Guidebook for Firenze
Food Scene
The best fish in Florence ! The atmosphere of this restaurant is quiet and elegant. The menu offers both cooked and raw fish. All the flavours are amalgamated in a sublime way, the wine list is exactly what you would expect in a place like this one. You can go for a special occasion or a romantic dinner. quite expensive but worth it.
41 personas locales recomiendan
Fuor D'Acqua
37r Via PisanaThe best fish in Florence ! The atmosphere of this restaurant is quiet and elegant. The menu offers both cooked and raw fish. All the flavours are amalgamated in a sublime way, the wine list is exactly what you would expect in a place like this one. You can go for a special occasion or a romantic dinner. quite expensive but worth it.
"Inspire the artist inside you by the Art surrounding you"
is one of Florence's most loved restaurants and is extremely popular with locals as well as tourists.
Booking is recommended and is a must on weekends.
36 personas locales recomiendan
Trattoria Gargani
48-red Via del Moro
"Inspire the artist inside you by the Art surrounding you"
is one of Florence's most loved restaurants and is extremely popular with locals as well as tourists.
Booking is recommended and is a must on weekends.
Santo Bevitore is a special trattoria.
In fact, I hesitate to call it a trattoria at all because it is quite different to most Florence trattoria.
While it does have a rustic ambiance, it is more elegant and formal.
The restaurant is lit with very subdued lighting and there are candles everywhere (even in the bathroom!)
l Santo Bevitore is a special trattoria.
In fact, I hesitate to call it a trattoria at all because it is quite different to most Florence trattoria.
While it does have a rustic ambiance, it is more elegant and formal.
The restaurant is lit with very subdued lighting and there are candles everywhere (even in the bathroom!)
Booking is recommended and is a must on weekends.
293 personas locales recomiendan
Il Santo Bevitore
64r Via Santo Spirito Santo Bevitore is a special trattoria.
In fact, I hesitate to call it a trattoria at all because it is quite different to most Florence trattoria.
While it does have a rustic ambiance, it is more elegant and formal.
The restaurant is lit with very subdued lighting and there are candles everywhere (even in the bathroom!)
l Santo Bevitore is a special trattoria.
In fact, I hesitate to call it a trattoria at all because it is quite different to most Florence trattoria.
While it does have a rustic ambiance, it is more elegant and formal.
The restaurant is lit with very subdued lighting and there are candles everywhere (even in the bathroom!)
Booking is recommended and is a must on weekends.
Dine here and and you'll instantly understand why a queue gathers outside before it opens.
No reservations, no credit card , no coffee and arrive early to snag a table.
203 personas locales recomiendan
Cibrèo Trattoria
122r Via dei Macci Dine here and and you'll instantly understand why a queue gathers outside before it opens.
No reservations, no credit card , no coffee and arrive early to snag a table.
This is one of the few fish restaurants in Florence located along the romantic and elegant Lungarno.
On the ground floor of a historic Florentine palazzo, Bistro del Mare is the type of place for a special evening.
The decor, atmosphere and service are all refined and chic: waiters are very spiffily dressed and many dishes are professionally prepared for you right at your tableside.
The menu is only fish, which is prepared in light modern recipes with an original touch
Of course, you'll also find the traditional seafood spaghetti and other classics, but Bistro does not have an extensive menu, the choice is quite small in fact.
11 personas locales recomiendan
Bistrò del Mare
4-red Lungarno CorsiniThis is one of the few fish restaurants in Florence located along the romantic and elegant Lungarno.
On the ground floor of a historic Florentine palazzo, Bistro del Mare is the type of place for a special evening.
The decor, atmosphere and service are all refined and chic: waiters are very spiffily dressed and many dishes are professionally prepared for you right at your tableside.
The menu is only fish, which is prepared in light modern recipes with an original touch
Of course, you'll also find the traditional seafood spaghetti and other classics, but Bistro does not have an extensive menu, the choice is quite small in fact.
