Eating in Florence is not a difficult task. There is food everywhere! There is food that ranges from cheap eats at a local café to a 3 Michelin star restaurant. There are a lot of famous places as well such as Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura at the Gucci Garden.
After spending 3 months in Florence I am listing a few of my personal favorites. These are lesser known as I see no point in telling you about the ones you have probably heard about already. I loved all of these places and I feel that they are worth the visit if you are in Florence and looking for delicious food!
- Osteria delle Tre Panche
This is first on my list because this osteria shows you true Tuscan food with a very warm feel. The place is small but cozy, the owners want you to feel as if you are getting your food from a family kitchen. Their specialty is in their truffles, and I have never had truffles like this before, simply heavenly! I tried their fresh truffle ravioli and let me tell you, I still dream of this ravioli! We also ordered the bistecca alla Fiorentina, Florentine style steak, which is a dish you must try while in Florence. This dish is served in many restaurants in Florence, however, I recommended trying it here. It is a very large dish so it’s best shared. If you want to try true Florentine food, this is the place to be!
Via Antonio Pacinotti, 32/r, 50131 Firenze FI, Italy
2. Pizzaman
This was my favorite pizza place. It is a franchise and I have heard both good and bad things from the other locations, but this review is coming from the one that I personally visited (the address is at the bottom). First of all, this place is always packed! This is not just a pizza restaurant; they have a lot of other Italian dishes as well and the place is decorated cute with posters from Naples and around Italy. They will make your pizza however you want it, or you can order from their list of pizzas. I may not be the best pizza critic, but I had a lot of pizza while in Italy and this place was my favorite!
Via Antonio Pacinotti, 40/42R, 50131 Firenze FI, Italy
3. Mago Merlino Tea House
This place does not serve food, other than their homemade cookies, but it is worth the trip even if you are not a big tea drinker. This is the best tea in the world! Or at least that’s what the owner told me haha I love tea and this place is just my cup of tea 😉 They have some of the most delicious tea blends that always comes with a set of their daily homemade cookies. Just a few things to note for before you go: This is a private place and you need a membership to get in, although its not hard to get membership, just talk to the owner when you get there and he’ll sign you up. Everyone there must order their own tea pot, so if you are with a group of friends, everyone there must order their own teapot or you can’t stay. The atmosphere is very relaxing, and I spent hours here. There are even times that people will bring their instruments and just sit and play music for a bit. My favorite room is in the back where there are just pillows on the floor where you can sit and drink tea, play board games or just chat with friends. They are open till pretty late as well so if you are tired from a day of walking around Florence this is a perfect spot to go and relax for a bit!
Via dei Pilastri, 33r, 50121 Firenze FI, Italy
4. Martelli Pasta Factory
The Martelli pasta factory is not in Florence, its in a town called Lari about an hour from Florence. It is the world’s smallest pasta factory and you can take a tour of the factory. Lari is a very small town but it’s a nice day trip from Florence. There is an old castle and a lot of really cute cafes. From the pasta factory there is a restaurant that serves the pasta. This was my favorite carbonara that I had while in Italy! Carbonara is my favorite type of Italian pasta and this place made it exceptionally well. After touring the pasta factory, you can go over to the restaurant I Burattinai. It was recommended to us by the factory owners and it is (or was at the time) the only restaurant in the area that serves their pasta. You can buy Martelli pasta in several stores nearby, but this was the only restaurant that serves it. Their food was amazing!
I do recommend contacting the factory before going to make sure that they are offering tours when you are there. It would be tragic if you go all the way to Lari and miss out on the factory tour. It was a fun experience to see the factory then immediately go to a restaurant to eat that very pasta!
Traditional Artisan Pasta Factory of the Martelli Family
Via dei Pastifici, 3 56035 Lari (PI) ITALY
I Burattinai
Via Pagolo da Lari, 12, 56035 Lari PI, Italy
5. Aji Tei
I know how much everyone loves Italian food and at the top of your list of things to do in Italy is eat all the Italian food possible. However, after being in Italy a few months I needed something other than Italian food. I love sushi and it was my birthday, so we went to a place recommended by a local friend. Aji Tei is an all you can eat sushi place for about 30 euros. I usually try to avoid all you can eat sushi because it really lowers the quality. This place does an amazing job and creating fresh and creative dishes that are mouthwatering! This is now one of my favorite sushi restaurants, and not just in Florence. I loved all their dishes and for only 30 euros it was well worth it. I ordered 30 plates total including dessert and it was all so very good! If you are in Florence and want a nice little break from Italian food, then check this place out!
Viale Spartaco Lavagnini, 20A, 50129 Firenze FI, Italy
Salmon and Sea Bream are my favorite! 
6. Belmond Villa San Michele
The final place on my list is a beautiful hotel up in Fiesole. Fiesole is a town up the hill where you will get the best views of Florence! When visiting Florence, it is worth the trip to go to Fiesole. They have some old roman ruins, a museum and a lot of nice cafes, restaurants, bars and a flea market once a month. Belmond Villa San Michele is a really beautiful hotel that hosts a lot of weddings and events. I am recommending this place for their tiramisu. Best tiramisu in Italy! We did not eat here, but we arrived for drinks and dessert. They have a great mixology bar that offers amazing drinks with fresh ingredients. But it was the tiramisu that left and everlasting impression on me and just for the tiramisu I would go back for sure! If you are looking for a place with a romantic environment, beautiful views, great cocktails and amazing dessert, then this is the place for you!
Via Doccia, 4, 50014 Fiesole FI, Italy
best tiramisu
That is my list of hidden gem restaurants in and around the Florence area. There are so many great places to eat and it is hard to pick which ones you want to visit, especially if you have a limited time. Hopefully this list will help you find some new places that you will love just as much as I did!
If you have any other recommendations on restaurants in Florence please leave a comment below!
Lollygaggers 