Where to Eat in Florence Archives

Where to Eat in Florence for Easter (Pasqua and Pasquetta)

March 29, 2018 / Florence, Italy, Where to Eat in Florence / 0 comment

sorry, bah babes. You’re what’s for lunch and dinner this weekend

(UPDATED MARCH 2018)

Unless you will be munching with your family or friend’s family this Sunday (Pasqua) and Monday (Pasquetta) in Florence, then you might find this post useful. If you happen to be going to someone’s home for Easter, don’t forget to pick up a chocolate egg- preferably from Vestri in Piazza Salvemini if at all possible. You can never have too much chocolate on Easter, right?

Not all restaurants in Florence are closed on Pasqua or Pasquetta, in fact some of them drum up really special menus for the occasion. And not all will have special Easter menus- which I note in my suggestions.

grilled lamb at Trattoria Cammillo (I love Cammillo)

Here are 10+ ideas for where to eat in Florence worth considering for your Easter Sunday and/or Monday meal. Plus links to dining outside Florence and food blogs to create some Italian Easter food at home.

Eater just published my top 10 picks for the best new restaurant openings from 2017– some of them are on this list but in case you’re looking for more ideas! For sure open from this list is Trattoria Moderna for Monday Pasquetta for dinner, Osteria dell’Enoteca for Easter, Massimo Bottura’s Osteria at Gucci Garden (open both Sunday and Monday- no special menu), Bottega Conviviale (Monday closed at lunch but open Lunch & Dinner on Easter, regular menu) and Ristorante Tehran for authentic Persian food in the center in case you’re craving international flavor as well as Ararat (Georgian and Armenian fare). Addresses and phone numbers in the Eater guide map linked!

Also- since Pasqua and Pasquetta fall on Sunday and Monday- try this guide I built for restaurants in Florence open Sunday and Monday– call to make sure they are open when reserving. The following are sure fire bets. Continue Reading →

New farm-to-table openings in Florence’s Sant’Ambrogio district

October 26, 2017 / Florence, Italy, New Openings, Where to Eat in Florence / 0 comment

Sant’Ambrogio to me is the city’s culinary landmark. It has the daily food market and some of the best restaurants in the city. Personally, this is where the heart of Florence’s food culture beats and where I learned the bulk of how to cook Tuscan food, gleaning secrets from fellow shoppers and my favored purveyors. In Sant’Ambrogio, you find the institutions boasting Florence’s gastronomic specialties like cafe & bakery Nencioni, the pop & son run street cart of Via de’ Macci who does lampredotto & tripe, a couple wine treasure chests like Sosta de’ Papi and Enoteca Sant’Ambrogio, Gilda’s vintage accoutered sweet & soulful Tuscan restaurant, Marco’s Semel and his signature panini and of course Fabio Picchi’s Cibreo empire.

One of the best parts about this quarter is being a bit off the beaten path, one can relish in a slice of Florence without the crushing crowds. This is why I choose my gourmet market tour to taste around here- to give visitors a chance to experience not only great food but genuine culture. Continue Reading →

Where to Eat on the Cheap & Budget Dining in Florence, Italy

October 5, 2017 / Florence, Italy, Where to Eat in Florence / 0 comment

One of my least favorite questions to get from people, whether friends or strangers, are “can you recommend a restaurant Florence dove si mangia bene ma per poco. (where you eat well but paying little)” Even worse, is when someone asks “where is a good place for aperitivo in Florence that has loads of food and doesn’t cost a lot.” Or even better “where can I eat well, with a view, in the center, eat well and pay little.” I decided to respond to my least favorite question with a curated, quality round-up of cheap eats & budget restaurants in Florence. Continue Reading →

10 of the Best Restaurants in Florence for The Guardian

September 14, 2017 / Florence, Gourmet Press, Italy, Where to Eat in Florence / 0 comment

Curious Appetite is at it again- eating way too much for the sake of important journalism! Hey, it’s a hard job but someone has got to do it!

This was one of my favorite commissions yet, not to mention one of the proudest moments in my career. While I mostly rag on Florence’s dining scene, I definitely come to her defense when people say “A Firenze si mangia male” perche’ e’ troppo turistica” (Food sucks in Florence thanks a lot to mass tourism). Yes, Florence’s tourism problem is getting out of hand and with very haphazard approaches towards addressing it, but there are indeed valid gems still worth eating at near Florence’s major attractions.

Link here for all you curious travelers:

10 of the best restaurants near Florence’s major attractions Continue Reading →

The Best Restaurants in Florence open all August (updated 2017)

July 28, 2017 / Florence, Italy, Where to Eat in Florence / 2 Comments

Pasta in Florence tomato pappa al pomodoro — All things summer tomatoes at Osteria de’ Pazzi- open all August

You’ve probably read about it: Italy shuts down for the month of August. Well, not entirely. Over the last 12 years, I’ve seen this shift of cities being less of ghost towns. My first visit to Italy was 2005 in Florence during August- can’t remember noticing this apocalyptic country closure. But in 2007 I was studying in Perugia for the summer and I definitely witnessed the city empty gradually through July until August arrived and all there was left were the tumbleweeds and overheated classrooms (and professors). The last 5 years, I’ve noticed a shift of closures becoming less month-long to 10-14 days, or less.

This post is a curated guide to restaurants in Florence open in August- all month long. Bear in mind Ferragosto, the 15th of August/Assumption day, mostly everything in town will be closed similar to the Christmas effect. The listings I’ve handpicked are restaurants who confirmed being open all month, some even the 15th. Some will be closed or will decide last-minute to close for the 15th so better to call ahead when you make a reservation or if you plan on stopping by. Continue Reading →