Florence Wine Bars & Restaurants Guide
- Alex Johnson
- Dec 1, 2023
- 10 min read
Updated: Apr 23
As someone who works in the wine trade and has spent months living in Florence over the last few years, here is a list of my go-to places for eating and drinking.
Last Updated: April 2025
Views from the Piazzale Michelangelo
Friends and family often ask me where myself and my wife go when we stay in Florence so I've created this list which I'll continue to update as I go. Most of places on this list are on the affordable to moderate end of the pricing scale as we would go out for lunch and dinner or drinks most days.
One thing I love about Italy is that it's very hard to get bad food anywhere, even in the most touristy place Italians can't bring themselves to serve terrible food. Having said that as usual in a city like Florence, you're better off avoiding the tourist traps next to the famous sights. Most of the recommendations will come from 2 areas in the old town - the Santo Spirito area in the south west where there's a long street full of traditional restaurants and bars (Borgo S. Jacopo up to Via Santa Spirito) and the Sant’Ambrogio area in the north east where there's a more studenty/locals buzz and you can find more international cuisines (Georgian, Israeli, Greek etc). If you're exploring the area around Piazzale Michelangelo then there's numerous places around Porta San Miniato to stop for a drink too.
When To Go
We've taken to going in late autumn and winter when there's fewer people, the mosquitoes are dead and it can get really hot even in October. We've heard people refer to Florence as "The Wok" as during warmer months the heat (and pollution) is trapped by the surrounding hills. In 2025 I went in April just before VinItaly and it really busy and personally I found it unpleasant with that many tourists.
Where To Stay
Having stayed there numerous times now we've settled on the Santa Croce area as our preferred area to stay. It's less busy but close to the action and the river, and you're not far from the Sant’Ambrogio area too. Also it's close to our favourite breakfast and lunch spots which is handy when you're working.
Another good option is the lovely village of Fiesole in the hills north of Florence with fantastic views looking down onto Florence. During Covid we stayed in Florence for a month and then moved up to Fiesole for 2 months as Florence has very limited green space and there's some lovely woods up there. It might also be a better option if you're there on your motorbike and you're worried about parking it on the street (having said that I've only ever seen one locked motorbike in Florence so it must be pretty safe).
Where To Drink
Wine Bars
1. Le Volpi e l'Uva
Hidden away around the corner from Ponte Vecchio is this lovely little wine bar with a great selection of wines by the glass (listed on a board outside - Both Italian and French wines). It can get very busy so if going for an impromptu drink it's best to go around lunch time or early evening. They do very nice snacks like cheese, charcuterie, crostini etc.
2. Babae
Babae is in the Spirito Santo area and will no doubt feature in every guide as it has the only working buchetta del vino or wine window where you can ring a bell and someone will pass you out a glass of wine. We didn't even notice it the first time we went here and we kept wondering where everyone outside were getting their drinks from. It featured on Stanley Tucci's: Searching for Italy food TV series so expect to see many an instagrammer line up for a selfie at the window. Tourists aside, they've some lovely wines including various orange wines, and the food is very good too especially if you need a break from boar ragu.
3. Il Santino
Just up from Babae is this tiny wine bar that I discovered with my wine trade friend on my most recent trip (Nov 2023). It's a lively bar where everyone flows out onto the street as there's very little seating. A great place to grab a plate of Prosciutto and a glass of wine and hang out on the street. It has that vibe of post work pints at a busy city pub in London or Dublin. The wine bar is connected to a restaurant (Il Santo Bevitore) which is also a solid choice for dinner
4. Enoteca Alla Sosta Dei Papi
This was our every day wine bar when we were living in Florence. It's a no frills wine bar/shop on a busy little street full of bars and restaurants and is always full of students and other locals. You'll need to order at the counter (in your best Italian) where the service can be a little gruff at times (in an endearing way). You can buy bottles to drink there and pay a few euro corkage or get whatever is going that day by the glass. They also do inexpensive snacks like cheese and charcuterie. This place is almost always full but we've always managed to get a table, there's bench seating inside which gets cosy or you can sit or stand outside.
