The very best restaurants in Florence (2024)

The very best restaurants in Florence (1)

Photograph: Antico Ristoro di Cambi

The best restaurants in Florence exude elegance and rustic charm (or sell really good sandwiches)

Written by Phoebe Hunt

Contributing Writer, Florence

Written by: Silvia Marchetti & Lisa Harvey

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When it comes to Italian food, Florence is where it’s at. This is the birthplace of gelato, bistecca fiorentina, andevenvodka pasta, don’t you know? In the heart of the Tuscan hills, this city is known for its meat dishes, from wild boar pappardelle to tripe sandwiches).

But don’t be mistaken, no one goes hungry here– veggies can get stuck into truffle pastas, summery panzanella and hearty soups like ribollita, made from veggies, beans and soaked bread. Here, you can choose from rustic family-run trattorias tucked down cobbled side streets, or more glamorous destinations with flower-covered walls and cellars strewn with fairy lights. Our local writers have scoured every one of them. Read on for the best in Florence.

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This guide was recently updated by Phoebe Hunt, a writer based in Florence.At Time Out, all of ourtravel guidesare written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see oureditorial guidelines.

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Best Florence restaurants

1.Trattoria Cammillo
Photograph: Phoebe Hunt for Time Out

Just over the Arno river in Florence’s bohemian Santo Spirito quarter, Trattoria Cammillo is a Florentine stalwart that’s hardly changed since it opened in 1945. In fact, the grandchildren of Cammillo himself are still at the helm, and you’ll find Chiara, the matriarch of the family, in here most days. The vibe is loud and delightfully chaotic, but the seasonal specials never fail to deliver: go for persimmon tiramisu in autumn, lightly fried courgette flowers in spring, and whatever pasta dish is on the daily-changing list of ‘piatti del giorno.’

2.Il Santo Bevitore
Photograph: Phoebe Hunt for Time Out

Il Santo Bevitore is one of Florence’s most romantic restaurants, especially on summer evenings, when streetside tables spill out onto the street and couples stroll by arm in arm. The food at Il Santo Bevitore is excellent, but it’s as much about the wine here, with a strong natural wine offering and hundreds of bottles to choose from. Flickering candles and exposed stone walls make this place at once rustic and elegant. Founded by three childhood friends who are passionate about ingredients and provenance, the interiors are simple enough to let the food shine.

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3.Trattoria Cibrèo
Photograph: Phoebe Hunt for Time Out

Tucked away in a corner of the Sant’Ambrogio neighbourhood, Cibrèo championed nose-to-tail cooking decades before it became cool. Since the late seventies, visionary chef Fabio Picci brought so-called ‘peasant food’ (cucina povera) from the home kitchen to the restaurant scene, serving chicken heads, tripe and stale bread soup (ribollita) without apology. Gradually his restaurant empire grew into a cafe, an organic supermarket and an asian-fusion restaurant, transforming this unpolished market square into Florence’s culinary epicentre.

4.Trattoria Marione

The very best restaurants in Florence (10)
The very best restaurants in Florence (11)

Two words: boar sauce. Old-school style in ambience and cooking techniques, Trattoria Marioneis perennially filled with Italians on their lunch break or out to dinner with friends. Make sure to order the seasonal specials and ask for the waiter’s recommendations. Call in advance to secure a table, especially during the Italian holidays. And make sure you order the Florentine ribollita.

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5.Trattoria Mario

The very best restaurants in Florence (12)
The very best restaurants in Florence (13)

This little trattoria offers family-style seating (you can learn some Italian while here!) at low tables. Join usual diners in ordering carafes of red wine to go along with the rich Tuscan dishes. Trattoria Mariooozes pure Florentine cooking, serving traditional favourites that have been around for centuries. The menu changes daily, but make sure you get whatever’s got the ragù in or with it.

6.Il Giova

The very best restaurants in Florence (14)
The very best restaurants in Florence (15)

This place is not for tourists: the eclectic decor and tightly packed tables don’t call to mind the sort of ambience that many look for when visiting. Il Giova is a family-run local lunch spot perennially crowded with folks craving the daily changing menu, concocted by the owners each morning depending on what’s found fresh at the San Ambrosio market across the street. If you notice the fried porcini mushrooms on the menu, you have struck gold.

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7.Ristorante Buca San Giovanni

The very best restaurants in Florence (16)
The very best restaurants in Florence (17)

When you dine at Ristorante Buca San Giovanni, you're dining underground. Likestepping into a cave, the restaurant is foundinside a beautiful 1300s church crypt decorated with ragged stone archways and religious imagery. ‘Buca’ in Italian today means ‘hole’, but originally it was a place where pilgrims and knights stopped to eat. It was also a hiding spot for members of secret societies, and we'd say there’s still a certain mysterious vibe to the place. The food served has evolved into fancy twists: expect dishes like risotto with celery mousse and marrons glacés(candied chestnuts).

8.Osteria Santo Spirito

The very best restaurants in Florence (18)
The very best restaurants in Florence (19)

This osteria sits right at the corner of one of the friendliest piazzas in all of Florence and one that many tourists miss because they don’t venture far enough into the other side of the river. Osteria Santo Spirito is worth the walk, trust us: the portions are larger than most (half-portions are also available...why would you want that?), the ambience is purely magical, and, most importantly, the sizzling truffle and cheese gnocchi is to die for.

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9.Antico Ristoro di Cambi

The very best restaurants in Florence (20)
The very best restaurants in Florence (21)

Florentines are meat lovers. How could they not be? In the fertile green plains of Tuscany graze premium Chianina cows that make unique, huge thick steaks, which Florentines love (usually opting for rare). The temple of Chianina is Antico Ristoro di Cambi, and a proper Florence experience, with fascinating vaulted ceilings, dangling pork legs and huge wine flasks. The T-bone steak is the centrepiece here: it overflows the plate, and definitely requires two people to finish it off.

10.Il Latini

The very best restaurants in Florence (22)
The very best restaurants in Florence (23)

Family run and a local favourite, walking into Il Latini feels like walking into the family kitchen and, well, you sort of are. The traditional Tuscan restaurant tucked into the narrow streets by Piazza Repubblica boasts a full menu of Florentine favourites, from crostini appetizers to a mixed roast platter or Florentine steak. Locals tend to quickly fill up the tables, so it’s best to make a reservation in advance. Bonus points: dogs are treated even more generously than their human counterparts here.

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