In Piazza della Passera, a corner of the old Florence, just off the main tourist tracks that lead from the Ponte Vecchio to the Pitti Palace, an area full of craftsmen workshops and most loved by artists and intellectuals.
Older Florentines in particular mention this place with a satisfied smile and indeed 4 Leoni is a reliable choice for meats , seafood and fish dishes, not to mention Florence's famed Bistecca alla Fiorentina cooked up here since 1550. A welcoming place to shelter on a cold autumn day or in the summer time you can sit and eat outside, only adds to the charm. Reservation essential !
169 personas locales recomiendan
4 Leoni
1r Via dei VellutiniIn Piazza della Passera, a corner of the old Florence, just off the main tourist tracks that lead from the Ponte Vecchio to the Pitti Palace, an area full of craftsmen workshops and most loved by artists and intellectuals.
Older Florentines in particular mention this place with a satisfied smile and indeed 4 Leoni is a reliable choice for meats , seafood and fish dishes, not to mention Florence's famed Bistecca alla Fiorentina cooked up here since 1550. A welcoming place to shelter on a cold autumn day or in the summer time you can sit and eat outside, only adds to the charm. Reservation essential !
This sandwich shop is an institution in Florence - it goes back to 1875!
I couldn't begin to imagine the number of sandwiches that are made every day in this tiny stand the inside of which can only hold the 2 people who work behind the counter.
Unlike so many sandwich shops in Florence that sell pre-prepared sandwiches, here they make your panino to order on-the-spot with bread baked daily.
You can choose from a selection of over 30 types of filling (Tuscan cold-cuts, Florentine roasted meats, vegetarian choices, etc.) for €2.50 per sandwich (€3 for sandwiches with 'tartufo', truffles).
It's handy to know about this food stand because it's so centrally located, right off via dei Calzaiuoli.
You can easily just pick up sandwiches in the morning to eat later at lunch time in a piazza or a park.
This is also a good idea if you want to save time, since the closer you get to lunch time, the longer the lines are at this sandwich shop.
119 personas locales recomiendan
I Fratellini
38 Via dei CimatoriThis sandwich shop is an institution in Florence - it goes back to 1875!
I couldn't begin to imagine the number of sandwiches that are made every day in this tiny stand the inside of which can only hold the 2 people who work behind the counter.
Unlike so many sandwich shops in Florence that sell pre-prepared sandwiches, here they make your panino to order on-the-spot with bread baked daily.
You can choose from a selection of over 30 types of filling (Tuscan cold-cuts, Florentine roasted meats, vegetarian choices, etc.) for €2.50 per sandwich (€3 for sandwiches with 'tartufo', truffles).
It's handy to know about this food stand because it's so centrally located, right off via dei Calzaiuoli.
You can easily just pick up sandwiches in the morning to eat later at lunch time in a piazza or a park.
This is also a good idea if you want to save time, since the closer you get to lunch time, the longer the lines are at this sandwich shop.
If you need to eat no gluten Il Desco is a dream.
Gluten free bread and crackers, pasta, side dishes AND cakes and cookies!
As a nice touch, they start you off with a glass of sparkling wine on the house and a lovely bread basket (the g.f. bread is made in loco).
The menu has a very large selection focusing on Florentine specialities but also offers large salads, vegetarian dishes and a children's menu .
Il Desco prides itself on being one of the most popular gluten free restaurants in Florence and special attention is paid that there is no cross-contamination in the kitchen.
20 personas locales recomiendan
Ristorante Hostaria Il Desco
23 Via delle TermeIf you need to eat no gluten Il Desco is a dream.
Gluten free bread and crackers, pasta, side dishes AND cakes and cookies!
As a nice touch, they start you off with a glass of sparkling wine on the house and a lovely bread basket (the g.f. bread is made in loco).
The menu has a very large selection focusing on Florentine specialities but also offers large salads, vegetarian dishes and a children's menu .
Il Desco prides itself on being one of the most popular gluten free restaurants in Florence and special attention is paid that there is no cross-contamination in the kitchen.
Here you can get a very good gluten free pizza
It's in a historic building with 17th century frescoed walls, elaborate light fixtures and fancy table settings.
