Visiting Florence can be overwhelming – so many museums, so many masterpieces, so much glorious art. By the time you’ve queued for the Uffizzi Gallery, admired the paintings, visited a couple of churches and strolled across the Ponte Vecchio you’re too tired to search for somewhere to eat.
However, do try and resist the temptation to flop down in the most obvious restaurants in the main piazzas. They’re generally much more touristy, more expensive and don’t offer the finest food. Okay, you’re tired. But you don’t have to walk far from the main tourist piazzas to find the places where Florentines eat - traditional trattorie and osterie serving excellent food at lower prices. Great restaurants are often tucked away down side streets, just a couple of minutes from the main attractions.
So, if you’re in Florence this year, here are a few suggestions as to where to eat.
Wine Tasting at Gustavino
If you like to eat somewhere trendy and enjoy great wine, then try Gustavino, Via del Condotta 37r (055 239 9806). With its silvery metal chairs, high arched ceilings and glass walled kitchen that lets you see the chefs at work, Gustavino has a chic, laid-back atmosphere. It’s open every night and serves dishes such as cuttlefish soup, or pici (a thick Tuscan version of spaghetti). If you’d like to try some Tuscan wine, then come along between 4 and 7pm Monday to Friday and you can try 4 different wines for a reasonable price.
Great Pizza
Okay, Naples is the home of pizza but it’s one of those dishes you feel you simply have to eat when you’re in Italy. For a great pizza in Florence head for La Dantesca, Via Panzani 57r 9055 212 287), which is very close to Santa Maria Novella - the main railway station in Florence. La Dantesca has swift service, pink walls and a busy mix of tourists and locals eating there. They make their pizzas in a large, wood fired oven and serve them thin and crispy – just like the pizzas in Naples. They’re good value and the toppings are varied. If you prefer pasta they serve that here too. La Dantesca is open every day, at lunchtime and in the evening.
Eat by the Arno
Few things can be more romantic than eating by the Arno, the river that runs through Florence. Ristorante Rossini, on Lungarno Corsini 4 (055 239 9224), a short walk from the Ponte Vecchio, is set in a rather grand old palazzo on the Arno and also has some seats outside. It’s the sort of place you come for a treat, with a cellar stocked with over 600 wines and a tasting menu (100 euros) that features the finest food. Ristorante Rossini has a Michelin star, one of just a few in Florence. For the best value, come at lunchtime, when you can eat for around 35 euros.
Find out where to eat in Siena.
