The best restaurants in Florence Italy
When I went to Florence, the main things I went there for were the history, the wine, because of the Tuscany region, and also the food, especially the Florentine steak. I was on a mission to find this meat, and I had to search through many of the best restaurants in Florence to find it. I even wound up in a few tourist traps, so I will talk more about those in my blog.
There were so many options, and I had the Florentine steak quite a few times, but I also talk about other restaurants that serve up homemade pasta, Michelin-rated restaurants in Florence, and more.
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| The best restaurant in Florence Italy | Enoteca Pinchiorri |
| The top Florentine steak in Florence | Florentia |
| The best local restaurant in Florence Italy | Trattoria Mario |
| Favourite Gelato in Florence Italy | La Sorbettiera |
How we select the top restaurants in Florence
So how do we actually select the best restaurants in Florence, Italy? Well, first of all, we have family in Italy. They have been to Florence multiple times, and because they are locals, they tend to know the best restaurants in Florence and the best trattorias. Because of that, we also speak Italian, so when we were at restaurants or at the bar, we spoke to people in Italian, and they gave us recommendations for the top restaurants in Florence, where the real locals eat.
We took those recommendations into place, but we also looked at Florence's Michelin-style restaurants, the fine dining restaurants. We looked at avoiding the tourist traps. As I said earlier, we actually sat down at one restaurant in Florence and asked for a kilo of Florentine steak to share, and they brought us out two kilos and made it look like a show. There was a view of the Duomo, and for some people they will just go with it and pay the price because it is quite expensive, the Florentine steak. But there were only two of us, so two kilos for two of us was just absolutely ridiculous, and I knew it was a tourist trap. So we actually asked for the bill and paid for just our drinks and walked away.
By doing that, we actually ended up finding the best restaurant in Florence for Florentine steak that night. So that is a hint: try to stay away from the Duomo; that is where all the tourist restaurants are. But I also looked at the traditional trattorias, and that is where a lot of the local recommendations from my family were coming in, and there were more of those outside of the Duomo. We also looked at restaurants in Florence that might have a rooftop or a really good view, or that were family-run.
The best restaurants in Florence Michelin rated
So here are my recommendations, starting off with Michelin-rated restaurants in Florence. Florence is quite big, so there were a few that we tried when we were last there. Last time I checked, there were actually 10 Michelin-starred restaurants in Florence, and they go from zero stars, which means they have been nominated, all the way up to three stars, which is the absolute best restaurant in Florence. It is probably going to be a bit pricey, but definitely a special place.
Enoteca Pinchiorri
I will say the actual best restaurant in Florence would have to be this one, Enoteca Pinchiorri. It has three Michelin stars, and it was actually the first Michelin-star restaurant that I have ever been to. Enoteca Pinchiorri is run by a chef whose name I heard as Riccardo Monco, who is really famous.
Here you are going to get amazing food with world class wines. When I went there, it was like each dish was a firework, every time you tried each of the dishes. They use really fresh ingredients and they are really innovative. You can either sit inside or outside. I think sitting outside, especially during summer, is really nice, it is very green, and they have round tables. Whereas inside, it just feels a little bit more formal for me anyway, with the wooden flooring.
Although the dishes are really impressive and look really nice, they are not too complicated, like some other Michelin restaurants that I have been to. An example of what I had was a shellfish sandwich with sea urchin puttanesca sauce and a red mullet, whereas my partner had the beef. Not cheap, because it is a three Michelin star restaurant, but really delicious food, and one of the best restaurants in Florence.
View the Enoteca Pinchiorri menu & opening times
Address: Via Ghibellina, 87, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy
Osteria Le Panzanelle
I am going to go on to Osteria Le Panzanelle, which you are actually going to have to drive to. When you are on holiday, you just do not mind so much about time, so I will definitely recommend going here one night. It is in the Chianti region. This place has actually been rated as a Bib Gourmand by Michelin, which basically means it is one of the best restaurants in Florence, but it is good for your pocket, so it is not too expensive.
