If you are looking for a romantic getaway, you could not pick a more romantic city than Florence, Italy. However, you will need to be able to find the best Restaurants in Florence, to woo your love.
I would like to point one thing out about Florence. It is unlikely to affect you unless you have chosen to drive to Florence in order to find the best restaurants in Florence. However, like many cities in Tuscany, Florence has a ZTL.
Yikes! What is a ZTL? A ZTL is a Zona Traffico Limitato which is a Tuscan traffic calming measure. This is a limited traffic zone which may only be accessible to pedestrians, taxis and buses.
Florence is an ancient city with a lot of history. It will be impossible to see everything worth seeing in a single visit.
However, there are a few things you really should make time to see:
- The Duomo, Florence’s Cathedral
- The Magnificent Uffizi Gallery
- The Magical Bardini Gardens
- The Accademia Gallery
- The Ponte Vecchio, or Old Bridge
If that list looks a little overwhelming, you should stop for a spot of lunch.
Best Restaurants in Florence
You will find many recommended restaurants in the guide book from your travel agent. But you can find a good trattoria, enoteca or restaurant on any street without trying too hard.
And when the heat becomes uncomfortable, there are many gelaterias for a cooling gelato or ice cream.
Where to eat in Florence, Italy
You will note that dining in Florence happens much later in the day than you may be accustomed to. Many restaurants don’t open until 7 or 8 in the evening.
If you find a restaurant open earlier than this, it is probably catering to the tourist trade. And if you are after the local dining experience, you won’t find it here.
The tourist restaurants are, notoriously, overpriced and the food quality will not be that great.
Top 10 Restaurants in Florence, Italy
It is quite easy to visit Florence and dine on nothing but pizza and gelato. But, by doing so, you would be missing the real food of Florence.
Your choice of restaurant will depend on your budget and if you want to eat vegan or vegetarian. It will also be influenced on your time of eating. Are you looking for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
There are so many good restaurants in Florence that you could not sample them all, or pick your favourite 10 or 20.
How to eat like a local in Florence, Italy
When you visit a new city. Where do you start? One of the best ways to discover the legendary Tuscan food of Florence, is to go on a guided food tour.
You will not only visit the best restaurants in Florence but, you will come away with many recommendations for the best food.
You will fall in love with the Italian breakfast. Gorgeous Italian coffee with warm, sweet croissants filled with cream or fruit jam.
Best Places to eat in Florence
Elise is of the opinion that the food and restaurants in Florence are far superior to either Venice or Rome.
I have not actually been to Florence but, I have visited both Rome and Venice. And in neither place did the food strike me as being outstanding.
You will find that the best places to eat in Florence are an inspiring mix of trattorias, Michelin star restaurants, wine bars, markets, and panini shops.
If you like fresh pasta, Italian wines and truffles, you will have found your foodie heaven.
Top 20 Restaurants in Florence for every Budget
Whenever you are in an area where the tourists outnumber the locals, you are not going to find the best authentic Italian food.
And, there are hundreds of restaurants in Florence. But, you can’t visit hundreds of restaurants, you just need to know about two or three good, reliable eateries.
I have selected the first five from the list of 20 Elise has put together.
- Osteria Vini e Vecchi Sapori
- Brown Sugar
- Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina
- Zeb
- Trattoria da Ginone
If you like the sound of any of these Florence restaurants, click the above image, and head over to her site, to see what Elise has to say about each of them.
Best Restaurants in Florence
This post from the Jetsetter blog takes us on a stunning pictorial journey around the really top-notch restaurants in Florence.
Take a moment to peruse the post, the photography will blow your mind.
I suspect that the restaurants fetured in the Jetsetter blog may be beyond the purse-strings of most budget-conscious travellers.
Must-visit Sites in Florence, Italy
Florence is mooted to be the cradle of renaissance art. And, if you are a lover of history or a sight-seeing traveller, you will know that some of the best historical sites in the world are in Florence.
Florence is famous for magnificent churches. It was in these churches that many magnificent pieces of art were commissioned during the Renaissance.
.The museums in Florence hold a wealth of art and sculpture from the Renaissance period.
As well as being a centre for world art. Florence has incredible architecture and examples of civil engineering.
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