Additional Suggested Self-Guided Walks Through Florence

The first selection is offered through AboutFlorence.com's site. It has several suggested itineraries through the city of flowers. Check them out! Here's a sample itinerary:

Brunelleschi's Florence
Brunelleschi's works in Florence:
The dome of Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, piazza del Duomo.
Bargello Museum, via del Proconsolo, 4.
Church of Santa Maria Novella, Gondi Chapel, piazza Santa Maria Novella.
Hospital of the Innocenti (Founding Hospital), piazza Santissima Annunziata.
Church of San Lorenzo and the Old Sacristy, piazza San Lorenzo.
Palazzo di Parte Guelfa, via di Carpaccio.
Pazzi Chapel, Museo dell'Opera di Santa Croce, piazza Santa Croce, 16.
Rotonda of Santa Maria degli Angeli, piazza Brunelleschi.
Church of Santo Spirito, piazza Santo Spirito.

The second suggested itinerary is from Your way to Florence's site. (It's also the same site that suggests a 3-day itinerary.)

This one is a short self-guided tour, that should orient you to the area near the Duomo.
From the website: Start your tour with the religious center of the city - the Cathedral of S. M. del Fiore (Duomo), the bell-tower of Giotto, the Baptistery and the Golden Doors. Then, along Via Calzaiuoli, make your way to Signoria Square, the political center of Florence which is also an open-air Museum. Then through the Uffizi Square, get to the river Arno and to the world-known Ponte Vecchio with its wonderful jeweler's shops. Afterwards along Via Porsanta Maria reach the Straw Market and the little fountain with the famous wild-boar, one of the symbols of Florence. Continue along Via Calimala, Piazza Repubblica, (the most modern square in the historical part of the city, since the original buildings were knocked down at the end of XIX century and new ones, neoclassical style, were built over), Via Roma and make your way back to Duomo.

If you want to take a break from all the walking around, here are some parks Florence has to offer.

Categories: italy, florence, travel, reference, research, culture

Eats in Florence (by Neighborhood)

Restaurants in Florence (by neighborhood)

* Map It at TuttoCitta'!

Primer on Florentine Cuisine

Restaurants In the Historic Center (Centro Historico)

Da Pennello Via Dante Alighieri 4r 50100. 055/294848. T-Sat lunch and dinner; Sun lunch. NO CC. Reservations recommended. Also known as "Da Dante" - Da Pennello has great antipasti and Tuscan specialities.

Caffe-Pasticceria Gilli Piazza della Repubblica 39r at Via Roma 1r. 055/2396310. Closed Tuesday. 73oam-midnight (shorter hours Nov-Feb.)

Gran Caffe Giubbe Rosse Piazza della Repubblica 13-14r. 055/212.280. Daily 8am-1am. Caffe' in the piazza.

Caffe Rivoire Piazza della Signoria 4r. 055/214412. Closed Monday. (THE place for chocolate in Firenze! This place must be good, as it has been on several Food lists. Oldest chocolatier in Florence.)

Cantinetta dei Verrazzano Via dei Tavolini 18-20r. 055/268590. 8-20h. Closed Sun. No CC. Cheap. (Its review has links to other Tuscan food links.) Wine bar and bread store make for good inexpensive eats in city center.

Vini del Chianti Via dei Cimatori 38. 8am-8pm. Closed Sun. Panini/crostini/vin santo.

Pizzaiuolo Via dei Macci 113r. 055/241.171. Closed Sunday.

Le Mossacce Via del Proconsolo 55r. 055/294.361. M-F lunch and dinner. Inexpensive rustic Tuscan cuisine.

Restaurants In Santa Maria Novella

Baccus Via Borgo Ognissanti 45r. Moderate. 055/283.714. Tuesday-Sunday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., 7 p.m. – midnight. Closed Monday. Go for the pizza.

Buca Mario Piazza degli Ottaviani 16r. 055/214.179. Closed: Wed. (all day), Thur. (lunch).

Il Latini Via dei Palchetti 6r. 055/210916. Closed Monday, 12/24-1/5. (I saw this restaurant profiled on an episode of Rachel Ray's TV show when she visited Florence-although I don't know if it was a $40 episode?)

Pepolino Borgo Ognissanti 1r. 055/290978. Closed Sun. No CC. Moderate. (Listed under "Moderate." Not really a review of restaurants, but rather an extensive list of restaurants in Florence categorized by budget.)

La Carabaccia Via Palazzuolo 190r. (50123 zip) 055/214782. (reservations nec.) Closed Monday noon/Sun. Moderate.

