The short version: Florence eats like inland Tuscany — bold, frugal, meat-led. The icon is bistecca alla fiorentina, the giant charred T-bone; alongside it, lampredotto street sandwiches, ribollita and pappa al pomodoro (bread soups), pappardelle al cinghiale (wild boar), crostini di fegatini, and cantucci with Vin Santo to finish. Drink Chianti. Here is what to order.
At a glance
| Dish | What it is |
|---|---|
| Bistecca alla fiorentina | A huge T-bone from Chianina cattle, grilled rare, sold by weight |
| Lampredotto | The tripe sandwich — Florence’s great street food |
| Ribollita & pappa al pomodoro | Hearty Tuscan bread soups |
| Pappardelle al cinghiale | Wide ribbon pasta with wild-boar ragù |
| Cantucci & Vin Santo | Almond biscuits dipped in sweet wine |
The big plates
Florence’s showpiece is bistecca alla fiorentina — a thick T-bone from Chianina cattle, grilled over embers, charred outside and rare within, seasoned with just salt, oil and rosemary, and sold by weight (order for two or more; see how bistecca works). For pasta, look for pappardelle al cinghiale (wild-boar ragù) and pici, the hand-rolled Tuscan noodle. Menus open with crostini di fegatini, toasts spread with chicken-liver pâté, and salumi — finocchiona, the fennel salami, above all.
Cucina povera and the street food
Much of Florence’s food is cucina povera — “poor cooking” that turns stale bread and beans into something wonderful. Ribollita is the thick reboiled soup of bread, cannellini beans and black cabbage; pappa al pomodoro is its tomato-and-bread cousin; panzanella the summer bread salad. And you cannot leave without the street classic: lampredotto, slow-cooked tripe piled into a bun dipped in its broth, sold from stalls (the lampredottai) across the city — cheap, delicious and utterly Florentine. A Florence food tour is the easiest way to try it without hunting for the best cart.
The sweet finish, and what to drink
Finish with cantucci, the hard almond biscuits, dipped in a glass of sweet Vin Santo — the classic Tuscan dessert — or join the queue for Florence’s celebrated gelato. Drink Tuscan: a young Chianti with everyday meals, a Chianti Classico or Brunello with the bistecca. To go deeper, our Tuscan dishes explained covers the wider region, and a cooking class teaches you to make the pasta and sauces yourself. Browse everything on the Florence hub.
Frequently asked questions
What food is Florence known for?
Bistecca alla fiorentina (the Florentine T-bone steak) above all, plus lampredotto tripe sandwiches, ribollita and pappa al pomodoro bread soups, pappardelle al cinghiale, crostini di fegatini, and cantucci with Vin Santo — washed down with Chianti.
What is lampredotto?
Florence’s signature street food: the fourth stomach of the cow, slow-cooked and served in a bun dipped in its cooking broth, usually with salsa verde or chilli. It’s sold from stalls around the city and is cheap and delicious.
Where should I eat in Florence?
In the trattorias of the historic centre and especially Oltrarno across the river, and at the Mercato Centrale and Sant’Ambrogio markets. A food tour is the quickest way to the lampredotto stalls and the real trattorias.
Taste Florence
Book a Florence food tour or a cooking class, or plan the wider trip from the Florence hub and the Tuscany hub.
