The eastern medieval quarter around Piazza Santa Croce, home to Cibreo, Vivoli, Acqua al 2 and a working market every morning at Sant'Ambrogio.
Aroma Ristorante on Via Ghibellina is chef-owner Marco Romei's 30-seat fish restaurant: daily deliveries from the Tuscan coast, bread and pasta made in-house.
OrderThe day's fish from the coast; the menu changes with the catch, so ask what came in and take the house pasta.
TipClosed Monday and open until the last table leaves, so late dinners work. Book by phone; the current menu is posted on the restaurant's Facebook page.
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.
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.
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.
Ditta Artigianale in Florence's Via dei Neri is Francesco Sanapo's flagship roastery and cafe, with single-origin filter coffees, espresso and one.
OrderA V60 filter from the rotating origins board, plus a brunch plate on weekends.
DrinkSingle-origin filter coffee
TipOpen 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.
OrderSchiacciata alla fiorentina (chocolate cream during Carnevale), the daily pizza al taglio.
TipCounter only; cash and card. The Viale De Amicis original is the largest; smaller shops on Via San Gallo and Piazza San Marco.
Pasticceria Gualtieri in Florence's southern Oltrarno corner has run as a family pasticceria since 1937, with the bignoletti cream pastries.
OrderBignoletti panna (cream-filled choux), the schiacciata alla fiorentina in Carnevale, chocolate pralines.
TipClosed Monday. Standing-room counter; bignoletti sell out by 11:00 on weekends.
Ditta Artigianale in Florence's Via dei Neri runs a sourdough-and-pastry programme alongside the roastery, with a daily-baked focaccia, sourdough loaves.
OrderSourdough toast and avocado, the daily focaccia, the brunch eggs benedict.
TipOpen daily 08:00-22:00. The roasted-bean retail counter ships internationally.
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.
OrderA V60 filter from the rotating origins board, plus a brunch plate on weekends.
BeansEthiopia, Colombia, Brazil, Kenya
BrewsEspresso, Filter, V60, Whole bean retail
TipThree Florence rooms; Via dei Neri is the original. The Oltrarno corner runs cocktails later.
BaccoMatto on Via dei Neri is an enoteca, bistrot and cocktail bar in one: wine tastings by booking, a Tuscan bistrot menu and a bar open 11:00 to 23:00.
OrderA guided wine tasting, then the bistecca or the roast octopus with a glass from the list.
PourHouse Tuscan red by the glass
WineTuscan and Italian bottles by the glass, guided tastings by booking
FoodBistrot menu: boards, handmade pasta, bistecca, roast octopus
TipTwo minutes from Piazza della Signoria on the sandwich street; tastings book through OpenTable, tables through TheFork. No outdoor seating.
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.
OrderLa Favolosa, Toscano DOP schiacciata, mortadella-and-stracciatella set.
TipQueue runs the block from 12:00; the Via dei Neri 65r original is across the street.
Florence's Christmas market fills Piazza Santa Croce with more than 50 wooden chalets from mid November, selling mulled wine, brezel, wurstel, strudel and Hungarian kurtoskalacs.
TipGo on a weekday evening. Stalls run 10:00 to 23:00 and the square is packed on December weekends.
Four days of artisan chocolate in Piazza Santa Croce, with chocolatiers selling cremini, truffles, croccante and rum cuneesi, plus showcooking, guided tastings and life-size chocolate sculptures. Free entry.
TipOpen 9:00 to 20:00. Come before 11:00 on the Saturday; the sculpture work draws the crowd after lunch.
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.
OrderPizza al taglio (the chocolate-cream schiacciata fiorentina in Carnevale), focaccia stuffed.
TipCounter 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.
OrderAvocado toast, eggs benedict, a V60 filter coffee from the rotating origins.
TipWalk-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.
OrderAssaggio di primi, bistecca al mirtillo, a final chocolate dessert sampler.
TipBook 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.
TipTen 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.
TipNon-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.
TipClosed 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.
TipTuesday 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.
TipClosed 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.
TipFriday 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.
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