellino bronze boar, with panini for €5.50, trippa-and-fagioli plate for €7 and a glass of red for €3.
Try: Lampredotto cart panino
Order: Lampredotto panino bagnato, trippa-and-fagioli plate, a glass of house red.
Tip: Open daily 09:00 to 19:00. Cash only; standing room around the cart.
Caffe Gilli in Florence's Piazza della Repubblica is the city's oldest breakfast room since 1733, with the morning brioche-and-cappuccino set, the daily pastry case and a weekend brunch carte added in 2020.
Order: Brioche con crema, espresso, cantuccino with cappuccino.
Tip: Counter price is half of table service. Open daily until midnight; brunch carte 10:00 to 12:00.
Scudieri in Florence directly faces the Duomo's Baptistery, with a daily breakfast carte from 07:30, a pastry case rotating six items and a terrace looking onto the cathedral facade.
Order: Cornetto al pistacchio, cappuccino, schiacciata alla fiorentina in Carnevale.
Tip: Terrace pricing is double counter; counter espresso €1.50, cornetto €2.50. Open daily until midnight.
Locale Firenze in Florence's Centro Storico runs its cocktail bar until 02:00, with small plates from the Michelin kitchen, the Smoked Negroni and a Renaissance loggia courtyard for late-night drinking.
Try: Cocktails and small plates
Order: Smoked Negroni, small plate from the Michelin kitchen, a Spritz at the courtyard.
Tip: Open daily 18:00 to 02:00. The cocktail menu changes seasonally.
Manifattura in Florence's San Pancrazio square is the all-Italian-spirits cocktail bar open until 02:00 every night, with every bottle from an Italian producer and Tuscan-botanical riffs on the classics.
Try: All-Italian cocktails
Order: All-Italian Negroni, the late-night espresso martini, an Italian amaro nightcap.
Tip: Open 18:00 to 02:00 daily. The 30-seat counter books a fortnight ahead.