Florence Travel & Food Guide

Compact enough to cross on foot, Florence packs more art per square mile than almost anywhere on earth. The cradle of the Renaissance is also a serious food town, where the cooking stays proudly rustic — built on good bread, good oil, and the produce of the Tuscan countryside.

What the Food Is Known For

Tuscan cuisine is the opposite of fussy: simple, generous, and ingredient-driven, with bread and olive oil at its center. Dishes that define the city:

• Bistecca alla Fiorentina — a thick, char-grilled T-bone steak
• Ribollita — a hearty bread-and-vegetable soup
• Lampredotto — the local tripe sandwich sold from street carts
• Pappa al pomodoro — a thick tomato-and-bread stew

Where and When to Eat

• Oltrarno — the "other side" of the river, full of artisan workshops, wine bars, and trattorias loved by locals.
• Mercato Centrale — a grand covered market with stalls below and a buzzing food hall above.
• Santa Croce — historic streets dotted with classic family-run osterias.

Eat like a Florentine: a standing espresso and pastry for breakfast, a sandwich or market plate at lunch, and a long, late dinner with Tuscan wine. Stop into a wine bar for a glass and a board of cured meats in the late afternoon. Smaller trattorias often hand you a handwritten menu in Italian only, so photographing it to translate makes choosing between the daily dishes much easier.