HB Travels: Florence (where to eat, stay and shop in Florence)

A few weeks ago I visited Florence, Italy for the first time, and I must say it was once of my favorite places that I’ve ever visited.

From the rustic streets to the beautiful cathedrals, the friendly people and of course the incredible food…it’s just such a magical city! While I only had 4 days there, I must say I think my friends and I did a pretty good job of hitting a lot of great spots in Florence. Here is a list of some of my favorites.

Florence Restaurants

Trattoria Gargani – probably my favorite dining experience in Florence. The pasta with prawns and saffron sauce might be the best pasta I’ve ever had
Chianineria – another favorite, incredible pasta and steak. Def get the lasagna and truffle carbonara
La Giostra – a Florence staple for good reason. So classic and cozy inside. Best burruta I’ve ever had, also get one of the ravioli dishes
Alla Vecchia Bettola – famous for their penne alla bettola (penne vodka), we also loved the mezzemaniche alla contadina – a creamy rigatoni dish
Trattoria Zaza – get the truffle ravioli, gorgonzola gnocchi, siena pici a la zaza
La Dantesca for pizza – say hi to Mattarozo
La Strega Nocciola – for gelato, the cheesecake flavor is the fluffiest/creamiest I’ve ever had
Cammillo – we had a lighter lunch here, loved the fried zucchini flowers and eggplant parmesan
La Spada – went here for a lighter dinner, great antipasti dishes
Ara: E Sicilia – cannoli, filled fresh when you order

Florence Bars

La Menagere – beautiful interior, great cocktails
Manifattura – amazing cocktail bar, best negroni! Ask for Fabiano to make it
Harry’s Bar – a classic bar, where the Bellini originated. Ask for Thomas
Westin Excelsior – rooftop bar – beautiful view of Florence, go during sunset
L’ocale – trendy but beautiful. We just went for cocktails (they have food but I heard it wasn’t the best)

Florence Shopping

Jean Saadé jewelry store
Ponte Vecchio – very touristy but great shops, we especially loved the pottery shops
Giorgi Aggetti Artistiri – painted wooden trays, etc.
Todo Modo – book store
Art – I got a lovely piece from a local artist in Piazza Santa Croce, message me if you’d like to see a photo and get her email address. She doesn’t have a website 🙂

Florence Hotel

We stayed at Plaza Hotel Lucchesi and loved it! Great location, very clean + the staff was kind & helpful. Full breakfast included. Beautiful view from the rooftop, which also has a bar & pool