The eastern medieval quarter around Piazza Santa Croce, home to Cibreo, Vivoli, Acqua al 2 and a working market every morning at Sant'Ambrogio.
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.
Signature: Assaggio di primi, Bistecca al mirtillo, Filetto al pepe verde
Order: The assaggio di primi, bistecca al mirtillo, and any chocolate dessert from the sampler.
Tip: Open daily; book a fortnight ahead. The 19:30 and 22:00 seatings; lunch closed.
Gilda Bistrot in Florence's Sant'Ambrogio district runs the small-room modern-bistrot format opposite the market, with seasonal Tuscan plates.
Signature: Pici al ragu, Bistecca, Crostini di fegatini
Order: Pici al ragu, the crostini di fegatini and a glass of natural Chianti.
Tip: Closed 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.
Signature: Bistecca alla fiorentina, Tagliata di Chianina, Tartare
Order: The bistecca alla fiorentina from the dedicated ristorante room, or the pizza next door.
Tip: Three connected rooms with different menus; the ristorante books out 2 weeks ahead.
Ditta Artigianale in Florence's Via dei Neri is Francesco Sanapo's flagship roastery and cafe, with single-origin filter coffees, espresso and one.
Signature drink: Single-origin filter coffee
Order: A V60 filter from the rotating origins board, plus a brunch plate on weekends.
Tip: Open daily 08:00-22:00. The roasted-bean retail counter ships internationally.
Forno Pugi in Florence has been the wood-fired neighbourhood forno since 1925, with three shops across the city baking schiacciata, pizza al taglio.
Order: Schiacciata alla fiorentina (chocolate cream during Carnevale), the daily pizza al taglio.
Tip: Counter only; cash and card. The Viale De Amicis original is the largest; smaller shops on Via San Gallo and Piazza San Marco.
Worth the queue: Schiacciata alla fiorentina
Pasticceria Gualtieri in Florence's southern Oltrarno corner has run as a family pasticceria since 1937, with the bignoletti cream pastries.
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.
Worth the queue: Bignoletti panna
Ditta Artigianale in Florence's Via dei Neri runs a sourdough-and-pastry programme alongside the roastery, with a daily-baked focaccia, sourdough loaves.
Order: Sourdough toast and avocado, the daily focaccia, the brunch eggs benedict.
Tip: Open daily 08:00-22:00. The roasted-bean retail counter ships internationally.
Worth the queue: Sourdough toast and avocado
Ditta Artigianale in Florence is Francesco Sanapo's roastery and cafe, with single-origin filter coffees, Italy's first barista school and a roasting lab.
Order: A V60 filter from the rotating origins board, plus a brunch plate on weekends.
Tip: Three Florence rooms; Via dei Neri is the original. The Oltrarno corner runs cocktails later.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Colombia, Brazil, Kenya
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, V60, Whole bean retail
All'Antico Vinaio's second Florence shop, also on Via dei Neri, runs the same schiacciata-counter programme as the original since the 2010 expansion.
Try: Schiacciata sandwich
Order: La Favolosa, Toscano DOP schiacciata, mortadella-and-stracciatella set.
Tip: Queue runs the block from 12:00; the Via dei Neri 65r original is across the street.
Mama Florence in Florence's Sant'Ambrogio district is a small-group cooking-school format, with three-hour pasta-and-tiramisu classes, a market-walk-and-cook.
Forno Pugi in Florence has been the neighbourhood forno since 1925, with three shops baking pizza al taglio, schiacciata, focaccia and the Florentine.
Try: Schiacciata and pizza al taglio
Order: Pizza al taglio (the chocolate-cream schiacciata fiorentina in Carnevale), focaccia stuffed.
Tip: Counter only; cash and card. Viale De Amicis original is the largest; smaller shops on Via San Gallo.
Ditta Artigianale in Florence's Via dei Neri runs a weekend brunch programme alongside the roastery and cafe, with eggs benedict, avocado toast.
Order: Avocado toast, eggs benedict, a V60 filter coffee from the rotating origins.
Tip: Walk-in or book on the website. Specialty filter coffee from rotating origins; book seats by 11:30 on Sunday.
Acqua al 2 in Florence's Santa Croce district runs the kitchen until 00:30 every night, with the signature five-pasta assaggio di primi and the bistecca al.
Try: Assaggio di primi sampler
Order: Assaggio di primi, bistecca al mirtillo, a final chocolate dessert sampler.
Tip: Book a 22:00 seating a fortnight ahead. Open until 00:30 nightly; dinner only.
Jazz Club Firenze runs a small vaulted basement on Via Nuova de' Caccini and remains the city's longest-standing dedicated jazz room, with a six-night-a-week programme that books contemporary Italian players alongside touring acts and a late slot that runs to 04:00.
Tip: Ten euro membership at the door includes a drink; sets begin around 22:30. Notable Italian players including Stefano Bollani and Enrico Rava have passed through, so check the calendar before booking.
Empireo has run on the rooftop of the Plaza Hotel Lucchesi since 2014, with a pool deck, an American bar and a wraparound terrace that takes in the Duomo, Santa Croce and the Arno bend, paired with the Segno kitchen for an early-evening dinner service through the warm months.
Tip: Non-guests need a reservation after 19:30; the pool is hotel-guest only. The view across to Santa Croce works best at sunset with a Negroni in hand.
Crisco Club has run on Via Sant'Egidio behind Piazza Santissima Annunziata for more than two decades as Florence's main gay cruise and fetish room, with themed nights including Naked-Jockstrap, a dark room, a late dance floor and a programme that runs Monday through Saturday.
Tip: Closed Sundays; weekend programming pushes past 04:00 and the room peaks after 01:00. Tessera at the door, leather and fetish dress codes for themed nights.
Piccolo Cafe has run a small pink-and-purple cocktail room a corner from the Basilica di Santa Croce since 1994, with a long-time queer regulars crowd, sidewalk seating spilling onto Borgo Santa Croce and a chatty after-work to late-night cadence.
Tip: Tuesday through Saturday only; closed Sunday and Monday. The sidewalk is the room past 22:00 when the weather holds.
Queer has run on Borgo Allegri a few steps from Piazza Santa Croce for around a decade as a stylish LGBTQ-friendly cocktail and pop room, programming themed weekends including karaoke and drag alongside an affordable cocktail list and a small kitchen for late plates.
Tip: Closed Mondays; the Friday and Saturday late slots run to 02:00 with pop and house. Drinks sit around 8 to 10 euros, cheaper than the central tourist strips.
The Lion's Fountain has run on Borgo degli Albizi near Piazza San Pier Maggiore since 1995 as one of the oldest Irish pubs in town, with a spacious outdoor sidewalk, seven HD screens inside for live sport, a Guinness-led tap list and a kitchen that runs burgers and pub food.
Tip: Friday and Saturday run to 02:30; the outdoor crowd holds the small square through the late hours. Big football and rugby fixtures pack the inside rooms.
Kitsch holds a corner of Viale Antonio Gramsci just inside the old viali ring with gold-and-velvet furnishings, soft lighting and a daily apericena that runs the cheapest serious aperitivo buffet inside the centre, paired with a long cocktail list and a programme that pulls a student-heavy crowd late.
Tip: Apericena runs 18:00-22:00 around 12 to 15 euros for buffet plus a cocktail. The room peaks past midnight on weekends; reservations help on graduation nights.