Shopping & Eating in Florence – A Local Perspective

Florence is full of different places to shop! It’s my favorite place to shop for leather goods and various artisanal goods and works. Here are a few places that you might enjoy on your next visit to Florence!

• Il Papiro: A great little store that sells beautiful paper, stationary, journals and desk accessories. There are multiple locations in Florence, so feel free to stop in any of the stores. If you’re lucky, you might see a demonstration of how they make their hand-decorated, beautiful papers.

• Pelletteria Fratellini: A leather boutique in the center of Florence that sells a variety of leather goods (e.g., belts, jackets, handbags, etc.) I love to buy my belts here! There website seems not to be working, so you can find them on Instagram and their address is Via S. Antonio, 66R, Firenze.

• NOI: A lovely store to buy leather jackets from. One of the first jackets that I bought (and still have) came from here.

• David 2 Leather Factory: The Fonati family has three stores; David 2 Leather Factory, Dante Leather Factory and David Leather Factory. Their family has produced leather goods for multiple generations. One thing I like about this store is they track what you bought to make sure they aren’t selling the same jacket to multiple people in an area. Additionally, they periodically do trunk shows in the U.S.

• La Bottega del Chianti: This is a wonderful tiny store for great Italian products - olive oil, wine, olive wood products, salumi and some many other treasures. Take time to chat with the man who owns the store as he’s a wealth of knowledge. He once helped me pick out a wine gift for a Florentine friend.

• Aqua Flor: A beautiful perfumeria that offers perfumes, home fragrances, candles and so much more. They’ll even help customize a fragrance for you.

• Viajiyu: A luxury, made to order shoemaker. Find them on Instagram to book your appointment.

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• Ristoro L'Antica Scuderia - This is one of my favorite restaurants! The restaurant is not located in the Florence city center, so you would need to drive or hire someone to drive you there. Ristoro L’Antica Scuderia is locate in Tavarnelle Val di Pesa, which is nestled in the vines of the Chianti region. It’s owned by a wonderful family, and they serve Tuscan foods with an amazing wine selection. In addition to the restaurant this is a Bottega, where you can have a wine tasting. There is also an opportunity to take cooking classes and try truffle hunting (seasonal).

• Ristorante Buca Poldo - When I bought my first leather jacket in Florence, I asked the man for a restaurant recommendation, and he suggested Ristorante Buca Poldo. It provides typical Tuscan food.

• Mercato Centrale – Mercato Centrale has a whole host of places to eat at. One of my favorites is Da Nerbone. They have many things to choose from! I like to order the porchetta sandwich (panini con porchetta) with the truffle (tartufo) spread. Usually, I talk it to go to enjoy on a picnic with a bottle of wine.

• Mangiafoco Osteria Tartuferia - Truffles are their speciality! Wonderful pastas, cheeses and a great wine selection.

• Grom – This is my favorite gelateria in Florence.

• Hosteria da Ganino - Originally, it was a post-war tavern. The restaurant has evolved and refined its culinary offerings. Here you will find classic Florentine dishes, and it’s open every day.

• 5 e Cinque - They are a vegetarian restaurant, and typically have a menu of the day based on the seasons. My favorite was the omelet with artichokes!

• Trattoria 13 Gobbi - The atmosphere is simple and rustic. The walls are decorated with old advertisements and photos of famous actors. Trattoria 13 Gobbi’s menu honors culinary traditions and has more current dishes.

• Trattoria Dall'Oste - I was skeptical of this restaurant when it was recommend to me since it was newer at the time and in the heart of Florence’s historical center. They specialize in Florentine steak, and it was delicious!

• View on Art Rooftop Cocktail Bar: Located in Hotel Medici, it gives you views of the cathedral.

• Sesto on the Arno - The Westin Excelsior Rooftop Bar: The view is beautiful and the cocktails are delightful!