Florence Travel Guide

Destination
Florence, Italy
Sleep
Ca’Ortino via Airbnb Plus
Eat
My Sugar |  Olivia |  S.forno Panificio | Osteria Tripperia Il Magazzino | Pasticceria Buonamici
Shop
Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella | Boutique Nadine | Celeste Vintage
See
Museo dell’Opera del Duomo  |  Uffizi Gallery  |   Gucci Garden

I’ve waxed poetic about Florence since our visit to the city in September. But most of what I’ve said about the Tuscan city is, I admit, fairly nebulous – the fact that it is a beautiful city where I felt happy and at home doesn’t tell you much about why you might want to visit. Now, it’s time to get down to details. The act of narrowing down my favourite places in Florence was no easy feat. But I think that if you visit Florence, you will love all of these places as much as I did…

Sleep
Ca’Ortino via Airbnb Plus
Our love affair with Airbnb began years ago. We’ve never been disappointed by a rental, but in recent years, the places we’ve stayed have absolutely floored us – and Claudia’s home in Oltarno was the best yet. The photos we saw when we booked did not do the apartment justice. It was even better than we could have imagined – so good, in fact, that within hours of arriving, we were plotting to stay forever. Claudia has since been given SuperHost status, and her home is now among the AirBnb Plus selection of exceptional homes in Florence, with very good reason. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Eat
It is so easy to eat well in Italy. Almost too easy. So much so that we often just grabbed sandwiches on the go from anywhere nearby, knowing they would be delicious – a plan that never failed us – or cooked with ingredients from the nearby grocery store. Which is not to say we didn’t eat in some wonderful restaurants…

My Sugar –  Via de’ Ginori, 49/red
No trip to Italy is complete without a daily dose of gelato. We sampled several different spots, but My Sugar was the one we couldn’t resist going back to. The selection of flavours is small but superb, with the nut flavours, like hazelnut and peanut, being particular standouts.

Olivia – Piazza de’ Pitti, 14r
The olive oil in Florence is to die for. We brought a litre back with us and are still using it, ever so sparingly, because we never want the bottle to end. Olivia took the amazing olive oil from the region and developed an entire restaurant concept around it. Every dish features local olive oil, from appetizers to dessert. And every dish was so good, we didn’t want it to end. The views of Palazzo Pitti from the outdoor seating area was spectacular, too.

S.forno Panificio – Via Santa Monaca, 3r
I hesitated to visit S’Forno. While the bakery has excellent reviews, it also features decidedly on-trend decor that made me wonder if the kitchen might be more concerned with instagram-worthiness than taste. But we sampled a sandwich one afternoon on our way by and I can now happily say that I was so, so wrong. The portions were enormous, and focaccia was the best I’ve ever had – so good we went back to buy more the next day! (Sandwiches at S.forno’s sister cafe, Il Santino, are equally delicious but a bit fancier and pricier.)

Osteria Tripperia Il Magazzino – Piazza della Passera
Choosing the best pasta in an Italian city is like choose the best needle in a haystack – or so you might think. We ate pasta daily, but none came close to the handmade fare at Osteria Tripperia Il Magazzino. The restaurant is actually known for its tripe dishes, which are a local delicacy, but for me, it is absolutely a pasta destination, and one that should not be missed if you’re in Florence.

Pasticceria Buonamici – Via dell’Orto 12
This list would be incomplete without this little bakery across from our apartment, where we ate every single day – sometimes twice. It is a local place, open since long before I was born. The decor is simple, with a few tables scattered with discarded newspapers left by patrons. But it’s all about the baking, and the baking never disappointed. The rice pudding tarts were my favourite, but I loved everything we sampled.

Shop
For someone who so often says, “I don’t shop much on vacation,” I did awfully well in Florence. The city has all the designers and high street brands you would expect, but it is also home to some wonderfully unique boutiques that are not to be missed.

Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella – Via della Scala 16
It seems strange to me to include one of the world’s oldest pharmacies, which once made treatments for the plague, as a top shopping destination – but that is exactly what it is. The best of Florentine beauty products are on offer at this museum-cum-skincare-mecca. Even if all you take home is a soap, the shop is worth visit just for the historic interior.

Boutique Nadine – Lungarno degli Acciaiuoli, 22/red
Arguably the most stylish shop in Florence, Boutique Nadine is a unique riverside spot offering the latest collections from local designers as well as jewellery, curios and possibly the best-curated collection of designer vintage pieces I’ve ever encountered, tucked away at the back of the shop. Part shop, part petite fashion museum, it’s worth stopping in here even if you’re not planning on buying anything.

Celeste Vintage – Piazza San Felice, 1r
For more dedicated vintage treasure hunters, Celeste Vintage, tucked away behind the Palazzo Pitti, is the place to visit. You’ll find a good mix of designer and local pieces from a variety of eras, and a particularly wonderful selection of accessories, especially silk scarves.

See
Florence is like an open-air museum. All you have to do is step outside your door – the city’s long history is everywhere you look. We spent a lot of our time just wandering the old streets, crossing the bridges like Ponte Vecchio over and over. But if you want to visit a true attraction, these were our favourites.

Museo dell’Opera del Duomo – Piazza del Duomo 9
I fell in love with the Duomo even before we got to Florence, but it was so much better in person. Visiting the museum dedicated to it, and viewing it from the panoramic terrace, was such a special experience – certainly one I’ll never forget.

Uffizi Gallery – Piazzale degli Uffizi 6
Florence itself is a work of art. But if you’re in the city, you really can’t miss making at least a brief visit to the world-renowned Uffizi Gallery. Tip: Buy your tickets online and, if you’re there during the summer months, choose a morning time slot – the gallery isn’t air-conditioned and gets uncomfortably warm in the afternoons.

Gucci Garden – Piazza della Signoria 10
This guide wouldn’t be complete without a mention of the Gucci Garden, a combined boutique, museum and restaurant dedicated to the brand. A mecca for Gucci fans, it offers a bit of fun for any fashion lover. The boutique sells exclusive designs, including housewares. And the restaurant, while pricey, serves delectable dishes. But the museum for me, was the highlight. Although small, it houses an impressive collection of vintage fashions that you won’t see anywhere else. Collections rotate regularly, so you’re likely to have a new experience each time you visit.