Florence is a maze of medieval streets and grand Renaissance boulevards. Even in these post-pandemic travel times, so many visitors flock to Florence that it can be downright difficult to find places to eat in the city center that won’t gobble up your wallet or serve you a horrible “tourist menu.” But, worry not—when you travel to Italy, there are loads of restaurants in Florence where you can lunch alongside the locals.
TRAVEL TIP: If you are on a budget, then choose your lunch spots appropriately. Many expensive restaurants have the same menu for lunch as they do dinner only cheaper since they don’t bring out the fancy linens and tableware.
TRAVEL TIP: If you want to eat like a local, avoid menus in the window that have English subtitles. You can also look for locals that are lined up outside. Italians will line up for quality at a good price.
Where can you eat the best lunch in Florence? Below you’ll find my 3 Favorite Lunch Gems in Florence:
I Buongustai You don’t get more authentically Florentine than the fare served at I Buongustai on Via dei Cerchi, 15. Not far from Piazza Signoria, but far enough that it's out of the way for most tourists. I Buongustai cooks up tasty pasta and risotto daily with all the seasonal fixings. Fair warning it's small inside. You will be sitting shoulder to shoulder with the locals so enjoy the real life of Italians.
Osteria Buongistai
Via dei Cerchi, 15/R 50122 Florence
Tel. +39 055 291304
Fuori Porta For lunch in Florence away from the crowds, you can’t do better than Fuori Porta. This indoor/outdoor enoteca in Florence is just outside the Porta San Miniato entrance. Great place to people watch if you chose to sit outside. Originally a wine bar, they have some of the best wines and you can even buy a bottle to go. Must-try dishes at Fuori Porta include the polpette in salsa di pomodoro ( meatball in tomato sauce - they are huge) and the pici with wild boar sauce pici con ragu di cinghiale.
Fuori Porta
Via del Monte alle Croci, 10 50125 Florence
Tel. +39 055 2342483
Francesco Vini Located on Borgo Dei Greci, this family-run restaurant (and cantina) has been serving the locals since 1977. Borgo dei Greci is crowded with tourists as it connects the Basilica of Santa Croce to Palazzo Vecchio. I love it for the warm and cozy wooden tables inside and the small outdoor patio on the back of the building with less traffic (weather permitting, they have tables on Borgo dei Greci as well if you like to people watch). The risotto with pecorino cream, caramelized pears, and black truffle is out of this world. The servers speak great English. Most likely the most populated (and expensive) of the three by tourists because of its location. But worth it for their collection of Tuscan wines, deserts, and traditional Tuscan recipes.
Francesco Vini
Borgo dei Greci, 7R 50122 Florence
Tel. +39 055 218737
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