where to eat in Florence Archives

Where to eat & drink outdoors (all’aperto) in Florence

July 19, 2023 / Aperitivo, Florence, Italy, Where to Eat in Florence / 0 comment

Whenever warm temps roll around, locals tend to want to lounge and linger over meals and drinks outdoors. This post is a round-up of my personal picks on where to eat outdoors Florence (all’aperto in Italiano) for Aperitivo hour and naming names for restaurants in Florence with outdoor seating. I will say, if temps are giving hot hot hot vs comfortably warm, I would suggest to opt for indoor dining if they have air-conditioning…

If you’d like to experience some of these spots on a curated walking tour, check out and book a seat on Curious Appetite’s Aperitivo Tour or our Progressive Dining Crawl of Florence.

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38 Best Restaurants in Florence for Eater

March 2, 2017 / Florence, Gourmet Press, Italy, Where to Eat in Florence / 0 comment

There are a few mantras I live by:

“There are only two mantras, yum and yuck, mine is yum.”― Tom Robbins, Still Life with Woodpecker (one of the greatest love stories I’ve ever read)

“Work is love made visible. And if you can’t work with love, but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work.” ― Kahlil Gibran

“The tortoise heard his taunting jeer, But still resolved to persevere, You may deride my awkward pace, But slow and steady wins the race.” The Tortoise and the Hare, Aesop

All which can explain my silence around these blog’s parts, not laziness I assure you! I’ve been incredibly busy, more busy than I’ve ever been: testing out eateries (yum) designing a new food tour in Bologna (love) and somehow magically meeting article deadlines (slow and steady wins the race).

If you are looking for the best restaurants in Florence, check out this guide I wrote for Eater, that I tortured myself over, from eating out to hours of writing, but eventually got it done:

http://www.eater.com/maps/best-florence-restaurants

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A Curated Guide to Restaurants & Food in Florence, Italy

February 23, 2017 / Florence, Italy, Popular, restaurants in Florence, Where to Eat in Florence / 1 Comment

If you’re getting overwhelmed by all the listicles on my blog, bookmark and study this page dedicated to where to eat in Florence- including street food, coffee shops, gelato joints and links to other guides within the blog or for publications I have contributed to such as Eater, Vogue and The Guardian. Follow my instagram page for more food in Florence advice, too.

(please note this page was first published in 2017 and is regularly reviewed & updated, last review was February 2023. If there is something missing, please contact me)

These are my personal picks for the worthiest restaurants in Florence respected by locals, tastemakers and run by passionate chefs/cooks/staff dedicated to serving and showcasing consistently delicious, quality food in Florence. Continue Reading →

Hotel Dining in Florence, Italy for Vogue

October 7, 2016 / fine dining, Florence, Italy, Press / 0 comment

one of the best tartares yet: quail egg, smoked eggplant and Sicilian ricotta salata (Hotel Brunelleschi)

Eating in hotels has always turned me off but Italy has showed that sometimes the *best food is served at (very few) hotel restaurants. *Best meaning: presentation, chef-focused creations, awareness of the international palate (thus not afraid to play with flavors), service and ingredient quality. Why would you want to eat at a hotel restaurant? Because these places are pretty much the surefire bets for fine dining in a city stuck in traditional trattoria ways.

Check out my latest piece on Vogue, where I sampled several restaurants (and sweat many days at the gym to make up for it) to come to a conclusion of a fine list of 6 hotel restaurants in Florence.

Link: http://www.vogue.com/13482348/best-food-in-florence-guide-hotel-restaurants/ Continue Reading →

Ora d’Aria, Florence

September 30, 2016 / fine dining, Florence, Italy, Where to Eat in Florence / 0 comment

Until this year, I never experienced a meal at a Michelin-star restaurant- in Florence, Italy or anywhere. Part of this is because Seattle’s fine dining scene is somewhat non-existent and my first years in Florence were spent “faccendo la gavetta“, putting in my dues so to speak. The Michelin-star restaurant title had been one with both allure and eyeball “give-me-a-break” rolling, but still nevertheless a curiosity…I wanted to know what it was all about. Continue Reading →