From Uffizi to Sfogliatella: Best Food in Florence, Coffee, Restaurants, & Art

View onto Duomo from Uffizi Gallery Cafe.

Hello my adventurous friend!

I came to Florence for travel & history. It was a difficult time in my life when I made this decision, but a good one, nevertheless. In fact, one of my rules with myself is always to eat good food at any destination & Florence was no different. To this day, the Renaissance city is one of my top 5 to eat & explore. And even though I came to Florence to explore & figure things out…I left with a love for sfogliatella - a pastry that stole my heart.

Today I am sharing some of the yummy places where to eat in Florence, from gelaterias to pizzerias to cafes. My love story with sfogliatella. And at the end I dedicated a paragraph to the famous Uffizi Gallery. How could I not?! It was an honor to be able to visit such a rich & historic place.

Practical Tip: Always. And I mean ALWAYS check opening times of each place. For restaurants reservations are highly recommended, which can be made through the website of each restaurant directly, The Fork™, or OpenTable™. In some coffee shops they might charge you a small"table fee" called "coperto" for sitting down to have coffee, it is usually 1-2 euros.

The Overview:

Gelaterias:

Gelateria De’ Medici on Piazza Cesare Beccaria - my absolute favorite & that’s the only one I actually enjoyed.

Edoardo & Vivoli come highly recommended, but I didn’t make it to either of them.

Coffee shops:

Cortese Cafe 900 - vegan, gluten free, organic, raw. Don't let this throw you off, it will surprise you, trust me!

Caffe Lietta - a busy traditional cafe. Come early, or on off peak hours if you're looking to sit down. Great selection of pastries. Friendly staff.

Restaurants:

SimBIOsi Organic Pizza - one of the best pizzas I've ever had. Organic ingredients. Cozy atmosphere. Great prices.

Ristorante Brandolino - innovative & creative twists on traditional dishes. A gastronomic journey. High quality ingredients. Aesthetically pleasing environment. I'd say it's a great date night spot.

Caffe dell’Oro - a contemporary Italian "cafe". For best views onto Arno riverwalk & Ponte Vecchio. Creative dishes. Aesthetic atmosphere.

Grotta Marina - absolutely scrumptious seafood dishes. Female owned. Great prices. Tiny place. Unfortunately their website has been down, but you can find them on Google™.

Parione - delicious trattoria & the first restaurant I ate at in Florence. Traditional dishes and atmosphere. Great wine. Cannot-go-wrong suggestions from the staff. Definitely make reservations.

Hazelnut chocolate "bomb"! Hazelnut mousse with almond sponge cake From Cortese Cafe 900

The old city of Florence, or Firenze, is not only historically, architecturally, and artistically pleasant, but also deliciously satisfying. If you’re wondering where to eat in Florence, you’re in for a treat—because this city is a food lover’s paradise. I mean…we are in Italy after all! The home of pasta [with over 300 different types! & some sources say it’s much more than that], pizza, gelato, limoncello, cheeses, olives, wine, & more. Each region specializes in its own thing. Let’s dive into some scrumptiousness!

If you are walking through Florence and decide to see Basilica di Santa Maria Novella - a beautiful frescoed 15th-century church located right next to the same-named plaza or piazza - walk through the piazza as if you are walking towards the river Arno. You will see an old Renaissance building - Loggia di S. Paolo - which now houses a modern art museum along with one of my favorite coffee shops in the city - Cortese Cafe 900. Cortese Cafe is more than merely a place that serves delicious americanos, cappuccinos, & other drinks; it is also a pasticceria & gelateria. They specialize in vegan and gluten-free pastries and amazing chocolate truffles that are made in-house! Trust me when I say - everything is worth trying!!!

Duck from Caffe dell'Oro. A colorful dish!

There was one especially memorable time here: I saw on the menu something called caffe d’orzo, and it got me curious. So, I asked. As per the barista that was serving me, caffe d’orzo is coffee made out of barley and is completely caffeine-free, and is often given to children. Of course, I had to try it! It doesn’t taste exactly like coffee, of course, but it does have a slight resemblance in taste with a little malty & earthy notes. If you are up for trying new things, I’d definitely recommend it. Also, if you are an iced coffee fan - it was mentioned that caffe d’orzo tastes great iced.

When it came to pizza, after research, my choice fell on two places. But I will mention only one as it was my favorite & I highly recommend it - SimBIOsi Organic Pizza. The name is a little cheesy 😆🧀 BUT their pizzas were very, very yummy! Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the picture of the two pizzas that I had. But do use Google & look them up. It is a very ambient place for dining in or take-out.

Sfogliatella is the "lobster tail" looking pastry

So, sfogliatella - a pastry that stole my heart. If you’ve never heard of it, sfogliatella is a pastry in the shape of a shell & means “small, thin leaf” or layer. It is traditionally made with puff pastry that forms the layers of the pastry that look like scales & is filled with creamy filling. My discovery of it happened when I went to a pastry shop - Caffe Lietta - on Piazza della Liberta, which came highly recommended, & got a box of different pastries to try [as you see in this photo]. Needless to say…I went multiple times to the cafe just for this pastry & to try others. I remember one time they were completely out of sfogliatella, and it was a bit upsetting, so I tried something different, which wasn’t disappointing either. The moral of the story—try new things, they just might surprise you. 😉

Here she is. The Birth of Venus by Botticelli

Now, let’s talk about the Uffizi Gallery.

One of the most breathtaking museums I’ve ever visited. The kind that makes you forget that your feet hurt from walking too much. From the moment I entered, I felt like I had stepped into another era—one where artists were visionaries, and every brushstroke was a rebellion, a declaration, or an ode to beauty. Seeing The Birth of Venus by Botticelli in person? That was a moment. The kind of moment where you realize how truly insane it is that we can stand in front of something painted over 500 years ago and still feel its impact. I may or may not have audibly gasped [okay, I definitely did...silently]. And don’t even get me started on the architecture—the ceilings alone deserve a museum of their own.

If you plan to visit, wear comfortable shoes because there are lots of stairs & walking involved. Also, you might want to get your tickets in advance unless you enjoy standing in long lines on occasion. I got lucky & only had to spend 8-10 minutes in line. And if you’re an art lover? Prepare to get lost in a world of Renaissance genius.

Florence, my adventurous friend, is a city that feeds the soul in every way possible. It has a way of filling not just your stomach but your soul. From the rich flavors of its cuisine to the breathtaking beauty of its art and streets, it’s a city that lingers with you long after you leave. I hope this little guide adds a sprinkle of magic to your own Florentine adventure—eat well, wander curiously, and always say yes to dessert!

Buon viaggio & buon appetito! 🍷🍕✨