I had this post on my mind for quite some time now. The idea of this list came when a reader asked what and where to eat when in Florence. Here the list (& the map) of all the food you have to try when you’re in Florence!
From Florence with love
1.Panino al Lampredotto – this is the utmost typical Florentine streetfood: it’s a rosetta bun with lampredotto, i.e. the forth and final stomach of the cow. The best place is at Il Trippaio di San Frediano, i.e. the kiosk of Simone in Piazza de’ Nerli in San Frediano borough;
2. Bruschetta coi fegatini – bruschetta is made with roasted bread with the Tuscan chicken-liver sauce. The best place to taste fegatini is at Il Santino in Via di Santo Spirito 60r;
3. Trippa alla fiorentina – trippa, together with lampredotto, is the typical street food in Florence. Trippa can be served in a sandwich or in a plate. The best place to eat as main course is at Il Magazzino in Piazza della Passera;
4. Bistecca alla fiorentina – famous all over the world, this T-bone steak is the filetto cut of Tuscan breed of cattle Chianina. It’s served almost raw and weighs at least 700 gr. One of the best place is Ristorante Il Fagioli in Corso dei Tintori 47r;
5. Finocchiona – it’s a salami variety characterized by the use of fennel. It’s the perfect match for a glass of wine at I Due Fratellini in Via de’ Cimatori 38r;
6. Ribollita – this winter soup is made with bread and vegetables: main ingredients are left-over bread, cannellini beans and Lacinato kale boiled for hours and hours – the name mean re-boiled. Best place is Il Latini in Via dei Palchetti 6r;
7. Pappa al pomodoro – it’s kinda of a soup made with left-over bread and tomato, nothing more than these simple ingredients. The best place is the historic Trattoria I’ Raddi in via dell’Ardiglione 47;
8. Peposo all’Imprunetina – the recipe of this beef stew, cooked with black pepper and wine, dates back to Renaissance when Brunelleschi was building the Cupola. The best place is Trattoria I 4 Leoni in Piazza della Passera;
9. Coccoli – typical starter almost anywhere in Tuscany, coccolo is fried pizza/bread dough served with stracchino cheese and ham. The best place is at I’ Giuggiolo in viale Augusto Righi 3.
From breakfast to merenda
10. Schiacciata all’olio – this salty bread is different from other Italian focacce you find around Italy, because is made with the bread’s dough and Tuscan extra virgin olive oil, that makes it crunchy. The best place is Pugi in Piazza San Marco – I strongly recommend you try also the schiacciata farcita with porcini mushroom;
11. Schiacciata farcita – the schiacciata all’olio is the best light lunch and merenda in Florence. For lunch we generally fill the schiacciata with everything, from meet to salami, from vegetables to cheese and the best schiacciatina farcita is at Focaccine Bondi in Via dell’Ariento 85r;
12. Papataccio – this sweet pastry is a round brioche with cream and raisin. The best place is at Forno Sartoni in via de’ Cerchi 34r;
13. Parigina – another sweet pastry that my mom used to buy for my merenda on Saturday afternoons; it’s made of pan brioche covered with cream and the best place is certainly the same of above, i.e. Forno Sartoni in via de’ Cerchi 34r;
14. Budino di riso – it’s a rice pudding tartlet perfect for breakfast. The best place is at historical Caffè Gilli in via Roma at the corner of Piazza della Repubblica;
15. Biscotti di Prato – the name indicates that these biscuits with almond are typical from Prato and not from Florence, but they are definitively part of our food culture together with a glass of Vinsanto. The best place is the Pasticceria Buonamici in via dell’Orto 12.
Seasons’ bites & specials
16. Pan di ramerino – typical pastry with raisin and rosemary baked for the catholic celebrations of Maundy Thursday on Easter time; it’s a medieval recipe and nowadays you find it almost all yearround. The best place to eat pan di ramerino is at Forno Canapa in via dell’Ariento 21r, just at the back of San Lorenzo Market;
17. Frittelle di riso – these rice fritters are Carnival treats, that you find at local bakeries until Italian Father’s Day on March 19th. The best place is Cantinetta dei Verrazzano in via dei Tavolini 18/20r;
18. Schiacciata alla fiorentina – another typical cake of Carnival that in the past used to be made using bread’s dough. The best Pasticceria to eat schiacciata alla fiorentina is at Pasticceria Anita in via del Podestà 34r;
19. Schiacciata con l’uva – typical cake to celebrate the grape harvest made of bread’s dough and black grape. The best place is Panificio Chicco di grano inside the covered market of Sant’Ambrogio;
20. Panzanella – summer recipe kinda of bread salad, made with left-over Tuscan bread, tomatoes and onions. The best place during summer is at Mercato Centrale, first-floor of the covered market in San Lorenzo.
Gelato, amore mio
21. Crema – for me the best cream flavor of Florence is at historic Gelateria Vivoli in via Isole delle Stinche 7r;
22. Fruits’ flavors – for seasonal and fruits’ flavors my favorite is Gelateria della Passera in Piazza della Passera;
23. Zuccotto – semi-frozen chilled dessert invented by late-Renaissance architect Bernardo Buontalenti. The best place is Bottega di pasticceria in Lungarno Ferruci 9c;
24. Crema Buontalenti – legend has it that Bernardo Buontalenti invented the gelato, in particular a frozen cream made with eggs. The best place is Gelateria Badiani in viale dei Mille 20.
I like every single place and just mentioned one thing per place, but I could recommend most of these restaurants, bakeries, gelateria for almost anything. Do you have additions?
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