"Discover my favourite places to eat, from Michelin star fine dining, to secret kiosks only the locals know about."
Ruggero Vannini, Head Concierge at Hotel Savoy since 2008, lives near Florence. Here, he takes us on a personal tour of the city through his favourite places to eat, from Michelin star fine dining, to secret kiosks only the locals know about.
On Florentine Fare
Florence is famous for its art, of course, but it’s also well known for its food. Each region has its own unique dishes, in Florence it's the pasta. It’s always handmade, with a simple, fresh tomato sauce, or with rich meaty ragù di carne sauce – Osteria del Porcellino, close to our hotel and an institution since 1969, does a wild boar one that’s very good. My favourite meal is the traditional Bistecca alla Fiorentina with a nice bottle of wine, it’s the dream! For the uninitiated, the Bistecca is a very large steak, normally around 2kg, and served with a bit of fanfare when the waiter brings it to your table before it’s cooked.
From the Vine to Wine Windows
Another really unique thing about Florence is the wine windows – we call them buchette del vino. They’re a reminder of Tuscany’s rich tradition in wines. During the Middle Ages, many noble families in Florence made some income from winemaking.
Instead of inviting people into their homes, they installed a hatch to pass a flask through from the wine cellar. Look around the city and you’ll see there are still 150 buchette in Florence, including an especially good one near the Santa Croce Square, in Via Isola delle Stinche.
Fine Dining in Florence
Florence has some wonderful trattorias but also excels in fine dining. The three Michelin star restaurant Enoteca Pinchiorri is a full sensory experience. It’s not only about the food but also what you drink there, because they have one of the best wine cellars in the world.
Cantinetta Antinori also has a world-famous wine cellar. Together with Frescobaldi, in Signoria Square, they have the most important wine cellars in Tuscany.
In Search of Something More Casual
My own personal favourites include a place called Parione, just five minutes’ walk from the hotel. It’s a casual place where you can get a really good Bistecca alla Fiorentina. For very good steak and homemade pasta near the hotel go to Buca Lapi. The owner is always there chatting to customers which creates a fantastic atmosphere. Il Baretto is another wonderful old Florentine restaurant, a small place with excellent food and a very good wine list.
Eat Street Food Like the Locals
I love the street food in Florence. There are local kiosks where you can eat lampredotto (one of my personal favourites) and trippa. Not the easiest sell for our guests – these are dishes for the adventurous eater! – but once they taste it, they love it!
I love to go to this great little place behind the Straw Market, close to the Ponte Vecchio – to me, it’s the best in town. I sit there with my lampredotto panini, and a nice glass of wine; fantastic! When you visit, ask me and I’ll tell you how to get there.
Where to Sip Coffee with Ruggero
One of my favourite places is Caffe Gilli, just opposite Hotel Savoy, it’s the oldest cafe in Florence. Founded in 1733, would you believe? It’s still serving the best coffee, in my opinion. For something sweet, my favourite is millefoglie – a delicious treat of crusty and delicate puff pastry generously layered with soft vanilla custard. There are a couple of places I like, Galleria Iginio Massari – which has just opened in Florence after much success in Milan – and Pasticceria Giorgio, which is a little out of the centre, but very famous with the locals. They make an amazing Schiacciata alla Fiorentina, a traditional Florentine cake, delicately flavoured with orange – and it goes great with coffee.
Ice cool and unique
One of the oldest ice cream shops in Florence is Vivoli, it goes back four generations. But the gelateria I go to with my family is Gelateria Pasticceria Badiani. It’s famous for Buontalenti, a unique flavour they invented in the 1960s as part of a competition to commemorate famed local architect Bernardo Buontalenti. They won! It’s been copied by many other places but without success, for the original and best, you must go to Badiani.
The Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio, Via de’ Tornabuoni… nowhere has neighbours like Hotel Savoy.
Phone Number*
Address
Piazza della Repubblica 7
50123 Florence, Italy
Florence
50123 Florence, Italy
Florence
The Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio, Via de’ Tornabuoni… nowhere has neighbours like Hotel Savoy.
Phone Number*
Address
Piazza della Repubblica 7
50123 Florence, Italy
Florence
50123 Florence, Italy
Florence
The Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio, Via de’ Tornabuoni… nowhere has neighbours like Hotel Savoy.
Phone Number*
Address
Piazza della Repubblica 7
50123 Florence, Italy
Florence
50123 Florence, Italy
Florence