Florence is one of those cities that rewards slow travel long lunches, morning pastries, wandering without a plan. I've just come back from a few days there visiting one of my best friends, Max, who is studying at the British Institute of History of Art, and honestly it was the most wonderful escape.
No driving. No rushing. Just walking everywhere, eating pastries at 9am, and long lunches that somehow turned into evening drinks.
This is my honest guide to the best restaurants, cafés, neighbourhoods and hidden spots in Florence — including a monastery gift shop run by monks that was genuinely one of the highlights of the whole trip!
Where to Stay in Florence — Santo Spirito
If you're planning a trip to Florence, stay in or around Santo Spirito. It became my favourite area almost instantly — it has this youthful, arty energy without feeling too polished or too touristy.
Everyone spills out into the square after work or class for aperitivo. Drinks arrive in minutes alongside little snack boards, olives and crisps. Some places have music playing until 2am, and the whole thing feels wonderfully carefree and cinematic.
Basically: Florence is the perfect escape if you want beauty without pressure.
The Hidden Gem You Can't Miss — San Miniato al Monte
My absolute favourite spot of the whole trip wasn't a restaurant or a bar. It was the monastery.
One morning, Max invited me to join a lesson from his course at the British Institute. We got up early, grabbed coffees and these tiny little sandwiches that looked like brioche buns but somehow weren't sweet at all — which, in my rushed panic-ordering state, I was very grateful for.
Then we walked all the way up to San Miniato al Monte — about a 40-minute uphill walk from Florence. Slightly brutal in parts, but completely worth it for the views.
The monastery sits at one of the highest points in the city. It's incredibly peaceful and full of history. And after the tour, the little gift shop opened — which was honestly my version of heaven.
The shop is run by the monks themselves, and they make everything there: soaps, beeswax candles, herbal tinctures, teas and remedies. As someone who has never once walked away from an "exotic digestive potion" situation, I was absolutely in my element.
There were strawberry liver drops, lemon balm tinctures for calm, valerian sleep remedies, and shelves and shelves of teas. I bought several immediately.
Also — the almond biscuits from the monks were potentially one of the best things I ate in Florence. Think soft macaron-like centres with frosted sugar and flaked almonds on top.
Go for the views, the history, and the wonderfully strange medicinal monk shop. You won't regret it.
The Best Restaurants in Florence
Ristorante Il Guscio — My Favourite Meal
My favourite meal of the entire trip. This is a local osteria near Max's flat in Santo Spirito, and I went back twice.
Order the Paccheri n'duja, cherry tomatoes and burrata cheese. No words. Perfectly balanced — spiced, rich, fresh all at once. After dinner, it's a short walk to get gelato, which I highly recommend.
Alla Vecchia Bettola — Best Tiramisu
Communal tables, loud atmosphere, lots of art students spilling in. The pasta vodka is good, but the real star is the tiramisu — the best out of the four places I tried in Florence, which is saying something.
Loggia Roof Bar — Best Views & Best No-Groni
Beautiful rooftop views, perfect for sunset drinks. The Caesar salad was 10/10, and they do the best No-Gronis (non-alcoholic Negroni) I've had anywhere.
Trattoria Cammillo — Classic Florentine Lunch
Very traditional if you want that classic Florence lunch experience. Not my personal favourite of the trip — I ordered the fresh pea pasta and the peas felt slightly overcooked — but the atmosphere is wonderful and it's the kind of place you feel you should experience in Florence at least once.
Best Cafés & Coffee in Florence
Pasticceria Buonamici — Best Pastries
Amazing pastries and much more authentic-feeling coffee than some of the tourist spots. Go here for your morning coffee and something sweet before you start walking.
Wild Buns — Best Flat White in Florence
More London than Florence — a Scandi-style café with cinnamon buns rather than traditional pastries. But after three days of espressos, I needed a flat white, and this spot's flat white is living rent free in my mind. Perfection.
The Best Meal That Cost €10
I'm including this because I think it deserves its own mention: the second-best meal of the whole trip came from the local supermarket.
Fresh pasta, fresh pesto, a tray of cold meats — cooked in our flat. Total: around €10. I don't know what they do with the pesto in Florence, but it was unbelievably creamy — maybe more pine nuts? We went for fresh pesto and fresh pasta from the chilled aisle, and it was SO good.
Sometimes the best travel meals are the simplest ones.
Florence Travel — My Quick Reference Guide
Best neighbourhood: Santo Spirito — for aperitivo, people watching, and the most charming streets in the city.
Don't miss: San Miniato al Monte — the monastery with the best views and the monk-made remedies and tinctures shop.
Best restaurant: Ristorante Il Guscio — order the Paccheri n'duja, cherry tomatoes and burrata.
Best tiramisu: Alla Vecchia Bettola — communal tables, great atmosphere 5 euro Wine !!
Best views: Loggia Roof Bar — perfect for sunset and the best No-Groni.
Best pastries: Pasticceria Buonamici — more authentic than the tourist spots.
Best flat white: Wild Buns— yes, in Florence, I know.
Secret tip: Fresh pasta and pesto from the local supermarket. ~€10. Unforgettable.
Florence, I'll absolutely be back. 🤍
Tatiana Alida xxx
Here is Max and I's You Tube Blog !! Photos below.
