Tuscan delicacies instead of soggy pizza, wine instead of queues: If you want to enjoy Florence, you have to get off the beaten track. Raffaella Usai reveals her best tips for your next trip to Tuscany.
Asians equipped with selfie sticks, American tour groups, German school classes - Florence is visited by millions of tourists every year, who crowd through churches, palaces and museums in a euphoric mood. It is hardly surprising that there are overpriced bars and cafés on every street corner, where guests are treated to loveless sandwiches, bad cappuccinos and boring Aperol Spritz.
But Florence doesn't just have tourist traps to offer: There are recommendable wine bars and restaurants with good value for money, where you can take a break from sensory overload and crowds with a great glass of wine.
A trolley full of balloon basket bottles in Florence around 1910.
Piero A. Boni EditoreThe Renaissance city is not only the home of Dante and Macchiavelli, Michelangelo and Botticelli. Florence is also the city of the ancient "vinai" and the "fiaschetterie", the typical wine taverns where wine used to be delivered in large balloon basket bottles, the so-called "damigiane". More than a shop, the "vinaio" was a meeting place for young and old, where people came to chat with friends over a glass of Chianti and a "panino".
At the beginning of the 20th century, a "fiaschetteria" was a kind of wine bar where mainly the "renaioli" - the workers who fortified the banks of the River Arno - but also craftsmen took their lunch break or had a snack at the end of the working day.
A typical "buchetta del vino" from the Babae wine bar in Via Santo Spirito.
Raffaella UsaiIf you want to recreate the atmosphere of the time, you should definitely stop by "I Fratellini" in Via de' Cimatori near Piazza della Signoria. No seats, but panini that are among the best in the city. Add a glass of wine, which you can place in the designated boxes, and the experience is perfect!
Another historical relic of Tuscan wine culture are the so-called "Buchette del Vino" - the "wine windows" of Florence. These small, arched pass-throughs are set into the façades of numerous palaces in the city and were originally used to sell wine directly to customers without them having to enter a shop.
Their history dates back to the 16th century, when Florentine noble families, who were often also wine producers, sold their products tax-free directly from their palaces. Customers knocked on the small window, ordered their wine, paid and received a filled carafe.
During the plague in the 17th century, the Buchette del Vino took on a new significance, as they made contactless sales possible. After a long period of oblivion, many buchettes have been restored in recent years and have been put back into operation in some establishments - especially during the Corona period.
Raffaella Usai
Il Santino has been one of my favourites for a good glass of wine and a small snack between meals for many years. The small wine bar with a few seats is located in the Oltrarno neighbourhood, just a ten-minute walk from the Ponte Vecchio. Whether you come with friends or alone, the casual atmosphere and the local clientele always invite you to linger.
However, you should bring some time with you for your visit, as the staff, who prepare everything fresh in front of the guests, often take a little longer to prepare the food.
We particularly recommend the fine selection of cheeses, which includes the excellent products from Aljoscha Goldschmidt's Tuscan Fattoria Corzano e Paterno. The wine list includes a large selection of Tuscan and Italian wines, and for some years now the focus has been on organic and biodynamic wineries. The good mix of well-known and up-and-coming producers is a convincing success.
In addition to the wine bar, the owners also run the restaurant "Il Santo Bevitore", which is just a few metres away. So if you're really hungry, you can stroll over right after the aperitivo.
Via Santo Spirito, 60 r, Florence
Tel. +39 055 230 2820
Mon - Sun 12.30 - 23.00
A real institution in Florence: the Volpi e l'Uva.
Raffaella UsaiA visit to the Enoteca Le Volpi e l'Uva is a must for any wine lover. For over 30 years, the restaurant has been the meeting place for anyone in the city who appreciates a good glass of wine beyond the mainstream. The wine bar, which is also known beyond the city limits, is just a Katzensprung away from the Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge in the city. Whether for a quick lunchtime snack or an aperitif - the staff, who are used to the hustle and bustle, spoil guests at any time of day with fine cheese specialities from Italy and France as well as small hot dishes.
The team around founder and oenologist Emilio Monechi regularly travels through Italy, always on the lookout for rare treasures. The owners are particularly committed to small, organic winegrowers. The changing open wine list is by far the most extensive in Florence. In addition to many Italian products, you can also find Chablis or Vouvray here. On Saturday evenings in particular, however, you can expect to wait a little longer for a table on the terrace or one of the coveted bar stools at the bar.
Piazza dei Rossi 1, Florence
Tel: +39 055 2398132
Mon - Sat 12.00 - 21.00, day off: Sunday
The "Listening Bar" Vineria Sonora is centrally located in the Sant'Ambrogio neighbourhood and has been delighting natural wine and vinyl fans alike since 2018. The retro-look venue combines a record shop with a bar-bistro atmosphere and regularly invites DJs and winemakers to party. Nowhere else in Florence will you find such an impressive selection of Italian natural wines - from unknown garage winemakers to the stars of the scene.
The cuisine focuses on artisan specialities from all over Italy, with a slight emphasis on Calabria, the home of owners Laura Giovinetti and Andrea Marsico. There are simple but sophisticated small dishes such as roasted porchetta, rustic lasagne with wild boar, crostini with spicy Calabrian 'nduja and seasonal side dishes such as baked pumpkin and artichokes. All in organic quality!
Just opposite, Giovinetti and Marsico run the small shop Lato B (B-side), which sells food specialities as well as records and books. Funky!
