The Italians love to indulge themselves at the table. They enjoy their food – often dining for hours on end. And it’s true – you can eat your fill, even in Florence, without breaking the bank.
Local Specialities to try on your visit to Florence:
Arista alla fiorentina – grilled fillet of pork with rosemary and garlic
Baccalà alla fiorentina – stockfish in tomato sauce with basil
Biscotti di Prato (cantucci) – almond biscuits to be dipped in vin santo, a sweet dessert wine
Bistecca alla fiorentina – a 3.5-cm (1 1/2 in) thick T-bone steak
Carciofi fritti – fried quartered artichokes
Cinghiale (coniglio) in umido – wild boar or rabbit in tomato sauce
Crostini toscani – toasted bread spread with a paste made of chicken liver, capers and fresh herbs
Fagioli all’uccelletto con salsicce – white beans in tomato sauce with sage and pork sausages
Fettunta – toasted slices of white bread: in summer with tomatoes and basil; in winter with garlic and drizzled with freshly pressed olive oil
Lesso (bollito misto) con salsa verde – boiled meat (beef, tongue, chicken) with green herb sauce
Minestrone/zuppa di verdura – thick vegetable soup
Panzanella – a summer salad served on soaked white bread and tomatoes
Pappa al pomodoro – luke-warm tomato and bread soup
Pollo al mattone – chicken, pressed flat under a brick and roasted over a wood fire
Ribollita – re-heated vegetable soup with white beans and bread
Tagliata – steak, stripped from the bone and cut into strips
Tagliatelle alla lepre (al cinghiale) – ribbon noodles with hare or wild boar ragout
Trippa alla fiorentina – calf tripe with tomato sauce
Restaurants serving traditional Italian cuisine:
RIVOIRE
Expensive (if you sit down at a table), but in a class of its own. Don’t leave town without trying a cioccolata calda con panna (hot chocolate with whipped cream); the Rivoire is as much a part of Florence as the Palazzo Vecchio opposite. Tue–Sun 8am–midnight | Piazza della Signoria 5r
PENSAVO PEGGIO
It’s practically impossible to eat well and cheaply in the centre of Florence – but here’s the exception to the rule! Freshly prepared pasta dishes at lunchtime, followed by delicious fish in the evenings. Mon–Sat | Via del Moro 51r | Tel. 0 55 28 54 86
PROCACCI
If your palate calls for a glass of good white wine and an exquisite truffle pâté sandwich, rather than sweet snacks, and if you favour a slightly genteel atmosphere, you’ll go crazy for this place! Mon–Sat 10am–8pm | Via Tornabuoni 64r | www.procacci1885.it
CANTINETTA ANTINORI
At this pleasant cantinetta (wine bar) in the Palazzo Antinori, you can not only sample the famous wines from this winegrowing dynasty, but also try the appetising foods produced on the Antinori estates. This has long been a favourite meeting place for Florentine movers and shakers. Mon–Fri | Piazza Antinori 3r (Via Tornabuoni) | Tel. 0 55 29 22 34 | www.cantinetta-antinori.com
COCO LEZZONE
For years now, one of the places to be. Florentine society people squeeze into the cramped interior to enjoy superlative cuisine. Closed Sun and Tue evenings | Via del Parioncino 26r | Tel. 0 55 28 71 78 | Moderate | www.cocolezzone.it
DA MIMMO
Mimmo is committed to using only fresh ingredients for his excellent dishes – one more reason to come for a meal at this beautiful 17th-century theatre! Closed Sat lunchtime and Sun | Via S. Gallo 57–59r | Tel. 0 55 48 10 30 | www.ristorantedamimmo.it | Moderate
OSTERIA DEI PAZZI
Let Paolo spoil you with a few Florentine delicacies, including the typical bistecca alla fiorentina! Tue–Sun | Via dei Lavatoi 3r | Tel. 05 52 34 48 80 | Moderate
NERBONE
The Florentine clientele have been descending at lunchtime on this Mercato Centrale stand since 1872. Typical dishes at reasonable prices. Mon–Sat 7am–2pm | Mercato Centrale | Via dell’Ariento | Budget
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