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study abroad food diaries florence hero 2025
Kelly Troop
Lifestyle

The Best 7 Bites I Had During My Study Abroad In Florence, Italy

Welcome to Spoon Eats World, where college students dish on the unforgettable food spots they found while studying abroad. They took notes inside and outside of the international classroom, capturing their favorite bites and best local spots – from bustling markets and cozy cafes, to TikTok-famous eateries and hidden gems.

Name: Kelly Troop
Hometown: Yonkers, NY
School: Bucknell University, NY
Major: Creative Writing
Minor: Italian
Study Abroad Location: Florence, Italy
Study Abroad College: Syracuse University
Length of study abroad: 3.5 months

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 some of the best bites I tried in Florence, Italy while studying abroad.

January 15, 2024 — The Best Panini In Florence

study abroad food diaries florence hero 2025
Kelly Troop

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. Anytime I needed a comfort meal or a quick and easy sandwich, Sandwichic was my top choice, and I quickly became a regular. My favorite sandwich was focaccia bread, fennel salami, pecorino cheese, and a sweet red pepper sauce. 

January 20, 2024 — The Most Perfect Pizza

study abroad food diaries florence hero 2025
Kelly Troop

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.

February 13, 2024 — The Best Italian Breakfast Ever

study abroad food diaries florence 2025
Kelly Troop

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. 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. 

March 20, 2024 The Creamiest Affogato

study abroad food diaries florence hero 2025
Kelly Troop

You can’t be in Italy and not have a constant craving for gelato, a light and simple sweet treat that is perfect no matter what time of day. While Vivoli is very well-known across Florence for it’s phenomenal gelato, 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 balanced by a little bitterness from the coffee. 

April 8, 2024 — The Best Pasta I Tried In Florence

study abroad food diaries florence hero 2025
Kelly Troop

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.

April 10, 2024 — The Best Bite Of Steak I’ve Ever Had

study abroad food diaries florence hero 2025
Kelly Troop

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. 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, cappellacci with ragù, and lasagna.  

But My Best Bite Was…

study abroad food diaries florence hero 2025
Kelly Troop

Osteria Del Cinghiale. Located across the Arno river, is a small medieval style restaurant where my friends and I enjoyed our last meal before returning back to the States. Since we are all food lovers it only made sense to end this incredible travel experience with a bang. It was the only time that we ordered a four course meal including a creamy truffle burrata appetizer, flavorful spinach ricotta balls in a light butter sauce for our first plate, salty Florentine steak for our second plate, and sweet and light tiramisu for our dessert. The ambiance was beautiful and intimate and the service was impeccable. This meal was one I’ll never forget. 

Kelly Troop is currently a National Writer for Spoon University and has written for them since January of 2023. Her article topics and interests range from restaurant guides and product reviews to interviews with food content creators and trending food news.

She is also in the process of taking over her university’s Spoon chapter at Bucknell. Outside of writing for Spoon University, Kelly is currently working toward her BA in Creative Writing from Bucknell, as well as a minor in Italian. She has worked in a number of different roles including a tour guide on her college campus, a content writer for MoneyLion, a financial technology company, and is currently working in the alumni and development department at the Horace Mann School in Riverdale, N.Y.

In her free time, Kelly loves to read, cook, and play tennis with her friends and family. Her favorite genre is murder mystery, and she just finished reading The Da Vinci Code. Additionally, her favorite dish to make is homemade pasta with fresh pesto sauce. She is hardworking and diligent and is interested in a career of publishing, advertising, editorial, and/or marketing after she graduates college.