What We Ate in Florence, Italy in 72 Hours

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Florence definitely gets top marks for having tasty food. The only dilemma you will have is deciding which restaurants to dine in!

I will admit to Googling “best pizza in Florence” and “best gelato in Florence” because when you have limited time in one location, you want to make sure you get the best of the best! Of course, the best is always open for interpretation, and it’s up to your own personal taste buds to really determine what “the best” means to you. Nevertheless, it is helpful to try and steer yourself in the right direction when you are working with a tight schedule!

We were in Florence for 72 hours and ate some really delicious food on the fly. Here’s a rundown on all the delicious eats that we had the pleasure of eating while in Florence.

High Bar – Rustic & Cheap Italian Eats

Address:  Via de’ Renai 27A, Florence, Italy

On our way up to Piazzale Michelangelo, we stopped at High Bar for a drink and some lunch. We originally wanted to go to its neighbor, Negroni, but they were closed so we popped into this little pub. This place is a little off the beaten path, but that is probably for the best. If I were a local, I’d definitely pop into this place often!

The owner, Luigi, is so friendly and welcoming. He made my husband the Italian Negroni he was craving (more like several Negronis), and we had fresh tomato bruschetta, minestrone soup, and the most tasty tomato sauce pasta with capers. It was so good, it inspired him to recreate it at home!

High Bar is not a fancy place, but if you are looking for a tasty, hearty lunch with great conversation and Florence recommendations from the owner himself, this is a great stop!

Ristorante India in Fiesole

Address: Via Antonio Gramsci, 43, Fiesole FI, Italy
http://www.ristoranteindia.it/

I know what you’re thinking – Indian food in Italy? Well, you can only eat so much pasta before you need a little break. This was actually my birthday dinner and I was craving something different than what we had been eating on our trip thus far! We love Indian food and this was just a short bus ride up the hill in Fiesole, near where we were staying.

We had some appetizers of samosas, the lamb vindaloo (his favorite Indian dish), and aloo gobi and rice. They had some excellent spicy sauces on the side as well. The only thing I would not recommend getting is their house red wine. Although affordable, it was pretty bad. We didn’t even finish it (and I rarely ever do that!).

*Excuse the terrible pictures as it was really dark in the restaurant!

Mangia Pizza

Address: Via Lambertesca, 24/26/R, 50122 Firenze, Italy
http://www.mangiapizzafirenze.it/

You don’t really need an excuse to eat pizza, do you? After our day spent at the Boboli Garden, we strolled down this beautiful street for some delicious pizza at Mangia Pizza.

Micah had his with nduja (a spreadable Italian spicy sausage) and basil, and I customized one of their pizzas to make it vegetarian by subbing artichoke hearts to go along with zucchini and basil. They were both delicious!

I seriously love the pizza dough in Italy. Nothing compares! If you get a chance, stop in to Mangia Pizza and you will not be disappointed in this cozy spot.

Gelato at Gelateria Santa Trinita

Address:  Piazza Frescobaldi, 11/12 R, Firenze, Italy
http://www.gelateriasantatrinita.it/index_ing.html

How does one really find the best gelato in Florence? I imagine you’d have to spend several months there tasting at all the different shops. It was getting late in the day and it was freezing cold but I just had to have one last gelato in Italy. We chose to get our gelato from Gelateria Santa Trinita, just over the Santa Trinita Bridge. We tried the strawberry (fragola) and a caramel panna cotta flavors and it was the best damn gelato we’ve ever had!

Pro tip: I would suggest getting a small since the flavors here are very rich.

l’Polpa – Fiesole

I’m sad to report that l’Polpa has closed since we visited Florence, which is so sad because it was such a wonderful little family-owned restaurant that served the best food! It was located up the hill from Florence in Fiesole and it was such a gem. It was run by a husband and wife, with (I think it was) the husband’s mom cooking in the kitchen and they served the best meal we had in Florence. Everything was extremely tasty and they were so friendly there. The décor was rustic and cozy and the meals made us feel like we were sitting down to dinner in their home.

I chose the carciofi pasta with an artichoke cream sauce and it was SO good. I would return to Fiesole to have this pasta dish all over again if I could. I’ll have to hunt them down to see if they opened up another establishment somewhere else in the city! Micah had the pork ribs and polenta, and the pork was so tender, it fell off the bone. l’Polpa family – where are you now?!!!

And for dessert, we shared a piece of their cheesecake, which wasn’t a traditional type of cheesecake – more eggy/cake-like. It wasn’t my favorite part of the meal, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless.

Hotel Eats at Villa Fiesole

Finally, we did have a few meals at the hotel we were staying at (Hotel Villa Fiesole), which is about 15 minutes up the hill from the Florence city center by bus/taxi/car. Sitting in the hotel restaurant, you get a great view overlooking Florence (at least on a clear day) while you are enjoying your meal.

They had some standard Italian food there at the hotel, including pesto pasta (for me), and prosciutto pizza (for him). For our first meal in Florence, it was pretty tasty! But then again, how can you go wrong with pizza and pasta in Italy.

Part of the reason why travel is to enjoy all the delicious local foods, and Florence certainly delivered! I can’t wait to go back and explore more of the restaurant scene there…and perhaps find out exactly which gelato place should become our favorite. Buon appetito my friends!!!