5. Caffè Sant'Ambrogio
Another favourite is Caffè Sant'Ambrogio which has outside seating is in a little piazza outside a cute church. It's a great place to sit outside and people (and motorcycle) watch while drinking a cocktail or a glass of Franciacorta. There's table service outside but it's worth sticking your head inside to see what wines they have by the glass (usually some good wines like Barolo, Brunello etc)
Other Bars
1. King Grizzly
When only a beer will do then this is the place to go. It's a strange sort of Reggae "pub" down a back alley that takes its beer seriously with a good selection of craft & classic beers on tap. Very friendly staff and a nice atmosphere.
2. Il Vinile
A tiny little cocktail bar around the corner from King Grizzly with a Vinyl disc theme. Its small size makes for a cosy atmosphere where the Italians have been known to suddenly jump up and start dancing when the right song comes on.
3. Buca 10
Our favourite place to go for a cocktail and a snack, they also have some good wines. Cool interiors with interesting metal glass and plate stands. Last time I was here (Nov 2023) it was temporarily closed so I hope it'll reopen again.
4. Dondino
It has become a tradition to come here for our first drink after arriving in Florence. It may be a bit overpriced but it's a great place to come for an Aperitivo (I usually get a Negroni Sbagliato) and enjoy the view of the Santa Croce Basilica where the tombs of numerous famous people such as Galileo, Michelangelo, Rossini lie.
5. Red Garter (For Watching Sport)
If you're desperate to watch some sporting event then this is your best bet. It's a American themed steakhouse/sports bar that I can't recommend except to watch sport. The issue I've found is that while they may show what you want to watch elsewhere, often one of the local football matches will come on and they'll switch all the TVs over to that. It was here that I watched the final race of the 2022 MotoGP season where the Italian rider Bagnaia was set to wine the first championship for Ducati since 2007 and nowhere in Florence was showing it except here!
For football and rugby it's worth trying The Fiddler's Elbow Irish Pub in the Piazza di Santa Maria Novella.
Where To Eat
Breakfast
Breakfast for Italians seems to consist of a coffee and a pastry so in keeping with that I give you:
Finisterrae
If I'm going out for breakfast then only Finisterrae, adjacent to the Santa Croce Basilica, will do. It has the most amazing filled pastries/brioches you'll ever have, so come here for one or two of those and a coffee or if you haven't had enough sugar then also get a spremute (freshly squeezed juice). I like the brioches with creme (brioche con crema) or apple and cream (brioche con crema e mele) best. There's 2 ways you can approach this - sit outside under the covers and get table service which is considerably more expensive (but not outrageous) or only pay 3-4 euro for a cappuccino and a brioche by bravely going in and ordering at the bar (can be manic, stressful and a little gruff but I've come to love it), you can then eat inside or often there'll be a few tables outside (the covered area is reserved for table service) where you can enjoy the view.
Finisterrae is also a good option to come for an aperitivo in the evening.
The breakfast of champions at Finisterrae
Schiacciate, Sandwich Shops/Delis & Burgers
This section covers everything between 2 pieces of bread and should cover you for lunch if you don't want to go to a restaurant.
A schiacciata is a local crunchy oily bread somewhat like a focaccia. Florence (and elsewhere in Tuscany) is full of sandwich shops selling filled schiacciate. Personally, these are my favourite things to eat in Florence (other than the pastries at Finisterrae of course) and a great casual thing to eat with a glass of house wine. They're also a great option if you've missed the window when restaurants are open for lunch as they're usually open from midday until late.
I suspect people will very opinionated about where you can get the best schiacciate in Florence. Different places are better in different ways, whether it be the bread or a particular filling. The most famous one you'll hear about is All'Antico Vinaio which I avoid on principle as it has huge queues going down the street despite having 3 shops next to one another, it's good but it's not that good so best leave it to the instagrammers. Here are some of my favourites:
1. Panetteria e Stuzzicheria De Neri
One of our 2 go-to places for a schiacciata. These ones are comically large so if you plan on eating again that day then one between two of you will do (I still get one to myself and then complain to my wife that I've eaten too much for the rest of the day). My favourite one to get is La Deliziosa which comes with Porchetta, Mozzerella and Friarielli (also known as Rapa/Rabe, it's a kind of bitter leafy vegetable that tastes like broccoli). Wash it down with a glass of their own brand house red wine which you can buy bottles of to take away.
