Top 15 Best Things to Eat in Florence, Italy

By Jenny Barkan on February 3, 2014

The 15 Best Food to Eat in Florence, Italy

(Also Known As: The 15 best foods you can eat in your entire life.)

If any of you have the good fortune of visiting the Tuscan capital of Italy sometime in the near future (or if you just want to gawk at delicious food), then I command you to consider this list of unrivaled Italian eats. Studying abroad in Florence for four months will teach you many things—like the fact that you’ll inescapably have to purchase bigger pants half way through the semester—but there is one lesson that must be emphasized among the rest: This city does food like no other. Thus, I’ve decided to finally narrow down my favorite 15 things I put into my mouth while living in Florence. Sometimes I look at the pictures below and my heart physically aches because I know I can’t taste this mouthwatering goodness again unless I travel across the Atlantic Ocean, so I sincerely hope that some day soon you will be able to experience the pure, unparalleled bliss of letting these incredible creations of culinary gold melt inside your mouth.

15. Gnocchi inside pizza crust

The name of this dish says it all—soft balls of gnocchi floating in a cheesy tomato sauce inside of a bowl made out of homemade pizza crust. Talk about uniquely beautiful. Why doesn’t this exist in America? You can find it at Pizza Man, (Via dell’Agnolo, 107R) a casual joint that many of the locals claim makes the best pizza in Florence.

 

14. Crema flavored gelato with melted chocolate

I know all you chocolate lovers probably have separation anxiety at the mere thought of ordering anything remotely vanilla-like at a gelato shop in Italy, but Rivareno (Borgo degli Albizi, 46R) is the place to try it. The crema flavor, as its name implies, is a super creamy spoonful of smooth bliss. Once your gelato is scooped into your cup or cone, ask the server to sprinkle it with Rivareno’s warm, gooey, made-in-shop chocolate.

 

13. The John Travolta Special

This is the single best noodle I’ve ever eaten. The owner of Il Profeta (Borgo Ognissanti, 93R) claims John Travolta once came into the restaurant and licked his plate clean after ordering a dish full of these noodles. I don’t know what the sauce is. I don’t know how to describe it. I don’t know why it’s so good. All I know is if you go to Il Profeta, they give all their customers a taste of the John Travolta Special as a complimentary appetizer and it’s wonderful.

 

12.  Pizza Calabrese from Gusta Pizza

In my opinion, Gusta Pizza (Via Maggio, 46R) is the best pizza you can find in Florence. Though it’s almost always packed with American tourists, their menu is precise: 7 pizzas and 1-2 specialties per day. If you’re having trouble deciding, go with the Pizza Calabrese. It’s Gusta’s mouthwatering tomato sauce topped with balls of fresh mozzarella cheese and spicy salami.

 

11. Freshly squeezed orange juice from any bakery or café in the city

If you find yourself in desperate need of some nutrition after eating all these carbs, stop in any bakery or café in the city. You’ll likely see a pile of fresh blood oranges sitting behind the counter, waiting to be squeezed into a delightful glass of OJ. It’s fresh, sweet, and full of delicious pulp.

 

10. Pasta with garlic and oil

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the choices of fancy sauces and pastas, so why not opt for something simple? This spaghetti dish made with garlic and oil is extremely underrated. Osteria Santo Spirito (Piazza Santo Spirito, 16R) piles on loads of noodles for a very reasonable price, and if you like garlic as much as I do, you’ll love the huge chunks of it plopped on top.

 

9. Chocolate mousse from a gelato shop

Though it’s hard to pass up the traditional scoop of gelato, most shops are also home to an array of other sweet treats, like a cup of fluffy chocolate mousse. Stop in Gelateria dei Neri (Via dei Neri, 26) and try a scoop. It’s the ideal mixture of chocolate and cream that combines to form a texture of fluffy goodness.

 

8. Baked Truffle Gnocchi

This is another all-time favorite from Osteria Santo Spirito (Piazza Santo Spirito, 16R) and the picture is basically all you need to know. Gnocchi drenched in truffle oil and then baked to perfection. It’s flawless.

 

7. Spicy Salami Sandwich from Antico Vinaio

All’Antico Vinaio (Via dei Neri, 74) is the best spot to hit up for a quick, delicious lunch. Rated #1 on Trip Advisor of all the restaurants in Florence, this place is efficient. Although it’s a small, hole-in-the-wall type of place, you can’t miss it because of the long line that stretches into the middle of the street during lunch hours. They have delicious meats, like prosciutto and spicy salami, and a great selection of vegetables (i.e. roasted zucchini and eggplant!). If you do anything at all there, you must try the pecorino cheese spread.

 

6. Chocolate lava cake made by you in a Tuscan village

Yes, you read that correctly. I made this one myself. In an Italian woman’s kitchen. In a villa overlooking the vineyards of Tuscany. My study abroad advisor, who happened to be an amazing cook, invited me and my friends to her house for a cooking lesson where we made this flawless dessert and piles of homemade pasta. If you have the opportunity to do so, I highly recommend taking a cooking class with the locals, so you can feel as proud of your creations as I do of mine.

 

5. A plate of homemade dough balls with prosciutto and mozzarella cheese

Technically the menu at Ristorante Il Teatro (Via Ghibellina, 128) describes the dough balls as fried pasta, but either way, they’re an amazing appetizer. The best way to eat it: First cut open a dough ball, spread the cheese across the middle and then wrap it in a piece of prosciutto. The combination of flavors and textures are what make this appetizer so mouthwatering—I’ve never tasted or felt anything like it.

 

4. Burrata with melon and honey

This creamy, melt-in-your-mouth cheese was one of the many delicacies I’d never heard of until I arrived in Florence. I tried it at several restaurants all over the city, but there is no doubt that La Giostra (Borgo Pinti, 10) does it best. Sprinkle it with a bit of honey and try a spoonful. Then wash it down with some sweet, ripe melon. Your taste buds will not even comprehend the pleasure that just hit them.

 

3. Homemade cheesecake from 4 Leoni

Fact. You’ve never had cheesecake like this before. Trattoria 4 Leoni (Via de Vellutini, 1R) gives you the option of choosing either fresh berries or warm chocolate to put on top, and though I always preferred berries, you can’t really go wrong here. The only somewhat coherent way I can describe this cheesecake: soft and fluffy and creamy and literally no dessert has ever tasted better.

 

2. Handmade pear ravioli with asparagus

Runner up for the best thing I ate in Florence is another spectacular dish from Trattoria 4 Leoni (Via de Vellutini, 1R). Their handmade pear ravioli is sprinkled with bits of asparagus and smothered in a creamy white sauce. Bite into the pasta and a sweet explosion is released from the fresh pear slices wrapped inside. It’s an epic combination of creamy and sweet that cannot be found anywhere else in this world.

 

1. The best rigatoni in the world that comes in a giant bowl

This is it. This is the absolute best thing I put into my mouth while living in Florence for four months. I have dreams of eating this. I stare at this picture on my phone at least once a week. I’m even naming my future cat Mr. Rigatoni because of this dish. Trattoria 13 Gobbi (Via del Porcellana, 9R) is home to this extremely cheesy, extremely delicious take on a traditional rigatoni dish. I mean just look at it—warm, giant noodles swimming in a mixture of gooey cheese and sweet, fresh tomato sauce. In your own personal bowl. If you only get one meal in Florence, I’m begging you, please let it be this.

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