Via degli Alfani 39 r, Florence
Tel: +39 333 1999093
Tue - Sun: 5.00 pm to 1.00 am
The owners' great love is Tuscan wines made from Sangiovese grapes.
Raffaella UsaiYouthful idealism, great commitment and a love of exceptional wines inspired the three owners Edoardo, Zeno and Manuele to open their own shop directly opposite the imposing Palazzo Pitti almost 15 years ago. Back then, they took over the existing bar and immediately banned big names such as Antinori, Frescobaldi and Mazzei from their range.
Today they may be a little older, but their passion has remained the same. Instead of mainstream wines, you can still find characterful wines from smaller producers, such as Lambrusco Metodo Classico from Cantina della Volta or Valtellina Superiore from Arpepe. Mature vintages from many top Tuscan wineries are also on the menu.
The regularly changing selection of wines by the glass includes eleven red wines, seven white wines and three sparkling wines from traditional bottle fermentation. Even more interesting, however, are the bottled wines. To conquer these treasures, guests can either ask for advice or browse the shelves themselves. The focus is on Tuscan Sangiovese wines, for which the owners have an undisguised love, as well as Piedmontese growths - but South Tyrol, Veneto, Friuli and Sicily are also well represented.
Despite the central location, the prices are moderate: a selection of different cheeses is available for 16 euros, hot dishes for small appetites from twelve euros. Prices for a glass of wine (0.1 litre) are between seven and twelve euros.
Whether before or after a stroll through the Boboli Gardens, the Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina is always a good choice.
Piazza de' Pitti, 16, Florence
Tel: +39 055 212704
Mon - Sun from 12.00 - 23.00, no day off
Behind this small natural wine bar with adjoining bistro are siblings Nicola and Irene Schirru. The enterprising and extremely communicative sommelier Nicola has spent years earning the respect of guests at the Coquinarius near the cathedral and started a new project in 2022 with the Enoteca Spontanea. His sister Irene, a chef and passionate baker, treats guests to authentic cuisine accompanied by cheese and charcuterie specialities from "Slow Food Presidi".
Depending on the season, the menu offers creamy baccalà mantecato (stockfish) with caramelised onions on toasted brioche, game ragout with fresh tagliatelle, handmade agnolotti stuffed with francesina (Tuscan beef, slowly braised in red wine and onions) and crispy quiches with seasonal vegetables such as asparagus or chard.
The small restaurant is located in the Oltrarno neighbourhood, not far from Palazzo Pitti, and focuses on artisan wines from France and Italy. Nicola knows the winemakers personally and always finds the time to tell guests something about the winery. A great experience!
Via Maggio 61R, Florence
Monday - Saturday: 5.00 - 11.00 pm (hot food from 7.00 pm)
Simple but authentic Tuscan cuisine: stracotto at its best!
Raffaella UsaiTrattoria da Burde, which has existed for over 120 years, is no longer an insider tip and yet not every tourist has it on their radar. This is mainly due to its location outside the city centre, not far from Ikea and the airport, and therefore hardly a good area for a city stroll.
Nevertheless, the rustic Tuscan restaurant run by brothers Paolo and Andrea Gori should definitely be on your list when you next visit Florence. If you are looking for authentic Tuscan dishes such as pappa al pomodoro, ribollita, stracotto or a classic bistecca alla fiorentina, you will not only find what you are looking for here, you will be happy.
Paolo stands at the cooker and cooks according to his grandmother Irene's recipes. His brother Andrea is a renowned sommelier whose expertise is reflected in an impressive wine list of over 700 wines. It mainly includes Tuscan wines at extremely fair prices. There is hardly a top wine from Tuscany that Andrea cannot conjure up from the cellar. He also has a great passion for champagne, with many a surprise hidden on the menu!
Important: Da Burde is only open at lunchtime, except on Fridays. It is essential to book in advance, as the restaurant, which is popular with business people and families, is almost always fully booked.
Via Pistoiese 154, Florence
Tel. +39 055 317206
Mon - Sat: 9.00 - 18.00, Fri. until 23.00; day off: Sunday
Chef Silvia Miniera in her element.
Heiko MatternEnoteca La Sosta del Rossellino is located in the hills of Florence in Settignano, a neighbouring village of Fiesole. With its quiet location, the small restaurant is the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. This has also brought many a political celebrity here in recent years: Mikhail Gorbachev, Martin Schulz and even Angela Merkel have enjoyed the hospitality of chef Silvia Miniera here, undisturbed by cameras.
The very harmonious, fine cuisine is characterised by Tuscan and Sicilian influences, but is interpreted very individually by Silvia. One of her signature dishes, for example, is the "Gnocchi di patate al Castelmagno": homemade potato gnocchi with melted cheese, prepared entirely without eggs or flour, which you won't have tasted anywhere else with such a light and airy flavour.
For over 30 years, Silvia has been assisted by her father Damiano, who comes from Sicily and, even at 80 years of age, still looks after the well-being of the guests. The wine list is curated by the two of them. It features Tuscan and Italian wines from both unknown and well-known producers, as well as a small selection from France.
Despite the celebrity status of some of its guests, the Enoteca has retained its status as an insider tip. The warm and informal atmosphere and the clear, harmonious dishes are worth the slightly longer journey from the city centre.
Via del Rossellino 2R, Florence, Settignano district
Tel. +39 055 697245
Thu - Sun: 11.00 - 14.00, 18 -22; closed: Mon - Wed