When I was here, looking at the menu and trying some of the dishes, you had homemade pasta, a lot of meat dishes, like pici with garlic, and also stuffed rabbit. On certain days, like Fridays, when we went, they had fresh fish from the island of Elba. Because it is a little bit out of town, they are not always too busy, but I would still recommend booking, especially around July and August.
What I liked about it when I went there was the atmosphere. It was a lot quieter in the Chianti area, and during the summer they had lovely golden light, so that just felt really nice for dinner. Obviously, I had the Florentine steak there, so it was highly recommended, but also the homemade pasta. If you are going as a couple, I would probably recommend a pasta, the steak, and a few sides.
They are open for lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Saturday, lunch only on Sunday, and closed on Monday.
Book a reservation with Osteria Le Panzanelle
Address: Località Lucarelli, 29, 53017 Radda in Chianti SI, Italy
Atto di Vito Mollica
Now we have Atto di Vito Mollica. It was in a really nice historic palace, and I have some pictures above and below. The chef is named Vito Mollica, and they had really unique dishes that I had never had before, which were really good.
I loved the atmosphere; there were a lot of vaulted ceilings in there, and we were seated towards the back. Before you go in, there is actually a bar there that you can relax in, or you can go afterwards. Every dish was just delicious. I have got a picture below of pasta with some caviar on top. You can get the set menu, or you can go à la carte, and we went à la carte on this occasion.
I think the whole experience was great, from the breads to their special pasta dishes to their locally sourced olive oils from Umbria. I just really loved the vaulted ceilings; you could stare at them all night, and they are all telling a different story of sixteenth-century life.
There was a little fountain in the middle, and we were seated on the left-hand side, which was quite nice. So we had a great experience here and also got some really nice pictures at the bar, so it is very Instagrammable as well. This is definitely one of the best restaurants in Florence, Italy.
Learn more about Atto di Vito Mollica
Address: Salotto Portinari Bistrot by Vito Mollica, Via del Corso, 6, 50122 Florence FI, Italy
The best restaurants in Florence Italy for fine dining
Now I am going to get onto fine dining. Like I said, there are a lot of Michelin restaurants in Florence, but there is also fine dining. Sometimes these are restaurants that are trying to get to Michelin but are not quite there, but they usually save a bit of money as well compared to the Michelin ones.
Serrae Villa Fiesole
Next stop is Serrae Villa Fiesole just outside of town, so you probably need to get a taxi or a car. If you have time, it is great, because they have an awesome open kitchen, and then you are just surrounded by stunning views of Florence and all the greenery around. You will be able to see that from the windows, and the decor is really white. If you can, I would recommend dining outside, maybe for a lunch service, because it is just amazing to sit outside in the summer and take in those views.
It is also Michelin-nominated, so you get some really creative dishes on some really unusual plates, which was quite nice, and the ingredients were all delicious, from the bread to the homemade focaccia for the starters. This is a great place to be, and one of the top restaurants in Florence for a view.
View the Serrae Villa Fiesole menu and book
Address: ia Frà Giovanni da Fiesole Detto l'Angelico, 35, 50014 Fiesole FI, Italy
Atman
Next up is Atman in the smaller town of Vinci, which is actually Leonardo da Vinci's birthplace. In terms of the decor, it is actually quite nice; you have the stone flooring, and you can see the kitchen and the staff at work. The kitchen is run by a Chef Marco Cahssai, and the menu always changes to reflect the season.
Some of the standout dishes we had there were spaghetti with five types of tomato, and when you go to Italy, the tomatoes are just absolutely delicious. They also had some interesting cold dishes; I cannot remember exactly what it was, but they had a pigeon dish, which was really nice.
If you really want to try something else, they have an eighteen-course tasting menu, so that really is a memorable experience. We did not have that, but we did see other people ordering it- little mini courses. This is a great way to experience a Michelin restaurant in Florence.
