RESTAURANTS IN FLORENCE

Every one has to go to Leonardos. We met a person that my wife knew, teaching college in the states from ten years earlier at Leonardos. Everyone goes there. What a fun connection that was.

Great question! I've been researching the same as we will be in Florence on Christmas Day.

For an inexpensive option consider Self Service Rist.Leonardo located 1 block from Duomo.Very good food,inexpensive and its nice to see what you are ordering. For a better meal off the tourist path considerTrattoria Sabatino.Its about a 20 minute walk north from the Ponte Vecchio near the town walls.Excellent food and good prices.

Hi Jane, someone recommended Harry's Bar. http://www.harrysbarfirenze.it/edove.asp That's their website.

One of our favorite restaurants in Florence was Nerone's. The food was delicious, wine was great and all was very reasonably priced. Atmosphere was very pleasant. I believe we ate at Nerone's 3 or 4 times during our stay in Florence. Enjoy your trip.

One of the best meals we had in Florence was right near our B&B, Trattoria 13 Gobbi: http://www.casatrattoria.com/ristoranti.asp?id=2
Highly recommend it, and it looks like they have a Christmas menu.

Tratoria Za Za near the Mercato Centrale. Casalinga in the Oltrarno. Make reservations, even for lunch

La Trattoria dei Quattro Leoni had the Bistecca alla Fiorentina, I'm still stuffed! I thought Za Za was good...seemed to be a lot of Italians eating there... Grom for gelato...maybe the best thing I eat in Italy...it's near the Duomo. Right across from it was a candy shop that has some Amedei chocolate...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm hot chocolate at Rivore cafe on the Piazza della Signoria. If you sit, you pay more...yum yum...

A great restaurant in Florence is Osteria Vini e Vecchi Sapori. Its located just off Piazza della Signoria, near the Uffizi. Make a reservation a day or 2 in advance ,as its a tiny place and fills up quickly with locals. Dinner only. http://www.frommers.com/destinations/florence/D53844.html Near the Mercato Centrale is a another tiny place, Trattoria Mario. Lunch only, cash only. Excellent food. http://trattoria-mario.com/ Inside Mercato Centrale is a lunch counter called Nerbone. Get a billito...its a beef sandwich and ask for it dipped in the au jus. Best 3 euros you'll spend in Italy. http://www.frommers.com/destinations/florence/D53848.html

We also enjoyed Nerone's and had excellent food here. Ate here in July 2009 and again on a return visit in Sept. 2010. The weather was beautiful when we were here so ate outside in their small courtyard patio. The restaurant decor is quite kitschy with some funky paint colors but still tastefully done. Would definitely go back again. Both years ate at a place in Piazza Santo Spirito called Borgo Antico and they also had really good food. Again we ate outside but appears they have quite a bit of indoor seating. Buon Viaggio!

For GOD's sake, stay out of Harry's Bar!!! Bad suggestion by Dee. It is a tourist trap of the worst kind. I visited the Harry's Bar in Venice and was shocked at the prices for simple menu items, 20 Euro for a bowl of soup, 30 Euro for a club sandwich, etc... Mind you, these are Euro prices! I would absolutely recommend this restaurant located in the hills a few miles outside of Florence in Fiesole. It is called Trattoria Le Cave Di Maiano. Their food is excellent! Take the #7 Bus to Fiesole and a taxi from there to the restaurant. The restaurant overlooks Florence and the surrounding countryside. They have an outside eating terrace, but I don't know if that will be open this time of year. http://www.trattoriacavedimaiano.it/

Jane you are pretty centrally located so a lot is available. You are also going to get the gamut of answers of favorite places, but you have to remember that Florence is a pretty special case. I don't think the "locals" really even eat out! The Italians most people see in the restaurants are other tourist :) That being said - I have a few (different) names: Il Santo Bevitore (Via Santo Spirito) http://www.ilsantobevitore.com Boccadama (Piazza Santa Croce) http://boccadama.com/ Il Giova (near Sant'Ambrogio) I'no for lunch only (behind the Uffizi) Cafe Italiano for pizza - the pizzeria part - not the main restaurant La Giostra These are mostly middle of the road places - not too expensive, good food, fun to eclectic atmosphere.

Was just in Florence over Thanksgiving week and had some wonderful meals. Trattoria Mario near the Mercato Centrale serves great lunches (only) to a mix of locals and tourists - no reservations taken. Trattoria Casalinga has simple but tasty food, and was 90% locals the 2 times I ate there. You might have a short wait without a reservation. My B&B suggested a place that had very good food at moderate prices. It's on a small piazza along Via Tavolini (off Via del Calzaiuoli - opposite side of street from northeast corner of Orsanmichele), just across from the new Meta supermercato, and it's name begins or ends with Birerria (don't let that fool you). Highly recommend the pork stuffed with apples and plums, and any of their homemade desserts. Dinner reservations would be wise, as it's small.

Interesting, the last 2 posts on this thread: last post: "was 90% locals the 2 times I ate there." post immediately before that one (from Anthony, a Florence resident): "I don't think the "locals" really even eat out! The Italians most people see in the restaurants are other tourists." How does one identify "the locals"?

It was obvious that the owner and wait staff knew many of the people eating there. That suggests to me they were regulars, which implies locals. I could also hear parts of conversations of people sitting near me, and everyone was either local or dining with a local. On the nights I was at Casalinga in November, it was predominately a local crowd. That's in sharp contrast to the mix of people I see there during high season.