In August, something strange and wonderful happens in Florence. Many restaurants empty out, and those who stay in the city find the real places: the ones without photos on the walls, without QR codes on the table. This is the Florence tourists rarely see. Here’s where we eat when Florence is ours.
The Florentine breakfast: a counter, a coffee, three minutes
Florentines don’t do elaborate breakfasts: a counter, a cornetto, a coffee drunk standing up. The secret is to look for neighborhood bars away from the main squares, like Bar Pasticceria Nencioni on Via Pietrapiana or Bar Ricordi on Via de’ Servi. For a slower, more curated breakfast, Revoir in Piazza della Signoria is an address that always works. And if you prefer an international-style breakfast, Bar I Magnifici, right next to Palazzo della Nave, is perfect even to take away, enjoyed in our courtyard with a view of the Duomo.
Lunch: quick, good and without ceremony
The best trattorias are recognized by the blackboard outside listing the dishes of the day. Three addresses Florentines have frequented for decades: Da Sabatino, Alla Vecchia Bettola, Da Ruggero. For a quick lunch, the Sant’Ambrogio Market is the more local choice, more authentic than the better-known Mercato Centrale. And then there’s the stuffed schiacciata, the true Florentine lunch on the go — Semel and Sforno are among the tastiest addresses for it.
Sunday lunch: the most sacred ritual
August or not, on Sundays Florentines eat with family, unhurried. Borgo Antico in Piazza Santo Spirito and Antica Mescita in San Niccolò are the right addresses to experience this tradition from the inside.
Dinner: Oltrarno and San Frediano hold their ground
These are the neighborhoods that best withstand the heat and the tourist crowds. Trattoria del Carmine is a classic of Tuscan cuisine. Il Guscio and Marina di Santo Spirito are the best choices for fish, the latter more elegant and suited to a special occasion. Piazza della Passera is perfect for an aperitivo or a gelato. For pizza, Gustapizza remains an unbeatable reference.
One rule only
The good food in Florence is found when you stop looking for it and start walking without a destination. Move away from the main squares, follow the sound of conversations spilling out of an open doorway, walk into the places without an English sign outside. It usually works.
At the reception of Palazzo della Nave we keep an updated list of our favourite addresses for every moment of the day — breakfast, lunch, aperitivo, dinner — with a few personal notes on what to order and when to go. Ask for it at check-in: it is one of the services our guests appreciate most.
