6 Foods to Eat on a Florence Food Tour
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Our #1 tip when traveling to a foodie destination like Florence is to book a Florence Food Tour. You don’t want to waste a single bite on something that’s not absolutely delicious, local, and thoughtfully recommended.
Incorporating food tours into our itineraries is something we do on each of our small group trips. Our travelers rave about the Other Side of Florence Food Tour which is a part of our Heart of Italy small group trip. They love the variety of Florentine dishes they get to sample and getting to hear about the culture and process behind each dish.
On our Heart of Italy trip, our travelers are led by a local guide through the Oltrarno district which is a hidden gem just outside of Florence that rarely is visited by tourists, and feels ultra-local and cool. No seriously, Lonely Planet rated it one of the coolest places to hang out in the world recently.
Here are the six dishes we eat on our Florence Food Tour, that we and our Italy travelers recommend you try while you’re in Florence. Or come eat and explore with us on our Heart of Italy trips in 2024.
Cantucci and Vin Santo
This is what we would call biscotti and a very sweet dessert wine. The best way to eat the biscotti is to dunk it once or twice in your Vin Santo. We stop at a family-owned historical artisan bakery and get to go behind the counter to watch the biscotti-making process and chat with the owner who has been baking there since 1973 when the shop was passed to him from his father.
Wine window!
What’s a Florence Food Tour without stopping at one of the unique wine windows in Florence? If you’re not looking out for one you might miss it. There are small arched windows in the wall along the street. You can order a variety of different wines and they’ll pass you a glass through the window.
Lampredotto
A classic Florentine dish that you can’t skip, although it often has a polarizing reaction. Lampredotto is made from stewing the lining of a cow’s fourth stomach. This dish is made into a sandwich with salsa verde. This dish is very popular and traditional in Florence, so if you want to eat as the locals do then don’t skip the Lampredotto.
Gnudi
So many delicious ways to enjoy gnudi and Florence is the place to try them. During our Florence Food Tour, we stop at a small, family-run trattoria to enjoy gnudi that is made right in front of us. We recommend gnudi in a butter sage sauce but you really can’t go wrong with any type of gnudi.
Charcuterie
Enjoy a variety of delicious and locally sourced cheeses. A few of our favorite bites include Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino, and Asiago. You can find them in some restaurants or bars. Our travelers love that we stop to enjoy charcuterie in a wine cave.
Gelato
You can’t leave Florence without enjoying a cone of gelato. But be on the lookout to avoid gelato impersonators and ensure you’re getting the authentic stuff. Avoid gelaterias where gelato is piled in tall towers. This is not real gelato because it would fold under its weight. The best gelato is typically “hidden” within the counter, kept cold, and has lids that must be removed to serve.
Make sure every bite counts on your trip to Florence! And if food is one of the biggest reasons you’re traveling to Italy, our Heart of Italy Food Tour is perfect for you. This 9-day food tour explores the cuisines of a variety of regions, introduces you to owners of local factories, farms, and vineyards, and you even get to experiment in the kitchen and cook some of these dishes yourself!
Travel with us around the world on one of our multi-day small group food tours. Check out our itineraries to Italy, Japan, Peru, and more! Join us as we visit tea farms in Japan, sip on limoncello in Italy, and savor ceviche in Peru.
If you’re traveling abroad and don’t know where to start or want to tap into our travel expertise to make the most of your trip, check out our Travel Coaching and Private Trips with booking service.
No matter where you travel, we always recommend purchasing travel protection to safeguard against sudden changes or cancellations. If you don’t already have a preferred vendor, you can check out ours - Travel Insured - which offers a “Cancel for Any Reason” policy.