Address: Via IV Novembre, 20, 50059 Vinci FI, Italy
The best restaurants in Florence Italy that are local
Now I am going to get onto some of the best restaurants in Florence that are local. These are where a lot of my family in Italy were telling me to go, but also the locals that I met at the bars. Here you will find trattorias, osterias, and a lot of Tuscan cuisine, usually at reasonable prices. Some of these were right in the city, and some of these were a little bit outside, so you did have to walk.
Florentia (the best restaurant in Firenze for a Florentine steak)
I am going to start off with the absolute best restaurant in Florence, Italy, for a Florentine steak Florentia. As I said earlier, this was the one that I had after I went to that tourist trap that I had to pay for the wines and walk away from. I took a picture, and it just looked beautiful and tasted beautiful; we ate the whole thing.
We searched hard for this place, and it was a little bit outside of town, down a quieter street, away from all the vendors that try to coax you in. It was a bit more relaxed, and we saw Italian people in there. This is my number one pick for a Florentine steak restaurant in Italy. The service was fantastic; they had about 30 chairs, and it was about 90 per cent full, so quite busy, but still quite small, so I was so happy when we managed to get a table.
To finish it off, because we had such a delicious meal, I did not have any space, but because the service was so great and we had such a great steak, we had a tiramisu and then a limoncello to round everything off and help with the digestion. The price was half the price of that tourist trap I avoided earlier, and we could pick how many grams or kilos we wanted, and they did not try to mess with us.
View the Florentia florentine steak menu
Address: B, Borgo degli Albizi, 58, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
Trattoria Mario
Next up is a trattoria a little bit to the north of the town, Trattoria Mario just above the San Lorenzo area. Every time we walked past, and we spent quite a few days in Florence, it was packed. It has been around since 1953, and it is known for its soups, its pastas, and its regional wines. We managed to get a table there early; we had to go early to get in.
In terms of the menu, it does change based on what is fresh, but you will find the staples I was talking about earlier: the soups, the Florentine steak, and they are really known for their ragu that has been cooked for at least four hours.
In terms of the history, as I said, it has been around since 1953, but it actually started out as a wine shop for the market workers before it became a trattoria. So you are going to get a lot of locals and a lot of tourists, but this is an institution, one of the best restaurants in Florence.
View the Trattoria Mario Menu
Address: Via Rosina, 2r, 50123 Florence FI, Italy
MIRÓ Ristorante Pizzeria
Now I am going to go on to pizza, the best restaurant in Florence for pizza, Miro Ristorante. Again, we really had to search for this one, and we found it on the way back to our hotel in Florence; it is one of the best pizzas I have ever had. Sometimes, how we choose some of the best restaurants in Florence is we look at the pictures, so we had a good look at the photos and also the reviews, and it had been mentioned by someone we chatted to at one of the bars.
This has only been open since 2022, by a chef whose name I heard as Mauro Miraldo. What I liked about it was the atmosphere, full of locals, and it was actually in a seventeenth-century monastery; well, that is what it used to be. The pizza crust was absolutely delicious, had a lot of toppings, and it was not floppy. You always have to do the floppy test when looking at the best restaurants in Florence for pizza.
They also did pasta as well, so my partner had the truffle pasta, and I had a pizza called profumosa, which was bacon, rosemary, potato, and a white pizza base; that was delicious. For starters, there were fried pizza dough balls, which were very nice. I definitely recommend this pizzeria as one of the best restaurants in Florence, Italy.
Check out Miro's Ristorante menu and book
Address: Via S. Gallo, 40r/42, 50129 Firenze FI, Italy
Trattoria Za Za
So this trattoria is right next to Trattoria Mario and the place to go if you can't get into the other. Again, you can see in the photo that was the number of people waiting for a booking. Eventually we got in, and the decor is amazing. It feels like a luxury trattoria with the velvet red chairs.
In terms of the food, I wouldn't put it on here if it wasn't one of the best restaurants in Firenze for food. I had the truffle carbonara that was great, and what I noticed is that Florence has a lot of truffle, as there was also truffle gnocchi on the menu. The steak was also highly reviewed, and then you can't go wrong with their tiramisu!
Also, don't forget to book Trattoria Za Za at least a few days in advance! It's well worth it rather than standing out side.
