Top Spots To Taste Tuscany's Regional Dishes

All'Antico Vinaio | © Kent Wang/Flickr

16 October 2016

Tuscany, the region of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, is also well known for its street food culture. You will be able to have lunch in small, cozy places while admiring the beauty of the Renaissance architecture and partaking in the friendly, typical Italian environment. Taste the genuine and healthy products coming from small and local farms while experiencing the true flavors of the Italian tradition.

All’Antico Vinaio (Florence)

All’Antico Vinaio is an historic place in the center of Florence. It began as a wine house in 1999, and since then, the two founders have continued the local tradition by making fresh white flatbread pizza with cured meat and offering a great variety of toasted bread with different sauces and the typical meatballs. The meat only comes from local farms like Montespertoli and Del Casentino. Prices are affordable and a great ambiance is guaranteed.

All’Antico Vinaio, Via De Neri, 65, Florence, Italy, +39 055 238 2723

Amici di Ponte Vecchio (Florence)

Amici di Ponte Vecchio is a famous place close to the Ponte Vecchio, the most important bridge in Florence. Fresh cheese, cured meat and wine are the specialties of this typical rural haunt. However, it is the covaccino, a particular type of pizza from Tuscany, that has made Amici di Ponte Vecchio famous. What makes this place a must-visit is also the owner; known as ‘The king of the covaccino’, his covaccino is commonly accepted as the best in Florence.

Amici di Ponte Vecchio, Via Dei Bardi, 39, Florence, Italy, +39 055 285301

Courtesy of Amici di Ponte Vecchio

Antica Salumeria Salvini (Siena)

Antica Salumeria Salvini was born in historic Siena in 1931. For nearly 90 years, the Ciofi family behind the establishment has produced the best meat that you can find in the city, including the Cinta Senese, a protected species of pork known for its tasty meat, and Grigio Senese, another species of pork found only in Tuscany. They also serve the ‘Sushi of Grigio Senese’ paired with a variety of innovative dishes that bring together tradition and creativity. All the products used are organic, with the meat sourced from a certified protected species found in Tuscany. When planning a trip to Siena, this is a perfect place to taste authentic and traditional Italian cuisine.

Antica Salumeria Salvini, SS 73 Ponente, 46, Siena, Italy, +39 0577 394399

Courtesy of Antica Salumeria Salvini

Trippéria Specialità Lampredotto (Empoli)

Trippéria is a small place in Empoli, a small city close to Florence. The and only meal they offer is the lampredotto, a typical Florentine peasant dish made from the fourth and final stomach of a cow, known as the abomasum. Lampredotto is derived from the Italian word for lamprey eels, lampreda, a once very abundant species found in the waters of the Arno River. The lampredotto is cooked in water along with tomato, onion, parsley and celery, and then usually served on a crusty bun that has been dipped in the cooking broth, with a choice of salt and pepper, parsley green sauce and hot chili sauce. All the ingredients used in this special dish come from local farms and are 100 percent organic. You can taste this unique meal at Trippéria or take it away with a portion of cantuccini, a typical dessert from Tuscany.

Trippéria Specialità Lampredotto, Via Giuntini, 63, Empoli, Italy, +39 373 747 1747

Courtesy of Tripperia

L’Antica Delizia (Castellina di Chianti)

L’Antica Delizia is an ice cream parlor that produces handmade, fresh ice cream. Alongside the classic flavors such as chocolate or vanilla, you’ll find creative combos such as pear and ginger, raspberry and rosemary or figs and ricotta cheese. Only local products are used, to ensure a top quality, and so flavors are seasonal. L’Antica Delizia is the perfect spot on a hot summer’s day to indulge in desserts that are authentic and fresh.

‪L’Antica Delizia, Via Fiorentina, 4, Castellina In Chianti, Italy, +39 0577 741337

Courtesy of L’Antica Delizia

Sbranami (Grosseto)

Sbranami is a reference for those who want to taste the true food from Grosseto. The menu offers a great variety of products, such as salami flavored with truffle, truffle sauce, pecorino cheese with truffle oil, and other truffle-based products. Sbranami also offers sandwiches with Tuscan sausage and many other types of cured meat. All the products, as the Tuscan tradition dictates, come from the local farm, symbolic of its high standard for quality products.

Sbranami, Piazzale Pian della Madonna, Civitella Marittima, Italy, +39 339 340 5145

Courtesy of Sbranami

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