Top 10 best restaurants not to miss in Florence in 2024

Visit Italy has selected for you top 10 places to have a great meal in Florence. So here are the best restaurants worth trying during your visit to Florence in 2023.

Art, history and good food in Florence are always linked by an indissoluble fil rouge. Buca Niccolini a few steps from the theatre of the same name, is a perfect example. This much-loved restaurant, named after a famous playwright, combines the centuries-old Florentine passion for good food and exceptional local wines with a taste for innovative recipes and new flavours. If you want to enjoy Florence in its typical vibrant post-theatre atmosphere, you can't miss it.

Trattoria Zà Zà overlooks the central Piazza del Mercato Centrale, surrounded by the lively city context. It houses many halls in which several different architectural and furnishing styles combination (Tuscan, exotic, colonial and bohemian) offers a plunge into the past. The menu offers classic traditional Tuscan recipes; still, the cuisine focuses on creativity too, making room for culinary fantasy with national and international influences. It is no coincidence that the trattoria Zà Zà hosts Florentines, Tuscans, tourists, and Italian and international celebrities.

The historic Florentine restaurant La Spada locates just a few steps from Santa Maria Novella. Founded more than a hundred years ago as an ancient refreshment place, today La Spada has experimented with a successful formula working for over twenty years: a simple setting, genuine cuisine, and excellent price-quality ratio. In particular, the restaurant is famous for its rotisserie offer: the delicious and exquisite meats cooked on the spit or barbecued are its pride. The Florentine steak is cooked strictly over oak and hornbeam embers. Can you smell it?

Located in the magnificent setting of the Florentine Oltrarno (left bank of the river Arno), Trattoria Pandemonio is the right place if you want to enjoy homemade cuisine. In the kitchen, Cecco and his staff ensure that the recipes of grandma Fidelma and mother Giovanna are faithfully executed. The whole menu is accompanied by a great selection of the best Tuscan wines in the cellar. Rolando, the father, will guide you in the discovery of their small wine world, while Giovanna will welcome you with overwhelming warmth. Visit the ancient heart of Florence: the Brogi family is waiting for you.

Strolling through Florence, opposite the beautiful Piazza Santa Croce dominated by the basilica of the same name, you will find the Bisteccheria Santa Croce. Traditional Tuscan cuisine is the main protagonist of this restaurant's menu. Guests particularly appreciate the tasting of local cured meats and cheeses accompanied by jams and marmalades and a glass of excellent local wine. Whether it's a sunny or gloomy day, a stop at the Bisteccheria Santa Croce is always a good idea. 

Trattoria dall'Oste is a paradise for meat lovers. Born out of a passion for Florentine steak, it is now a reference point in the city's restaurant scene. It stands out for its selection, and exclusive use of top quality certified meats, boasting collaborations with international suppliers and local breeders. Thanks to this incredible passion and dedication, the restaurant has achieved impressive results, including being the best Italian steakhouse and 27th in the World's 101 Best Steak Restaurants 2022 ranking. The culture of meat is also reflected in the design of the trattoria's five locations in the historic centre of Florence. Each one is characterised by minimalist furnishings, reminiscent of the old butchers' shops of yesteryear, where the display of meat puts the customer in direct contact with the raw material, the true protagonist of the restaurant. 

The Osteria del Fiore offers a unique experience: enjoy the best traditional Tuscan dishes just a stone's throw from the mammoth Duomo! The fantastic location rewards this tavern; the excellent quality of the raw materials, a vast menu and a reasonable price-quality ratio accompany the splendid view of the Cathedral. Dining at the Osteria del Fiore means doubly experiencing the beauty of Florence: you have the chance to taste the best local delicacies surrounded by its splendid historical, artistic and cultural setting, of which the Duomo is the emblem. 

The Museo della Bistecca is a restaurant that offers a unique experience to its customers, combining the Florentine passion for meat with the artistic atmosphere of a museum. The setting is the centre of Florence, less than five minutes walk from Piazza della Signoria, a vibrant place of art, tourism and good food. The perfect combination to experience a real journey to discover Florence and the flavours of the best meats from all over the world: the Italian buffalo Tomahawk, the Australian Waygu, the Irish Angus, the Finnish Sashi and, of course, the classic and unmissable Fiorentina steak.

Nearby the beautiful Piazza della Signoria, in the heart of Florence's historic centre, you will find the ancient Osteria del Proconsolo. It has been committed to providing tourists and Florentines with an excellent meal in the Tuscan tradition for fifty years. The backdrop of the magnificent historic centre, the friendliness of the staff, the selection of the best wines in the world and the unmistakable flavours of Italian and Tuscan cuisine will transport you to the relaxing atmosphere of the Osteria del Proconsolo. Diners also appreciate the excellent price-quality ratio. 

Osteria La Bistecca stands out for its fantastic location: it overlooks the beautiful Piazza della Repubblica in the centre of Florence. Moreover, it focuses on the audacious purpose to become a reference point in Florence's historic centre for lovers of Tuscan and, more generally, Italian cuisine. How? First of all, by taking care to select top-quality raw materials. Knowing how to recognise and respect them leads to an excellent proposal to the customers. The best recipes from the Tuscan tradition, the finest raw materials (among which the Bistecca Fiorentina stands out), the exceptional location in the heart of Florence, and an elegant and informal setting, make Osteria La Bistecca the perfect place to enjoy an authentic Italian and Florentine experience.