Florence
The city of Florence holds a special place in my heart as my second home.
Where to Eat
Lunch & Dinner
Da Pinocchio $$- Great food with reasonable price in a touristy but nice area. Good spot for lunch while sightseeing!
Osteria Santo Spirito $$- One of my personal favorites. Some of the best food and in the hip-est area of Florence, Oltrarno.
Il Santo Bevitore $$$- More upscale, but great if you want a more formal or romantic spot. Make a reservation! It's always packed!
Industria $$- Hands down the best pizza I've ever had. Make sure you stop here for lunch and get a buffalo mozzarella pizza!
Mame $ - Not really a restaurant, but my favorite spot in town is this little Mediterranean gyro place in Oltrarno. If you're visiting the Boboli Gardens or Pitti Palace and want to eat like a local, go here!
Aperitivo
Aperitivo is an italian tradition which is similar to American 'happy hour'. Basically, starting about 7PM, you order one or two drinks (traditionally an Aperol Spritz) and it comes with free appetizers!
Volume - My personal favorite, Volume has a huge outdoor patio and an app box filled with breads, veggies, and an arugula mayo that's to die for!
Gosh - Much more romantic, and their happy hour lasts till 9 pm! Not much in the way of food, but try the VCR cocktail!
Cabiria - If you're hungry, go here! They have a buffet of prepared hot dishes and a fairly large outdoor patio!
SE - STO - not actually an aperitivo place, but if your looking for after-dinner drinks, this rooftop place has an incredible view of Florence!
What to Do
Just a few of the places in Florence you should check out during your time here! Make sure to buy tickets ahead for most museams, they're usually packed!
Duomo & Piazza del Duomo
Santa Maria Novella
Boboli Gardens & Palazzo Pitti
Uffizi & Accademia
Piazzale Michelangelo
Ponte Vecchio
Palazzo Medici & Medici Chapel
Piazza della Repubblica
Where to Stay
Airbnb's are the best way to go in Florence, in my opinion. It's such a small city, and if you're here for a couple nights, why not try to live like a local? Everything is pretty much waking distance, you can't go wrong with most areas! Here are a few good option I've found:
Other Random Tips
If you see a gelato shop with HUGE piles, don't go there, it's a tourist trap
Always haggle with the guys selling leather bags, jackets, etc. I got a guy down from 35 to 20 on a bag