But the atmosphere is very friendly, welcoming and warm - as the name implies, Ciro's is a family-run restaurant and you can really tell.
Here you can get a very good gluten free pizza which you must book in advance (yes, you have to reserve a pizza!) so call or have your hotel call for you.
Ideally, call the day before. Otherwise, the same day but by 10:30 am for lunch and 4 pm for dinner.
Ciro's is also extremely convenient as it's just near the San Lorenzo market and the Florence train station.
It also has a patio for open air dining in good weather and an impressive wine cellar.
Apart from the pizza, the menu is extensive and the quality of food is high, from pasta to meat dishes (the chef has won an award from the Federation of Italian Chefs).
16 personas locales recomiendan
Ciro and Sons - Restaurant Pizzeria Firenze
28 Via del GiglioHere you can get a very good gluten free pizza
It's in a historic building with 17th century frescoed walls, elaborate light fixtures and fancy table settings.
But the atmosphere is very friendly, welcoming and warm - as the name implies, Ciro's is a family-run restaurant and you can really tell.
Here you can get a very good gluten free pizza which you must book in advance (yes, you have to reserve a pizza!) so call or have your hotel call for you.
Ideally, call the day before. Otherwise, the same day but by 10:30 am for lunch and 4 pm for dinner.
Ciro's is also extremely convenient as it's just near the San Lorenzo market and the Florence train station.
It also has a patio for open air dining in good weather and an impressive wine cellar.
Apart from the pizza, the menu is extensive and the quality of food is high, from pasta to meat dishes (the chef has won an award from the Federation of Italian Chefs).
Brac stands for 'brunch art café', in fact this restaurant is not
just a restaurant but is also a bookshop specializing in modern art publications.
Everything about Brac is unique and special.
The food comes first. Go no further in your search for delicious, yet light and healthy Italian food made for a vegetarian or vegan diet.
The owners of Brac however prefer not to classify their locale as 'vegetarian/vegan'. That category is too limiting.
According to the Brac philosophy, the food they prepare is about enjoying life to its fullest by appreciating and bringing out the best in such everyday necessities as nourishing the body (with food) and the mind (with art).
163 personas locales recomiendan
Brac
18 Via dei VagellaiBrac stands for 'brunch art café', in fact this restaurant is not
just a restaurant but is also a bookshop specializing in modern art publications.
Everything about Brac is unique and special.
The food comes first. Go no further in your search for delicious, yet light and healthy Italian food made for a vegetarian or vegan diet.
The owners of Brac however prefer not to classify their locale as 'vegetarian/vegan'. That category is too limiting.
According to the Brac philosophy, the food they prepare is about enjoying life to its fullest by appreciating and bringing out the best in such everyday necessities as nourishing the body (with food) and the mind (with art).
Artisanal pizza made with sourdough that is rested for at least 24 hours. Toppings are seasonal and many organic with each pizza sliced into eight pieces to encourage sharing between friends. They also have gluten-free options
96 personas locales recomiendan
Berberè San Frediano
1 Piazza dei NerliArtisanal pizza made with sourdough that is rested for at least 24 hours. Toppings are seasonal and many organic with each pizza sliced into eight pieces to encourage sharing between friends. They also have gluten-free options
Atelier de' Nerli
8r Piazza dei NerliGreat food , this is one of my favourite restaurants....
Enoteca Fuori Porta
10 Via del Monte alle CrociLocal great kitchen with good choice of wines !
Ristorante Buca Mario
16r Piazza degli OttavianiA classic , to try the Bistecca Fiorentina !
Buca dell'Orafo
28 Via dei GirolamiRight at Ponte Vecchio !
Arts & Culture
The Uffizi Gallery in Florence is a must if you’re an art appreciator.
The grand duke of Tuscany, Cosimo de Medici, originally had the building built for the administrative offices of Florence in about 1560.
The museum has paintings spanning from the 12th century to the 17th century.