La Deliziosa Schiacciata from Panetteria e Stuzzicheria De Neri
2. SchiacciaMatta
Our other go-to spot is SchiacciaMatta which we've found to have the nicest bread. I think they might make it in house while the rest get it delivered. It's directly opposite the wine bar Enoteca Alla Sosta Dei Papi also.
3. Antica Porchetteria Granieri 1916
This is a small chain of sandwich shops, there's one in Florence (previously there was another by the train station) and a few in Umbria (it started there I think). They're all about Porchetta Panini (the giant roast pig in the window is a bit of a giveaway) so head here if you fancy some pork (get hot sauce in it) and a bottle of Perugian beer. There's one outside the main Santa Maria Novella train station so it's handy place to go if you're coming or going by train.
Pigging out at Antica Porchetteria
4. La Botteghina di Luca Menoni (Burgers)
Located in the famous Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio (which is worth a visit anyway and featured in Tucci's TV show) is an insane burger place that's part of a butcher shop. The burgers all have a very Italian take on them and come with a type of thick handmade crisps. You may need a nap after one of these so be warned.
5. Other Schiacciate Options
There's loads of good options all over Florence. SandwiChic (near the Accademia Gallery) and Lo Schiacciavino (near Santa Croce) are other good options.
Here is another guide to some of the best places to go with some nice pics: https://www.firenzemadeintuscany.com/en/article/the-15-best-schiacciate-in-florence/
Restaurants
You'll be spoilt for choice with trattorias serving local dishes. Most will serve more or less the same dishes, and I'm yet to eat in a bad particularly bad one. When in doubt, just do the usual and check their rating on Google Maps. I'd recommend going down to the Spirito Santo area, as there's a long street full of them down there, and that's where most of my recommendations are. If the one you want to go to is full, then the one next door is probably just as good. If you're going for dinner, then you will likely need to book a table as unless you're in the middle of winter I can be hard to get a table even if you do the very un-Italian thing and arrive at opening time around 7PM. I hate booking though, as I like to be spontaneous, so we tend to just turn up and chance it but often we have to try a few places.
I'm going to be a bit controversial and say I find Tuscan cuisine a bit boring versus elsewhere in Italy, certainly the famous local dishes. There's only so many times I can eat boar (Cinghiale) ragu with pappardelle, boar with polenta or Florentine steak (T-bone). Most places serve the same dishes and they don't vary too much so I'm only going to recommend alternative places.
Antica Fonte Taverna Fiesolana - View Location This is one of my favourite restaurants fullstop. It's located in the lovely hilltop Roman village of Fiesole just north of Florence where I spent a few months during COVID. The food menu here is amazing, great wine list and the staff are just lovely. It's a great place for lunch of the weekend and then have a stroll around the town and perhaps into the forest to where Leonardo da Vinci supposedly tested out his flying machines.
Al Tranvai - View Location
I first came here when my family visited me in Florence during COVID and it left a lasting impressions so I went back again in April 2025. The food isn't as accomplished as Antica Fonte Taverna Fiesolana but the options are way more interesting than the best of Tuscany playlist you get in most other places. It's a bit off the beaten track away from the tourists. The owner is lovely and I discovered a great white wine there last time (Vespaiolo by Le Vie Angarano - I randomly met someone from the winery in VinItaly 2 days later). Before or after lunch I recommend a stroll up the hill to Bellosguardo for great views over Florence, there's a particularly good vantage point outside a posh hotel here.
Other Options
Babae has good more modern food (especially the prawn and pistachio pasta) which is surprising seeing as it's a big tourist draw due to their wine window which featured on Stanley Tucci's Italian show. Cinghiale Bianco is another famous one from the show (we went to both these places before the show came out) if you want to tick another box then they do solid classic trattoria food.
