34 Best Restaurants in Florence, Italy

This is the perfect place to grab a bite and/or a glass of wine after a visit to the nearby Uffizi. Only the very best ingredients go into owner Alessandro Frassica's delectable panini.

Serving arguably the best panini in town, proprietor Alessandro Frassica sources only the very best ingredients. Located right behind the Uffizi, 'ino is a perfect place to grab a tasty sandwich and glass of wine before forging on to the next museum.

Come here for creative panini, such as sgrombri e carciofini sott'olio (mackerel and marinated baby artichokes), and an ever-changing list of significant wines by the glass. It also has a good selection of bottles to go.

This tavola calda (cafeteria) in the middle of the covered Mercato Centrale has been serving Florentines since 1872. Tasty primi and secondi are always available, as are bollitos (boiled beef sandwiches), but the cognoscenti come for the panino con il lampredotto (tripe sandwich)—best when it's prepared bagnato (with the bread quickly dipped in the tripe cooking liquid) and served slathered with the green and/or spicier red sauce.

What is, perhaps, the oldest and best wine bar in Florence serves cured meats and cheeses, as well as daily specials. Crostini and crostoni—grilled breads topped with a mélange of cheeses and meats—are the house specialty, but the verdure sott'olio are divine, too. The lengthy wine list offers great options by the glass and terrific bottles from all over Italy and beyond. All this can be enjoyed at rustic wooden tables and seated outdoors when weather allows.

A hop, skip, and a jump from Orsanmichele in the centro storico and in existence since 1875, I Fratellini sells wines by the glass and has a lengthy list of panini, including pecorino with sundried tomatoes and spicy wild-boar salami with goat cheese. There are no tables: this is strictly a sandwich counter.

Though it has only four tables and four small stools at an equally small bar, Il Santino is blessed with a big wine list and superior cheeses, cured meats, and other delicacies. It's the perfect place to have a snack or a light lunch.

An oenophile's dream, this spot—whose name translates as "the foxes and the grape" and is based on one of Aesop's fables—is off Piazza Santa Felicita. Here, affable, knowledgeable "volpi" (foxes), pour wines by the glass and serve equally impressive cheeses and bite-size sandwiches.

A few minutes from Santa Croce, this charming osteria serves some of the most eclectic food in Florence. Try the spaghetti degli eretici (in tomato sauce with fresh herbs). The grilled meats are justifiably famous; the carbonata is a succulent piece of grilled beef served rare. Weekly specials complement what's happening in the market, and all of the food pairs beautifully with their wine list, which is heavy on things Tuscan.

What many consider the best gelateria in the centro storico embodies the "practice makes perfect" adage. It's been making ice cream since 1939.

At this classy Florentine institution dating from 1885, try one of the truffle panini and swish it down with a glass of prosecco.

One of the best spots in Florence for people-watching offers stellar service, light snacks, and terrific aperitivi. It's been around since the 1860s, and has been famous for its hot and cold chocolate (with or without cream) for more than a century. Though the food is mostly good (it's not a bad place for a light, but expensive, lunch), it's best to stick to drinks (both alcoholic and non-) and the terrific cakes, pies, and pastries.

Watch chickens roast over high flames while you decide which of the delightful side dishes you'd like to enjoy as well. Although this place is strictly takeout (there are no tables), it's open on Sunday when most places are not.

Watch chickens roast over high flames as you decide which of the other delightful things you're going to eat with it. The beauty of this place is that it's open on Sunday when most things are not.

Hidden in a little cul-de-sac just down the street from the Ponte Vecchio, this colorful eatery has a variety of sandwiches (both hot and cold, most of which are served on five-grain bread), crostini, salads, and various tartares. Vegetarian and vegan options abound, but the kitchen also has a way with Italian cured meats. The cocktail list is impressive and includes a lengthy list of variations on the Venetian spritz, served here in Mason jars.

Although there are some serious wine offerings at this spot in the heart of the centro storico, it's also a good place for tasty breakfast baked treats and light lunches.

At one of Florence's biggest markets, you can grab lunch to go, or you can cram into one of the booths and pour from the straw-cloaked flask (wine here is da consumo, which means they charge you for how much you drink). Food is abundant, Tuscan, and fast; locals pack in. The ample menu changes daily (nine secondi are the norm), and the prices are great.

Conveniently placed very near the ticket office of the Basilica of Santa Croce, this bar does it all: great coffee, terrific pastries, fine wines by the glass, and tasty sandwiches.

This little wine bar combines the best of Italian and French cheeses with wine from the same places to create true gustatory pleasure. The list of crostini is creative and offers some unusual pairings (like French Brie with Italian Speck, which is dotted with a spicy tomato chutney). Bottles of wine and artisanal foodstuffs are also available for purchase. All this can be enjoyed while sitting outside.

Specializing in things Sicilian, this shop is known for its tart and flavorful granità (granular flavored ices), which are great thirst-quenchers.

Specializing in things Sicilian, this shop is known for its tart and flavorful granitàs (flavored ices), which are great thirst-quenchers. It's also a great place to grab a gelato after seeing Michelangelo's David.

Those in the know contend that this might be the best gelateria show in town. The limone ai biscotti (a delicate lemon sorbet dotted with crumbled cookie) might well illustrate the point.

Florentines with serious sweet tooths come to I Dolci di Patrizio Corsi, which has a deliciously bewildering selection of chocolate- and cream-filled pastries.

Florentines in the know come here for the deliciously bewildering selection of chocolate- and cream-filled pastries.

You can assemble a perfect dinner, from soup to nuts, at this Florentine favorite, which specializes in whole and half chickens, grilled or roasted. Order takeout or eat in, which is what many locals do.

Come early (or late) to grab a seat at this tiny spot frequented by Florentine university students and businesspeople, who come to enjoy the day's primi (the lasagna is terrific), perhaps followed by the polpettone (meat loaf) and tomato sauce. Though seats are cramped, and the wine is no great shakes, the service is friendly, and the food hits the spot.

Near Santa Maria Novella is La Spada. Walk in and inhale the fragrant aromas of meats cooking in the wood-burning oven. You can either eat in or take it away.