Florence
Top Tips
Check out our favourite restaurants, sights and shops...
back to topRestaurants
Most of these require advance booking - or, in some cases, a bit of
queuing. In the traditional trattorie, remember to pace
yourself – there are lots of courses, and no shortage of
bread and pasta throughout.
TRAD TUSCAN
Trattoria Sabatino (£)
Via Pisana 2, tel 055 225955. Fab plates of pasta and as cheap as
chips.
Casa del Vino (£)
Via dell' Ariento 16/R. Squeeze in for a lunchtime glass of chianti
and a panini stuffed with Tuscan ham and cheeses.
Il Latini (££)
Via dei Palchetti 6r, tel 055 210916, fax 289794, illatini.com.
Closed Mon. Authentic Tuscan fare at mixed tables: an unforgettable
experience and stunningly popular - arrive by 8pm (or you can drink
a limoncello in the queue while waiting). Plates of
prosciutto and soprassata (cold cuts) are plonked down to
start – unless you object – followed by a choice of two
pastas; but leave room for the famous bistecca. Wine is
normally a rough red served in communal carafes. Service is
authentically gruff but friendly.
Trattoria Sostanza (Il Troia, ££)
Via Porcellana 25r, tel 055 21 26 91. Closed Sat & Sun. Known
locally as Il Troia, ('The Trough') because of its because of its
unpretentious, simple fare and loud, unsophisticated atmosphere.
But people keep coming for the vast and tasty portions of
bistecca, tripe and ribollita soup. Brush up your
Italian before you go.
Ristorante da Mimmo
(££-£££)
Via San Gallo 57-59/r, Tel 055 481030. Closed Sun. This stylish
restaurant is located in a small seventeenth century theatre, whose
peeling frescoed ceilings are now hung with dried peppers, garlic
and corn cobs. The clientele a mix of tourists and locals (always a
good sign in Italy), the well-priced piatti change on a
daily basis (another good sign). Our pasta Calabrese was served
with zucchini flowers and baccalà (cod) and presented
on colourful Tuscan tableware. The wine list is extensive, ranging
from classic chianti to the frankly rustic, with an appropriately
wide range of prices.
NOUVELLE TUSCAN
Cantina Barbagianni (£)
Via S Egidio 13r, tel 055 2480508 closed Sun. A great place for a
quick, light, good-value lunch in central Florence; 2-courses plus
coffee costs from 15 euros. Funky underground vaulted room with
yellow lighting; main courses usually come with succulent
vegetables..
Il Guscio (££)
Via dell’Orto 49, tel 055-224421. Closed Sun. Charming
multilingual waiters, excellent wine selection, and innovative
dishes like foie gras with spinach and mashed potatoes.
Osteria dei Cento Poveri (££)
Via Palazzuolo 31r Tel 055 218 846. Closed Tue. Excellent
Tuscan-based fare with lots of fish and some surprises: lobster
sauce for the pasta, fried courgette flowers, rabbit ragout. The
only drawback is that it’s absolutely packed every
night.
La Bocca Negra (££)
Via Ghibellina 124r, tel 055 2001098, Fax 055 2263038. Good food
and impeccable service in an atmospheric old building. We enjoyed a
bean and cuttlefish salad with aromatic sprigs of thyme and crunchy
parmesan, washed down with snooth Chianti; a egg-like crême
brûlée with the thinnest of sugar-shells; and the
smallest, most powerful espresso imaginable.
OTHER CUISINE
Momoyama (£££)
Borgo San Frediano 10r tel. 055 291840. Fresh sushi, black rice
with Thai curry and vegetables, all beautifully presented in a
space reminiscent of a Soho gallery. Expensive, and not much
English, though.
Il Vegetariano (£)
Via delle Ruote 30r tel. 055 47 50 30. Completely meat-free menu
– rare anywhere in Italy - in a cafeteria-style space with a
cheery, busy atmosphere.
Sights
Most museums and sites are closed on Monday. There are ongoing
renovation projects in many museums and churches, which may force
closure of one section. To avoid the queues, you can book online at
Weekend A Firenze (small
surcharge) and go straight in – definitely worth it for the
Uffizi and Bargello museums. Most major churches now have entrance
fees; those which don’t will require coins for illuminating
the interior’s artworks.
Uffizi Gallery
The finest picture gallery (and the busiest building) in Italy,
with so many masterpieces on show that you’ll need several
visits to do it justice. First-timers can stick to Florentine
Renaissance painters – that’s still a whopping 15
rooms! - including Lippi, Botticelli and da Vinci.
Online
reservations
Bargello Museum
The finest sculpture collection in northern Italy, with a huge room
devoted to the masterful Michelangelo, other works by Donatello,
Ghiberti and della Robbia, plus Renaissance bronzes and busts and
also exhibits from the rest of Europe and beyond.
Online
reservations
Museo Salvatore Ferragamo
Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm, Via del Tornabuoni 2. This iconic shoe museum is
a must-see for footwear fashionistas. Reservations are vital and
can be obtained in advance by calling 055 3360456.
Piazza della Signoria
The city’s loveliest square which also contains some of its
finest sculpture (or copies of them), including
Michelangelo’s David, whose privates were once covered with
copper fig leaves, and Giambologna’s equestrian Cosimo
I.
Palazzo Vecchio
The crenellated 13th/15th-century town-hall contains elegant salons
and eulogistic wall-paintings from Medici days
Palazzo Pitti
A collection of museums often ignored because it’s the
‘wrong side’ of the river – best is the Palatina
gallery, including works by Raphael and Titian, but don’t
underestimate the Modern Art and Silverware collections.
Duomo (cathedral)
Brunelleschi’s massive dome - still the largest brick and
mortar dome in the world - is visible from miles around, and
dominates Florence's roofline. You can climb to the top for
unrivalled views over the city. Outside, the tricolour marble
façade of the cathedral, baptistery and tower are stunning;
at sunset crowds gather to bask in their glowing hues.
San Lorenzo
The city’s oldest church, whose stark, brick-clad walls hide
a wonderful interior by Brunelleschi and, round the side, a series
of Medici chapels decorated by Michelangelo.
Santa Maria Novella
A lovely church with green, pink and white marble façade and
wonderful artwork, including a series of frescoes by Ghirlandaio
showing Biblical scenes in a medieval Florentine setting. There are
more paintings in the attached museum.
Santa Croce
Home of Florence’s Franciscans, and possibly founded by
Francis himself, the church has lovely fresco cycles by Giotto and
a side-chapel by Brunelleschi. There is a museum alongside, and a
lovely square outside, which every June hosts a violent and
colourful football match between the city’s 4
quartiere.
San Miniato al Monte
Like a multi-coloured beacon on the hill above the Piazzale
Michelangelo, this Romanesque church has a gorgeous marble
façade and a serene interior. Catch a taxi or a #13 bus up
to the Piazzale, and walk back down.
Boboli Gardens
The best place for a quiet picnic, with a fountain-island, a cave,
a cypress-lined avenue and an amphitheatre.
back to topShopping
Mercato Centrale
Open Mon-Sat mornings: the largest covered food hall in Europe,
with everything from fresh pasta to spicy salami, but barely a
tourist in sight. Near here are the endless leather-, clothes- and
shoe-stalls of San Lorenzo – better-known but still good for
reasonably-priced, well-made clothing. My leather jacket, bought
here for £50 in 1996, is still going strong.