Enoteca Pinchiorri
Restaurant, Italian
Enoteca Pinchiorri | ©Tom Eats/Flickr
Florence is widely acknowledged to be a wonderful city, with incredible sights, restaurants and bars. The following fine-dining Michelin-starred restaurants, however, blow all expectations out the window.
Meters away from the Michelangelo Buonarroti museum, which is a must for art-lovers in the Santa Croce area, Enoteca Pinchiorri is in a beautiful Renaissance palace. It has an amazing three Michelin stars. Anne Féolde is the chef behind the light yet incredibly flavorsome dishes that are served at this restaurant. Her French origins and love of everything Italian are combined in her recipes to make original and exquisite concoctions. Giorgio Pinchiorri is the sommelier to thank for the excellent wine list that is harmoniously paired with Féolde’s cooking.
Via Ghibellina 87, Florence, Italy +39 055 242757
Ora D’Aria
Restaurant, Seafood
Ora d'Aria | © Courtesy of restaurant
Ora D’Aria
For several years this one-star Michelin restaurant was located across from a former women’s prison. Its name, which means ‘hour of air’ derived from the compulsory hour that prisoners had to spend outside in the fresh air. It is now centrally located behind the Uffizi Gallery, which is one of the top sights in the city. There is an a la carte menu apart from their famous Tuscan and seafood set menus, so there are options for all tastes. For an even more exciting experience, visitors can reserve the chef’s table in the beautiful wine cellar, which seats up to four people. Or, book a cooking lesson with the renowned Pisa-born chef Marco Stabile.
Via Dei Georgofili 11r, Florence, Italy, +39 055 200 1699
Il Palagio
Restaurant, Italian
Il Palagio dining room | Courtesy of Il Palagio
Il Palagio
Il Palagio, meaning The Palace, is truly a grand place in which to dine, located in the Four Seasons Hotel. The aim here is to portray typical Italian and Florentine food with a distinct and innovative touch. Both locals and visitors adore this restaurant, so it is absolutely essential to make a reservation. The chef Vito Mollica has reinvented Italian gastronomy. This chef has created specialties such as Cavatelli pasta with red prawns and marinated baby squids, which won the award for Dish of the Year in 2013. This restaurant offers one of the most elegant yet relaxed culinary experiences in the city.
Four Seasons Hotel, Borgo Pinti, 99, Florence, Italy +39 (055) 2626 450
La Bottega del Buon Caffè
Cafe, Restaurant, Italian, Mediterranean, European, $$$
La Bottega del Buon Caffé | © Courtesy of restaurant
La Bottega del Buon Caffè
Locally sourced organic food is the philosophy behind the creation of exquisite dishes in this restaurant. La Bottega del Buon Caffè produces most of its ingredients on its own farm in the countryside. Their vegetable and herb gardens are well designed, and they are the inspiration behind the unbeatable seasonal menus. The wine list too leaves nothing to be desired, since it has been carefully put together by the best sommeliers in the country. They have chosen some of the best wines that Italy has to offer, when possible from organic vineyards.
Lungarno Benvenuto Cellini, 69/r, Florence, Italy +39 055 55 35 677
Winter Garden by Caino
Diner, Restaurant, Italian, Mediterranean, European
Winter Garden by Caino | ©Courtesy of the restaurant
Winter Garden by Caino
Inside the stunning St Regis Hotel visitors will be able to find this place. It is a food heaven designed by chef Valeria Piccini, who has a two-Michelin star restaurant at another location in Montemaro, and by Michele Griglio. Winter Garden by Caino showcases Tuscan cuisine. Their delicious gourmet a la carte menu provides exciting dining options, while the light day menu is perfect for a scrumptious lunch. The highlight however is the tasting menu, which combines typical Florentine elements such as Tuscan beans with delightful inventions such as ricotta cheese dumplings with cream of zucchini, strawberries and nuts.
Piazza Ognissanti 1, Florence, Italy +39 055 27161