Trattoria Sostanza Via Porcellana 25r. 055/212.691. near the Borgo Ognissanti end, Near Santa Maria Novella. Closed August. (Highly recommended by friends, natives, and Frommers) Reservations highly recommended. (From Frommers: Sostanza is popularly called Il Troia (the trough) because people have been lining up at the long communal tables since 1869 to enjoy huge amounts of some of the best traditional food in the city.)

Restaurants In Santa Croce

Acquacotta Via dei Pilastri 51r 50124 055.242907

Osteria de’ Benci Via de’ Benci 13r. 055/234.4923. 12-20 Euros. M-Sat 1-2:45 p.m., 8-11 p.m. Closed Sun.

Acqua al Due - Via della Vigna Vecchia 40r. 055/284.170. 16-25 Euros. 7:30 p.m.-1:00 a.m. daily. Closed Monday and 1 week in August. They have a restaurant in San Diego, CA. (For review, read Osteria Santo Spirito's.)

Del Fagioli Corso dei Tintori 47r. (50122 zip) 055/244285. Closed Sat/Sun/August.

Trattoria Cibreo Via dei Macci 122r. 055/2341100. Closed Sun/Mon, 12/31-1/6 some in July.

Restaurants In San Niccolo'

Enoteca Fuori Porta Via Monte Alle Croci 10r 50122 055.234.2483. The wine bar in Florence.

Enoteca Pane e Vino - Via San Niccolo 60-70r. 055/2476956. 12pm-2pm, 10pm-1am. Closed Sunday and August. Moderate. Extensive wine list. Interesting interpretations of Tuscan dishes.

La Beppa Via dell'Erta Canina 6r. 055/2342.906 Closed Wed. Homestyle Tuscan cooking at this trattoria.

Restaurants In San Lorenzo Market Area

Friggitoria Luisa Via Sant'Antonino 50-52r. 055/211.630. Closed Sun. NO CC. For a quick bite, stop by Luisa's eatery. Deep-fried sweets are her specialities: cimballe (doughnuts), crochette di riso (rice croquettes). She also has sandwiches.

Le Fonticine Via Nazionale 79r. 055/282.106. Tuscan and Emilian-Romagnan cuisines. For a review.

Trattoria Za-Za (San Giovanni) Piazza del Mercato Centrale 6r. 055/215.411. M-Sat 11:30 a.m.-11p.m. Closed Sun. For more info. click here.

Miro Ristorante Via San Gallo 57. 055/481030. Closed Sun. Moderate.

Nerbone Ground floor of Central Market (Mercato Centrale). 055/219.949. Closed Sunday. Lunch only. NO CC. For a quick bite, stop by the Mercato Centrale. (Downstairs are butchers, a fish market and other grocers. Upstairs are fruit and other veggie vendors.) Have a glass of vino, some pasta and soup - all at low prices.

Restaurants In Oltrarno

Osteria Santo Spirito Piazza Santo Spirito 16r. 055/238.2383. Daily 12:30-2:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m. (Note: There are reviews of Acqua al Due, Osteria Cinghiale Bianco, Il Fratellini (sandwiches in the street), Trattoria Quattro Leoni, Trattoria Baldovino, and Trattoria Mario in this thread.)

Trattoria la Casalinga Via dei Michelozzi 9r. 055/218.624. M-Sat 12-2:30 p.m., 7-10 p.m. Closed Sun, 3 weeks in August. (reviews)

Antico Ristoro di Cambi Via San Onofrio 1r. 055/217134. Close Sunday. Inexpensive to moderate.

Restaurants Outside the City Center

La Capannina da Sante - Piazza Ravenna (south of Ponte Giovanni da Verrazzano). 055/688.345. Closed Sun. Specializes in seafood, Tuscan style. Moderate.

Omero - Via del Pian de' Giullari 11r (south of Via della Torre del Gallo), Arcetri. 055/220.053. Closed Tue.

Ruggero - Via Senese 89r (south of Via del Gelsomino). 055/220.542. Closed Tue and Wed. Rustic Tuscan cuisine.

Stefano - Via Senese 271, Galluzzo. 055/204.9105. Closed Sunday and August. Specializes in seafood (oysters/raw bar).

SlowTrav's Florence Restaurant and Caffe' Reviews

NYT Restaurant Review

For restaurant info. on other Italian towns, click here.

(* LINKED restaurants are linked to their websites or reviews.)

Categories: italy, florence, travel, reference, research, culture