Florence Restaurants and Dining

(Florence, Tuscany, Italy)

Florence, Italy is full of wonderful and exciting places to eat out, with a wide choice of every kind of food imaginable. The many stylish locations offer a wide variety of superb, mouth-watering menus, often with an emphasis on fish.

Pasta, combined with excellent local Florence produce, such as fresh tomatoes, olive oil and rich Italian cheeses, all combine to create the wonderful and delightful flavours associated with Italy. Whether you are looking for a romantic meal for two or trendy, lively Florence dining, the only problem is deciding where to go as there are so many restaurants to choose from!

Bars in Florence, Italy

Bars in Florence mainly function as cafés, although they do serve alcohol. Prices vary depending on whether you are seated at a table and being waited upon, or simply standing at the bar - which can be as much as half the price. Typical bar foods in Florence include such treats as panini sandwiches and tramezzini, which are large white bread sandwiches, flattened and toasted and other Italian specialities, such as pizza slices, pasta dishes and tasty salads, often served with Italian cheeses.

Snacks and Picnics in Florence, Italy

Head for markets, corner shops or supermarkets for picnic supplies, where you will find a wide range of food from cold meats and cheeses, to fresh bread and pizza slices. Combined with a bottle of wine, these can be the perfect ingredients for a meal 'alfresco'.

Restaurants in Florence, Italy

Most locals tend to eat lunch (pranzo) at around 12:30 and dinner (cena) from 20:00 onwards, although many Florence restaurants do serve dinner earlier, mainly for tourists. Both lunch and dinner usually follow the same pattern:

• To start with, an antipasto, or hors d'oeuvres, which may be seafood, olives, crostini (toasts), beef carpaccio, ham or salami is served
• Primo follows, which is either soup, rice, risotto, polenta or pasta
• The main course (secondo) will be fish or meat, either served alone or with vegetables (contoni) or salad (insalata), usually at an extra cost
• To finish with there may be a choice of fruit (frutta), pudding (dolce) a cheese selection (formaggio) or possibly some Italian ice cream
• Finally, coffee is the last course and Italians always drink espresso at the end of the meal

In most restaurants there will be a menu of some description, which in cheaper establishments may just be simply chalked up or explained by the waiter. You will also find a good menu of some of Italy's finest wines to enjoy with your meal and fixed price meals may include a bottle of wine.

There are many different types of food served in Florence's restaurants, but amongst the most popular are pizzas and pasta. Pizzas can be either eaten in a pizzerie, where large, round, thin pizzas are cooked in traditional wood-burning ovens, or alternatively, you can order pizza by the slice in a 'pizza à taglio' and either eat it at one of the small tables or take it away and enjoy it, whilst admiring the nearby architecture of the city. Other food sold at takeaway outlets includes a variety of sandwiches, rolls and snack food. Pasta comes in an enormous array of shapes, colours and styles. Probably the most popular type most often served in local restaurants is spaghetti. Served with sauces, including olive oil and garlic, or rich tomato and basil, these meals are simple, but very tasty. Many gnocchi dishes are also usually available and are often served with a meat sauce.

For vegetarians, there are plenty of alternatives in all Italian restaurants and these usually include wonderful fresh vegetables and cheeses. There are also a few restaurants that specialise in vegetarian cuisine, serving some delicious meals.

Eating out in Florence is something that should not be rushed and meals tend to range from good to exceptional. Most restaurants in Florence offer standard traditional Italian dishes, some quite regional, although many offer much more besides. Prices are generally very reasonable and a meal is Florence is usually money well spent and very filling.