There's a particular emphasis on renaissance works, many of which originally belonged to the private collection of the Medici family (rulers of Florence during the renaissance age)
In the past the Uffizi was more known as a statue gallery than a painting gallery. You can see statues coming from ancient Rome that were bought and brought to Florence by the Medici.
Today most of these statues line the three corridors of the upper floor of the museum and are interspersed with busts and portraits of the Medici family through the generations.
The Medici Venus is one of the most famous of these statutes
1671 personas locales recomiendan
Galería Uffizi
6 Piazzale degli UffiziThe Uffizi Gallery in Florence is a must if you’re an art appreciator.
The grand duke of Tuscany, Cosimo de Medici, originally had the building built for the administrative offices of Florence in about 1560.
The museum has paintings spanning from the 12th century to the 17th century.
There's a particular emphasis on renaissance works, many of which originally belonged to the private collection of the Medici family (rulers of Florence during the renaissance age)
In the past the Uffizi was more known as a statue gallery than a painting gallery. You can see statues coming from ancient Rome that were bought and brought to Florence by the Medici.
Today most of these statues line the three corridors of the upper floor of the museum and are interspersed with busts and portraits of the Medici family through the generations.
The Medici Venus is one of the most famous of these statutes
The second most famous of all Florence churches is Santa Croce.
This church is most widely known for being the final resting place of many illustrious Italians. Here you can visit the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Gioacchino Rossini and many others.
Santa Croce is also a paradise for art lovers with works by Donatello, Giotto, Gaddi, Brunelleschi, Vasari, and even a contemporary piece by Englishman Henry Moore.
This is also where Florence's magnificent leather school is located, in the former dormitories of the Franciscan friars who founded Santa Croce.
429 personas locales recomiendan
Santa Croce
The second most famous of all Florence churches is Santa Croce.
This church is most widely known for being the final resting place of many illustrious Italians. Here you can visit the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Gioacchino Rossini and many others.
Santa Croce is also a paradise for art lovers with works by Donatello, Giotto, Gaddi, Brunelleschi, Vasari, and even a contemporary piece by Englishman Henry Moore.
This is also where Florence's magnificent leather school is located, in the former dormitories of the Franciscan friars who founded Santa Croce.
The Baptistery must be included among Florence churches as it was originally the main place of worship of Firenze.
This is one of the city's oldest religious edifices and the baptistery still plays a very big part in the life of Florence.
Of course, the building's piece de resistance are the 'Gates of Paradise' (as Michelangelo dubbed them), the golden doors sculpted in bronze by Ghiberti.
Not everyone knows that the baptistery actually has three sets of bronze doors, each a masterpiece in its own right.
Inside, you will be wowed by the 13th century mosaics.
106 personas locales recomiendan
The Baptistery of St. John
Piazza San GiovanniThe Baptistery must be included among Florence churches as it was originally the main place of worship of Firenze.
This is one of the city's oldest religious edifices and the baptistery still plays a very big part in the life of Florence.
Of course, the building's piece de resistance are the 'Gates of Paradise' (as Michelangelo dubbed them), the golden doors sculpted in bronze by Ghiberti.
Not everyone knows that the baptistery actually has three sets of bronze doors, each a masterpiece in its own right.
Inside, you will be wowed by the 13th century mosaics.
At the Accademia Gallery there’s only one star and that’s David.
Of course, there are plenty of others things worth seeing, but the main reason everyone comes to the Gallery is to see Michelangelo’s masterpiece.
Some people ask: ‘Is it worth it to pay the price of a ticket just to mainly see one famous piece?’
Definitely.
Others say: ‘I’ve seen the replicas of David in Piazza della Signoria and Piazzale Michelangelo, isn’t that just as good?’
No way.
A special annex to the Accademia Gallery was built just for this sculpture and the hall leading up to the statue and the lighting on the David add tremendously to the experience of ‘seeing David’.
The David more than lives up to its fame.
I’d even say that if you’re the type of person who is not at all interested in art, and are just being dragged to the museum by a friend, you too will be astonished by the beauty of this work of high Renaissance sculpture.
