Where to eat and stay in Florence 2023
Thirty of my favourites, from classic trattorie to gelato to non Italian eats
I've written so much about eating in Florence over the years and this is still probably one of the most asked questions I get! I have guides in the back of my cookbook Florentine and have written food guides for publications from Departures magazine to Gourmet Traveller. I have also been making detailed e-books with full guides on where to eat over the past couple of years but now here, my newsletter, is the place where I will share my food guides!
Even though this is a guide for Florence, I am also trying to steer people away from Florence in the very busy months (which is basically all year except November-March) because it is simply becoming totally unpleasant and unsustainable to visit because of the sheer numbers of tourists piling into the city. It’s hard to get a taxi, a dinner reservation or just walk down the street. I know this is not how you want to experience Florence. See this post for on more about that.
But if you are there in the busier months, at least you have this list to keep you well fed; most of these are the places I would go and I tend to seek out less crowded spots (such as the lesser known Coquinarius restaurant in panoramic Fiesole rather than their regular spot next to the Duomo).
I will often refer people to my old blog posts that you can find on the travel page. Honestly, these are still the places I love eating at in Florence. The oldies are most definitely goodies but I have narrowed it all down for you here. In addition to this list, I wanted to point you to these two posts in particular:
This post has some of my favourite neighbourhoods and places to eat in those streets, piazzas and corners that I still love most.
This post has 11 wonderful places to eat great panini in Florence that are not Antico Vinaio (see the post above on traveling sustainably in Florence for more on this tourist hot spot that you should avoid like the plague! I used to live directly across the street from it before its exaggerated and ridiculous rise to fame, it was once really good and normal and its rise to fame has kicked out a lot of wonderful little shops from that street). I could do a similar rant on wine being served through the “buchette”, little wine doors — but will save it for another day. Please don’t fall for them, it’s a gimick aimed at tourists!