Check out the menu.
Address: Piazza del Mercato Centrale, 26r, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
Dessert Places in Florence
I have talked a lot about the best restaurants in Florence, now I also want to talk about dessert. I usually have dessert at the restaurants, but sometimes if you eat a little early you still have the whole night, and you may want to go for dessert somewhere else as well. Here are my recommendations for some of the dessert places in Florence.
La Sorbettiera
La Sorbettiera, which has been around since 1934. I have a picture outside so you can see; it was busy when I went. I think it was about nine-ish when I went. Here, I would definitely recommend getting the pistachio and the hazelnut, and they actually have an award-winning gelato flavour: New England 1776. Hopefully that is still around, but if you want to try something a bit different, there is fior di latte, maple syrup, and candied bacon, which is pretty cool.
They also cater for those who are gluten-free and lactose-free; a great place for dessert after visiting one of the best restaurants in Florence. The best part of this gelateria is that it's open every day till 11 pm!
View more details about La Sorbettiera
Address: Via Mazzetta, 9/a, 50125 Florence FI, Italy
Vecchio Forno
If you are thinking more like biscuits, there is this small local bakery with pastries called Vecchio Forno. It was pretty traditional, so all the staff were Italian, and the English was a little bit tough, so luckily we speak Italian as well, to get by.
Some of the standout things we had were the vanilla cornetto, the torta de fiori, and then the pistachio croissant. You can also have that for breakfast as well, and this was recommended to me by a local person.
Address: Via Guelfa, 32, 50129 Florence FI, Italy
Forno Ghibellina
If you are looking for another forno, or bakery, east of the centre is Forno Ghibellina. I would say these are a little bit more cost-effective; they have a lot of pastries, and it was very good value. The coffee was good as well, so here try the whipped cream cannoli, a pear tart, but something that I love is the maritozzo, which is actually very hard to find around in towns outside of Rome.
It is great for breakfast as well, and they also have a seating area, so it is a good place to have a coffee and enjoy a treat. It is open Monday - Saturday and closes 8pm.
Address: Via Ghibellina, 41r, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy
Extra Restaurant
Sandwichic
So I'll be honest, this isn't for dinner; however, it is a great spot for lunch. Sandwichic is this tiny hole in the wall sandwich shop serving up delicious sandwiches. Everything was sliced fresh in front of us. They have so many options to choose from, so you can't go wrong. They have a small selection of vegetarian options that you can see on the board on the right-hand side of my photo.
As its a local place, everything is in Italian but once you spend a few days in Italy you get to know the ingredients or just look it up. Note its open every day mid morning till 6pm except closed on Saturday. I dont know why not on a saturday but I guess you have to take a day off.
Address: Via S. Gallo, 3r, 50129 Firenze FI, Italy
So, I hope you liked my blog on the best restaurants in Florence, Italy. If you have been anywhere else and loved it, please drop a comment in the box below as I would love to share it with my readers and potentially try it myself.
FAQ's about the best restaurants in Florence Italy
What are the best restaurants in Florence with a view
The best restaurants in Florence with a view would have to be Osteria le Panzanelle, because you have views of the Tuscan hills, but also the restaurant Serrae Villa Fiesole, because if you can get a booking on the terrace, especially during lunchtime, that is a beautiful view of Florence.
What are the best authentic restaurants in Florence
The best authentic restaurants in Florence would be Florentia, which was my number one pick for the Florentine steak, Miro Ristorante Pizzeria for the pasta and the pizza, and then Trattoria Mario, you just cannot go wrong, except for the long lines, so you will probably have to wait.
What are the best restaurants in Florence that are not touristy
If you are looking for a restaurant in Florence that is not touristy, I would probably recommend Florentia, because that is a little bit outside of town, Miro Ristorante Pizzeria, which was just full of Italians, and then Osteria le Panzanelle.
What are the hidden gem restaurants in Florence
I think the hidden gem restaurants in Florence would be the restaurant in Vinci, Florentia, Miro Ristorante Pizzeria.