There aren’t nearly enough words in the English language to describe my experience studying abroad. In late January, I flew out of Newark airport to embark on a three and a half month program studying and living abroad in Florence, Italy through Syracuse University. I learned the language, spoke with locals, went to museums, heard about and experienced Italian culture first hand, and tried tons of different restaurants, gelato stores, sandwich shops, and wine bars. As someone who loved and appreciated food and meals long before college and study abroad, Italy, and Florence in particular, was a foodie’s dream come true.
Something I recommend for anyone planning on studying abroad is to record EVERYTHING. Whether it is your favorite restaurants, places to go out at night, favorite stores, favorite type of wine. It not only helps you keep those special memories forever but it allows you to pass your knowledge and expertise on to the next group of people lucky enough to experience what you have. This is exactly what I want to share with you. Here are the best restaurants in Florence I tried while studying abroad.
Best Breakfast In Florence
Something I learned while studying abroad is that breakfast means something very different for Italians and for Americans. We tend to eat big breakfasts of yogurt, eggs, cereal, pancakes, waffles, fruits, and French toast, but Italians treat breakfast as something much more low-key. Oftentimes, they will drink a cappuccino or a macchiato and eat a small pastry or croissant before their day begins. Whether I wanted a breakfast like that or something that reminded me of the U.S., here are my fave morning eateries.
Rooster Cafè
Missing home? I would definitely recommend Rooster Cafè. It is pretty popular for tourists as it emulates a typical American breakfast, but after a night out on the town, the eggs benedict with a side of roasted potatoes is the perfect cure.
Melaluca
Melaluca is famous around Florence for its incredible cinnamon buns. They are soft and gooey with a delicious cinnamon filling and creamy frosting on top. Whenever I’d go here, I’d get scrambled eggs and sourdough toast and, of course, a cinnamon bun to split with my friends. Be prepared for a short wait time as the restaurant is small and very popular.
La Bottega Di Pasticceria
When I studied abroad in Florence, I lived about twenty minutes outside of the city. La Bottega Di Pasticceria was a five minute walk and my favorite place for a good cappuccino and delicious pastry. This bottega felt authentic, the prices were great, and the ambiance was perfect.
Best Lunch In Florence
Lunch in Italy is defined by the panini. Delicious crispy bread, salami, prosciutto, or porcetta, pesto, balsamic, or truffle spread, and mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano, or burrata. Any mixture of meats, cheeses, sauces, breads, and vegetables makes for a mouth watering and unforgettable sandwich. Below are my favorite lunch places in Florence.
L’Girone De’Ghiotti
L’Girone De’Ghiotti was one of the last paninis I tried before returning back to the states. It is a very popular spot for tourists and locals alike so the wait was a little longer than some of the other spots I’d tried in the past. However, while my sandwich was phenomenal, La Rossa with brie, prosciutto, arugula, and truffle cream, the nutella sandwich was what stole the show. On warm focaccia bread, they spread thick and chocolatey nutella and sprinkled it with sea salt. If I try hard enough, I can still picture the taste of it.
Sandwichic
Anytime I needed a comfort meal or a quick and easy sandwich, Sandwichic was my top choice. Originally recommended to me by a friend of mine who studied abroad in Florence in the fall, I became a regular at Sandwichic, even getting to know the people who worked there. My favorite sandwich was focaccia bread, fennel salami, pecorino cheese, and a sweet red pepper sauce.
Gustapizza
Gustapizza was another rarity that I visited more than once while I lived in Florence. There was usually some sort of line to sit down, but once you were in everything else ran smoothly. My favorite dishes were the pesto pizza with burrata and the truffle pizza with arugula and prosciutto.
Best Dinner In Florence
If there is one thing everyone associates with Italy, it’s pasta and pizza. During my time abroad, I tried my best to eat at as many different restaurants as I could, eat as many new dishes as I could, and only repeat restaurants that I truly thought were worth it. What I can say with absolute certainty is that it is impossible to have a bad meal in Florence. The ingredients are fresh no matter where you go, and each dish is made with a care and quality that isn’t as common in the United States. Below are my must try dinner spots.
Osteria Santo Spirito
Osteria Santo Spirito not only makes you feel like a local, but the food and ambiance is truly to die for. This restaurant was one worth a double visit. The first time I tried it, I got the famous four cheese gnocchi. It was crispy and very dense and reminded me of gnocchi mac and cheese. The second time around I tried the homemade fettuccine with bolognese sauce.
Trattoria Sabatino
This was a GOLDEN FIND!!! The restaurant doesn’t take reservations so my friends and I got there 20 minutes before opening to wait in line. This was probably the most authentic restaurant I visited while in Florence. It was completely family run, and every single menu item felt like something made specifically for me by a nonna (an Italian grandmother). I tried ravioli, roasted chicken, and four different kinds of desserts.
Buca Mario
Buca Mario was the only restaurant with a Michelin star that I ate at while in Florence, and it was definitely one of my most memorable meals. My family and I each ordered a different dish, including filet mignon and roasted potatoes, homemade fresh ricotta and spinach cappellacci with butter and sage, homemade fresh ricotta and spinach cappellacci with ragù, and lasagna. Everything was incredible, and the service was great.
Best Gelato In Florence
You can’t be in Italy and not have a constant craving for gelato. Most commonly offered in flavors of pistachio, chocolate, coffee, stracciatella, lemon, hazelnut, and strawberry, you can also find other less popular flavors like mint chocolate chip, chocolate chip cookie, or tiramisu. Gelato is light and simple and is the perfect sweet treat no matter what time of day. Below are my favorite gelato places to try.
Vivoli
Vivoli is very well known across Florence. Not only is its gelato phenomenal, it is actually most famous for an Italian classic called an affogato, a scoop of vanilla gelato and a shot of espresso. It is beautiful to look at and is the perfect mixture of sweet, cold, creamy, and a little bitter. It is definitely worth a try.
Sbrino
When you cross the Ponte Vecchio (the bridge that separates the two sides of Florence), you happen upon tons of lesser known but delicious restaurants and gelato shops, one of which is Sbrino. It is small and not as popular on TikTok, but is just as amazing as all those that are. When I tried this place I got a scoop of hazelnut and a scoop of dark chocolate and the flavors complemented each other in the best way.
Central Market
Whether you are looking for gelato or just a good meal, the central market is a must. About 10 minutes from the Duomo, the central market is filled with different food vendors selling gelato, cannolis, lampredotto (a Florentine delicacy made from the stomach of a cow), pasta, pizza, and paninis. I tried the stracciatella flavor and also tried a nutella filled sfogliatelle (a popular Italian puff pastry).
Food Rules
Something I felt extraordinarily lucky to be able to do was experience the Italian culture and rules of food from real Italians. And let me tell you, they were not afraid to teach. After many mistakes of pairing foods with the wrong beverage to buying gelato from inauthentic places, I had a pretty strong grasp of the top rules Italians had about food by the time I was heading home.
- Florentine Steak only comes rare.
- Do not order a cappuccino after 11:00 a.m..
- Do not put parmesan cheese on any pasta dish with fish.
- Never use cream when cooking a pasta sauce.
- Never eat your spaghetti with a fork and spoon.
- Pasta should always be cooked al dente.
- Red wine is best paired with red meat and chocolate, and white wine is best paired with fish and white meat.
- Tipping is not customary.