185 personas locales recomiendan
Florence Academy of Fine Arts
66 Via RicasoliAt the Accademia Gallery there’s only one star and that’s David.
Of course, there are plenty of others things worth seeing, but the main reason everyone comes to the Gallery is to see Michelangelo’s masterpiece.
Some people ask: ‘Is it worth it to pay the price of a ticket just to mainly see one famous piece?’
Definitely.
Others say: ‘I’ve seen the replicas of David in Piazza della Signoria and Piazzale Michelangelo, isn’t that just as good?’
No way.
A special annex to the Accademia Gallery was built just for this sculpture and the hall leading up to the statue and the lighting on the David add tremendously to the experience of ‘seeing David’.
The David more than lives up to its fame.
I’d even say that if you’re the type of person who is not at all interested in art, and are just being dragged to the museum by a friend, you too will be astonished by the beauty of this work of high Renaissance sculpture.
The Pitti Palace is one of Florence's historic landmark buildings and is where you can find the Boboli Gardens as well as several important museums:
the Palatine Gallery
the Modern Art Gallery
the Royal Apartments
the Costume Gallery
the Porcelain Museum
Silver Museum (aka the Medici Treasury)
Luca Pitti, a rich banker, had this regal palace built and lived there with his family from 1470 onwards.
The building was meant to look glorious from the start because the Pitti family were in competition with the powerful Medici and wanted their new home to be even more imposing than the Medici family palace.
The Pitti Palace is set far back from the pavement and has an enormous open square in front which makes it all the more noticeable and impressive.
The Pitti fortunes didn’t last though, and, in a twist of fate, they ended up selling the palace to the very rivals they were competing against.
Eleonora di Toledo, the wife of Cosimo I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, bought the building in 1550.
Under the Medici the Pitti Palace was enlarged to nearly twice its size.
It became the most majestic palace in Florence, and still provokes that awe-inspiring feeling today when you cross the Ponte Vecchio and see the Pitti Palace on your left.
The Palace was lived in by the Grand Dukes of Tuscany and was used by Napoleon when he was in Florence during his reign over Italy.
Pitti was also the home of King Vittorio Emanuelle II from 1865 – 1871 when Florence was the capital of Italy.
Leopold II, one of the last Grand Dukes of Tuscany, opened the Pitti Palace as a museum in 1833.
All of the valuable collectibles that the past owners had accumulated as well as the interior design of the rooms themselves became part of the museums which make up the building today.
879 personas locales recomiendan
Palacio Pitti
1 Piazza de' PittiThe Pitti Palace is one of Florence's historic landmark buildings and is where you can find the Boboli Gardens as well as several important museums:
the Palatine Gallery
the Modern Art Gallery
the Royal Apartments
the Costume Gallery
the Porcelain Museum
Silver Museum (aka the Medici Treasury)
Luca Pitti, a rich banker, had this regal palace built and lived there with his family from 1470 onwards.
The building was meant to look glorious from the start because the Pitti family were in competition with the powerful Medici and wanted their new home to be even more imposing than the Medici family palace.
The Pitti Palace is set far back from the pavement and has an enormous open square in front which makes it all the more noticeable and impressive.
The Pitti fortunes didn’t last though, and, in a twist of fate, they ended up selling the palace to the very rivals they were competing against.
Eleonora di Toledo, the wife of Cosimo I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, bought the building in 1550.
Under the Medici the Pitti Palace was enlarged to nearly twice its size.
It became the most majestic palace in Florence, and still provokes that awe-inspiring feeling today when you cross the Ponte Vecchio and see the Pitti Palace on your left.
The Palace was lived in by the Grand Dukes of Tuscany and was used by Napoleon when he was in Florence during his reign over Italy.
Pitti was also the home of King Vittorio Emanuelle II from 1865 – 1871 when Florence was the capital of Italy.
Leopold II, one of the last Grand Dukes of Tuscany, opened the Pitti Palace as a museum in 1833.
All of the valuable collectibles that the past owners had accumulated as well as the interior design of the rooms themselves became part of the museums which make up the building today.
