Food in Florence: What to Eat in Tuscany's Food Capital

Florence sits in Emilia-Romagna’s shadow when it comes to food reputation — Bologna is officially Italy’s food capital — but Tuscany’s cuisine is deeply serious and distinctively its own. The meat tradition is extraordinary (Chianina beef, porchetta, cured meats from Greve in Chianti), the bean and bread soups are some of the finest peasant food in Europe, and the bread itself is famously saltless, which takes some adjustment.

The essential dishes

Bistecca alla Fiorentina — A thick-cut T-bone from Chianina cattle (a white breed native to the Arno Valley), grilled over hardwood or charcoal and served rare. The cut is at minimum 4cm thick and is sold by weight — typically 600g to 1.2kg per steak, so it’s usually shared. A proper one is expensive: €40–70 depending on weight. Doing it cheaply with inferior beef is not worth it.

Lampredotto — A tripe sandwich made from the fourth stomach of a cow, slow-cooked in broth, served in a bread roll with green sauce and chili. It is a Florentine street food eaten standing up, typically for lunch, from market stalls and trippai (tripe vendors). Nerbone in the Mercato Centrale is the most famous; the Trippaia on Piazza dei Ciompi is a proper tripe cart.

Ribollita — Tuscany’s most famous soup: cannellini beans, cavolo nero (black kale), stale bread, olive oil, and whatever vegetables are available. It’s made the day before and reboiled (hence the name). At its best in autumn and winter when cavolo nero is in season.

Pappa al pomodoro — Another Tuscan bread soup, this one with tomatoes, olive oil, and basil. Summer dish, served warm or at room temperature.

Pici — Thick hand-rolled pasta, wider than spaghetti, rough in texture. Served with cacio e pepe, wild boar ragù (cinghiale), or a simple garlic and olive oil sauce. Made by hand in every farmhouse kitchen in Tuscany.

The saltless bread issue

Florentine (and Tuscan generally) bread contains no salt. This is historical and intentional. It tastes flat to most visitors but functions as a vehicle for the strongly-flavoured toppings and soups it accompanies. Adjust your expectations rather than complaining to the restaurant.

Where to eat well

The best food is in Oltrarno (south of the Arno) and in the area around the Mercato Centrale. Avoid restaurants immediately adjacent to the Uffizi and on the main tourist pedestrian streets. A general indicator: if the menu has photographs, keep walking.

Markets

Mercato Centrale (covered market, San Lorenzo) for the full range. Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio (Piazza Sant’Ambrogio) is smaller but more local and less touristed.