Florence - Firenze : What to eat ? culinary specialties and gastronomy

Florence - Firenze : Enjoying yourself

Timetable Florence - Firenze

The Florentines settle down around 13h/13h30 and in the evening around 21h, even 22h in summer. The establishments open their doors around 12pm for lunch (pranzo), they take a break from 3pm to 6pm and finish the service around 11pm/00pm. Some restaurants only open for dinner (cena). Many are closed on Sundays, Mondays and August for annual holidays (chiuso per ferie). Remember to book (prenotazione) on weekends.

Budget & Tips Florence - Firenze

From Michelin-starred restaurants to small neighborhood trattorie, in Florence, whatever your budget, you'll eat well! For a taste of traditional Florentine cuisine, the trattoria is a safe bet and generally offers excellent value for money. For around ten euros, you can enjoy a delicious pasta dish(primo piatto). Also worth knowing: despite its low price, house wine(vino della casa) is often of good quality. In the land of Chianti, wine by the jug or by the bottle in a restaurant is rarely an awful mess, as mass production is qualitatively superior to many other countries. A final word of advice: Italians still often pay in cash, and some restaurants do not accept credit cards.

For a quick bite to eat, there's nothing better than pizzerias by the slice (around €5 to €9), or small grocery stores that also make their own sandwiches (around €6). It's also a good time to try the famous lampredotto, a Florentine specialty with tripe!

Excellent Michelin-starred restaurants run by top chefs such as Riccardo Monco (Enoteca Pinchiorri) or Rocco De Santis (Santa Elisabetta) offer an exceptional culinary experience. Set menus cost between €150 and €300.

What costs extra Florence - Firenze

In Italy, most restaurants charge for bread and cutlery(pane e coperto). And even if you don't eat bread, you can't go wrong! On average, you should expect to pay €2 to €3 per guest.

We're not necessarily used to it, but it's not possible to order a carafe of water (tap water is not allowed in Italian restaurants), so you'll automatically be offered a bottle of still(naturale) or sparkling(frizzante) water for a fee. The average large bottle costs €3.

The local way Florence - Firenze

In Italy, pasta is served al dente, meaning "firm under the tooth"! But we prefer to warn you because some people are really surprised by this difference in texture. Don't worry, this way of cooking is better for your health.

And don't be surprised if you find that the bread has a particular flavor, it does not contain even a pinch of salt! Salt was simply eliminated in 1541, when Pope Paolo III imposed a tax on salt.

To be avoided Florence - Firenze

The unfortunate tourist traps serving an "international" menu, with photos of the dishes. Stay away! The tourist district par excellence, San Giovanni is full of them.

Another thing to avoid is cutting pasta with a knife, a sacrilege! In fact, you'll never see an Italian cutting pasta or eating it with a spoon... The only cutlery allowed: the fork. In Italy, pasta is no laughing matter!

Kids Florence - Firenze

Children are king in Florence, as in the rest of Italy, and they are welcome in all restaurants!

Smokers Florence - Firenze

Same legislation on smoking as in France: since 2005, it is forbidden to smoke in restaurants.

Tourist traps Florence - Firenze

Some restaurants charge an exorbitant pane e coperto (check it out, it should be on the menu!), others charge high prices for mediocre quality. Follow your Petit Futé!

Florence - Firenze : Take a break

Timetable Florence - Firenze

The aperitivo usually takes place between 6:30 and 9pm, before dinner. With friends or colleagues, it's an important ritual in the golden hours at the end of the day. As in France, most bars close around 2am on weekends. The peak is usually at aperitif time or during the dopo cena, just after dinner (for a digestif, for example!).

In the land of gelati, there's no time for ice cream: you can enjoy it all day long, whatever the season! But don't go looking for "Italian-style gelato" in Italy. Soft ice cream, invented in the 1930s, comes from the United States. Only in France, and nowhere else, is it called "Italian ice"!

Budget & Tips Florence - Firenze

A beer costs from €3 to €7, a cocktail from €6 to €10. There are several budget bars in the student district of San Marco (beers from €3).

What's very local Florence - Firenze

Given the richness of the region's wines, a classic Florentine evening begins with a glass of wine at the bar or on the terrace of a traditional enoteca.Aperitivo, which originated in northern Italy in the ^19th century, is still fashionable in Florence. For around ten euros, you can toast the occasion with a glass of wine, a spritz or a cocktail, accompanied byantipasti to munch on or access to an unlimited buffet!

Tourist traps Florence - Firenze

As for restaurants, choose bars frequented by locals (we'll give you a list in the next few pages!).