A fashion museum dedicated to the master shoe maker, Salvatore Ferragamo.
Although born in the south of Italy, in the 1920's Ferragamo gravitated to Florence in search of expert craftsmen capable of producing quality shoes by hand.
He found them, and the rest - as the saying goes - is history!
Learn about how a boy from a family of 14 created a Florentine shoe empire, see prototypes of Ferragamo's highly creative shoe models, and see examples of shoes custom-made for Hollywood stars such as Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor.
47 personas locales recomiendan
Museo Salvatore Ferragamo
5R Piazza di Santa TrinitaA fashion museum dedicated to the master shoe maker, Salvatore Ferragamo.
Although born in the south of Italy, in the 1920's Ferragamo gravitated to Florence in search of expert craftsmen capable of producing quality shoes by hand.
He found them, and the rest - as the saying goes - is history!
Learn about how a boy from a family of 14 created a Florentine shoe empire, see prototypes of Ferragamo's highly creative shoe models, and see examples of shoes custom-made for Hollywood stars such as Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor.
The Gucci Museum opened in 2011, the 90 year anniversary of the founding of Italy's largest and most iconic fashion house.
This Quirky Florence Museum is clearly a must for anybody who loves haute couture, the Italian way.
A Florentine company par excellence, Gucci started out making suitcases and saddlery to eventually become a desiger label of master craftsmanship sought out by the world's elite.
This museum is a journey through the first 90 years in the life of Gucci.
43 personas locales recomiendan
Gucci Garden
10 P.za della SignoriaThe Gucci Museum opened in 2011, the 90 year anniversary of the founding of Italy's largest and most iconic fashion house.
This Quirky Florence Museum is clearly a must for anybody who loves haute couture, the Italian way.
A Florentine company par excellence, Gucci started out making suitcases and saddlery to eventually become a desiger label of master craftsmanship sought out by the world's elite.
This museum is a journey through the first 90 years in the life of Gucci.
The Campanile di Giotto, the Florence cathedral bell tower, was designed and worked on by Giotto between 1334 and 1337 (the year he died).
The tower stands at about 278 feet tall, and like much of the cathedral, is Gothic in style and is decorated in green, white and pink marble.
One of the most popular things to do in Florence is to climb to the top, a great place to see the beauty of the city from above and take some magnificent pictures!
A climb up the Campanile di Giotto means walking up just over 400 steps.
Don't worry if you're not in great shape, there are several mid-way landings where you can leave the stairwell, sit down and admire the views at each stage of the climb!
101 personas locales recomiendan
Giotto's Bell Tower
Piazza del DuomoThe Campanile di Giotto, the Florence cathedral bell tower, was designed and worked on by Giotto between 1334 and 1337 (the year he died).
The tower stands at about 278 feet tall, and like much of the cathedral, is Gothic in style and is decorated in green, white and pink marble.
One of the most popular things to do in Florence is to climb to the top, a great place to see the beauty of the city from above and take some magnificent pictures!
A climb up the Campanile di Giotto means walking up just over 400 steps.
Don't worry if you're not in great shape, there are several mid-way landings where you can leave the stairwell, sit down and admire the views at each stage of the climb!
Museo de la Ópera del Duomo
9 Piazza del DuomoStunning!
Visite turistiche
The Boboli Gardens
1 Piazza de' Pitti2 minutes walking distance from the apartment
Giardino Bardini
1 Costa S. GiorgioDuring spring time the bloom is breathtaking.
Must watch the stunning sunset over Florence !
1543 personas locales recomiendan
Piazzale Michelangelo
Piazzale MichelangeloMust watch the stunning sunset over Florence !
Favorite church in Florence and best view of the city
216 personas locales recomiendan
Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte
34 Via delle Porte SanteFavorite church in Florence and best view of the city
Gorgeous views of Florence all surrounded by nature !
310 personas locales recomiendan
Giardino delle rose
2 Viale Giuseppe PoggiGorgeous views of Florence all surrounded by nature !