My favorite places to eat and drink in Florence

I spent the last year living in Florence, Italy as a master’s student studying art history. I sought out places that were good values and popular among the locals. Here is a list of some of my favorite places to grab lunch or a glass of wine or a coffee in Florence:

To eat:

Ostaria dei Centopoveri 

Not too far from the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella, Centopoveri is probably the best value you can find in Florence for a filling lunch with traditional Tuscan food. Its menu del giorno for lunch offers a primo (usually a soup or pasta), a secondo (a variety of meats served with vegetables), and a ¼ liter of vino della casa for 12 euros. Add an espresso for 1 euro. The food and service is always excellent. Look out for the great art by Uliviero Ulivieri. 

SchiacciaMatta, Lo Schiacciavino, Maledetti Toscani, and Sergio Pollini Lampredotto

I am begging you to not go to All’Antico Vinaio. There are so many great panino shops in the city that do not have a line down the street and an hour wait. Three of my favorites are SchiacciaMatta, Lo Schiacciavino, and Maledetti Toscani. SchiacciaMatta quickly became my favorite because of its bread–it’s the best panino bread around. Lo Schiacciavino next to Santa Croce has a large selection of panini. Maledetti Toscani right by Piazza della Signoria has my favorite prosciutto panino. Their prosciutto is perfectly spiced. There’s also lampredotto cart run by a father and son team right next to Piazza Sant’Ambrogio. It is a local favorite and probably one of the best places in the city to get the traditional Florentine lampredotto (cow stomach). 

Santo Falafel

If I didn’t feel like having another panino, I loved the falafels from Santo Falafel. They are fresh and super filling with lots of vegetables. 

I dream about this pizza from L’uva e il vino. I declare it the best pizza in Florence.

L’uva e il vino 

I am being very generous with this recommendation because I desperately want to keep this place to myself. Situated in the Oltrarno, L’uva e il vino simply has the best pizza, wine, and atmosphere. You will find yourself sitting on a tiny little stool inside an eclectic tavern drawing flowers with chalk. The buffala cheese on the pizza is amazing. Don’t even get me started on the crushed chili sauce that comes with the pizza. A pizza with a glass of wine will run you about 20 euros. 

3dddi Pizza

If you want a more modern style pizza restaurant near the historic center, you can’t go wrong with 3dddi Pizza next to the Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio. 

Aperitivo

Quelo

The best way to describe this bar is quirky and arty. There’s a giant teddy bear, some guitars, and lots of art. It was my pick for a date with an Italian and it received his stamp of approval, so you can trust that it is a good spot. 

Fermino

On any given night, Fermino, right up the street from Quelo, is packed. There’s not much room inside so the bar spills into the street. It’s great if you want to immerse yourself in the local bar scene and meet new people. 

Soul Kitchen

Perhaps you want the option to have some non-Italian food with aperitivo. Soul Kitchen has good tapas like tacos, tempura, and falafel. 

Cibrèo Bar

The Cibrèo restaurants in Florence are a local favorite. The Cibrèo Bar by Piazza della Repubblica is more of an upscale cocktail experience. I once went on a blind date with a Florentine and this was his pick. The interior is beautiful and romantic with red chairs and massive chandeliers. 

Coffee Bars

Brac

I am in debt to Brac for putting up with me. This was my favorite spot to get a cappuccino and do school work. During the first couple months in Florence, I and several other people in my program regarded Brac as a secret study spot. Then we discovered we all went there. Their cappuccini are distinct–very milky with thick foam. It is also a book store and vegetarian restaurant. 

Canto alla Mela

Right around the corner from my apartment in Florence, Canto alla Mela was my local spot for a coffee and pastry and a good place to study. I discovered it over the summer when I was looking for an air conditioned bar to work in when the libraries were closed. This is a beloved bar in the neighborhood that was run by a husband, wife, and daughter team for thirty years until they retired a few months ago. The new owners remodeled it and it is still cozy and dear to my heart. 

A perfect looking cappuccino from TodoModo

Todomodo 

A more well known coffee bar and bookstore in Florence, TodoModo lives up to the hype. The cappuccini here are some of the best I’ve had. If it weren’t a 20 minute trek from my apartment, I would have gone more often.

Fancy 

Operated by a husband and wife team named Francesco and Francesca, Fancy’s cappuccini and pastries were my favorite in Florence. Their pain au chocolat in particular is phenomenal.