The artisan western Oltrarno strip with cocktail-bar grammar at Mad Souls & Spirits, the natural-wine room at Il Santino, and Santarosa Bistrot's garden.
Simone Cipriani's Essenziale in Florence's San Frediano runs the open-kitchen tasting concept inside a former leather warehouse, with a lampredotto course that reframes the street classic.
Signature: Tasting menu, Lampredotto reinterpreted, Game
Order: The five-course tasting and the lampredotto reinterpreted dish if it is on the carte.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; tasting menus only at dinner. Book three weeks ahead.
io Osteria Personale in Florence's San Frediano is Nicolo Baretti's modern-Tuscan tasting room, with the choose-your-own four-or-five course format and a 200-strong natural-wine cellar since 2010.
Signature: Tortelli ricotta e funghi, Pigeon, Tasting menu
Order: The choose-your-own four-course tasting and any tortelli or pigeon course on the carte.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; dinner only. Build the tasting around the maitre's wine suggestions.
Santarosa Bistrot in Florence's San Frediano sits inside the Arno-side park on Lungarno di Santa Rosa, an all-day cafe with a garden terrace, breakfast, lunch and aperitivo until 23:30.
Signature drink: Cappuccino in the garden
Order: Cappuccino in the garden, the daily focaccia plate, an aperitivo spritz at sunset.
Tip: Open daily 08:00 to 23:30. The park-side garden seats 80; closed when it rains.
Santarosa Bistrot in Florence's San Frediano runs an Arno-side bakery inside the park on Lungarno di Santa Rosa, with a daily-baked focaccia, brunch plates and the slow-rise sourdough loaves.
Order: The daily-pressed focaccia, the slow-rise sourdough loaf, a cappuccino in the park.
Tip: Open daily 08:00 to 23:30. Bakery slows from 14:00 onwards; arrive before 11:00.
Worth the queue: Daily focaccia by the slice
Santarosa Bistrot in Florence's San Frediano sits inside the Arno-side park on Lungarno di Santa Rosa, with a garden cocktail bar, aperitivo plates and DJ programming on summer Friday evenings.
Signature drink: Spritz and aperitivo plate
Food: Aperitivo plates, focaccia
Order: Aperol or Hugo Spritz, the daily aperitivo plate, a Negroni in the park.
Tip: Open daily 08:00 to 23:30. The park-side garden seats 80; closed when it rains.
Santarosa Bistrot in Florence's San Frediano runs a garden brunch programme inside the Arno-side park, with a focaccia carte, eggs benedict and a Sunday aperitivo set from 10:00 to 15:00.
Order: Daily focaccia with eggs, cappuccino in the park, an aperitivo spritz to finish.
Tip: Walk-in only on weekdays; weekend brunch books out by 11:30. The garden seats 80 in summer.
Santarosa Bistrot in Florence's San Frediano runs a daily bakery-led breakfast in the Arno-side park, with a focaccia carte and sourdough breakfast plates from 08:00 to 12:00 every day.
Order: Daily focaccia with stracciatella, cappuccino in the park.
Tip: Open daily 08:00 to 23:30. The bakery slows from 13:00 onwards.