An unexpected delicious lunch + gelato in Florence

A winter Sunday morning in Florence and three addresses you might want to write down for your next trip to Florence

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Walking back to the car, with the taste of mandarin sorbet on my tongue and Livia asleep in her stroller, I asked Tommaso: do you feel the happiness? Yes, he smiled back.

Taking a day off, meeting an old friend in Florence, deciding on a whim to have lunch in a restaurant that has been sitting on your wishlist for ages: it all felt so special.

I’ve never been a frequent restaurant goer, even before the pandemic: now more than ever it feels like a special occasion, a treat. And there’s nothing more disappointing than stumbling upon a mediocre, unremarkable meal. It doesn’t have to be a fancy meal, all I care about is good, vibrant food, possibly better than the one I make at home. I want to bring back a flavour combination, a texture, a technique, or a memorable experience.

Since Tommaso moved to the countryside, 8 years ago now, we rarely go to Florence. On Sunday, we parked near Piazza Tasso, one of our favourite spots to start a day in Florence, and hurried with Livia tucked in her stroller for a second breakfast at Pasticceria Buonamici. There, we met my friend Rossella Venezia, who was in town for the weekend.

While the city was bustling with people come for the large food exhibition at La Fortezza, Taste, we opted for a quieter morning in Oltrarno.

Oltrarno, literally the other side of the Arno, the area south of the river across from the historic centre and the Duomo, is one of the most authentic neighbourhoods of Florence, where artisan workshops still share the space with proximity stores, cafés, antique shops, wine bars, and family-run trattorias.

Today I’m sharing three of my favourite spots in Oltrarno, a small itinerary in one of the trendiest neighbourhoods of Florence, far from the hustle and bustle of the historic city centre: breakfast, lunch, and gelato in a hole-in-the-wall ice-cream parlour. You’re served.

Fancy sharing your favourite spot in Florence for a quick lunch, a gelato, a coffee, or a memorable meal? Or your best food memory in Florence, if you have one?

A perfect way to begin the day in Florence

Breakfast (or second breakfast, I’m not judging) - Pasticceria Buonamici

Via dell'Orto, 27R Firenze

When I’m seeing friends in Florence, we usually start the day with breakfast at Pasticceria Buonamici. This is where I met my best friends on a cold January morning in 2020 to share the news I was pregnant, and where on Sunday I enjoyed a coffee and a piece of schiacciata alla fiorentina with Rossella, to catch up on our lives after 5 years.

Pasticceria Buonamici is one of the historical Florentine businesses in the heart of the Oltrarno neighbourhood that focuses on the quality of its ingredients and artisanal, traditional production. The business was founded in 1949 by Bruno Buonamici, who had learned the art of baking working for the renowned Pasticceria Robiglio as a child.

They are celebrated for their pistachio cantucci and the incredible selection of Italian croissants and pastries. This is one of the best spots in town to enjoy an Italian breakfast: grab a cappuccino and a cornetto¹ and enjoy it standing at the counter, the Italian way, or sit at the tables on the back for a more relaxed coffee time with your friends.

I always search the counter for their coffee cornetto: the dough is infused with coffee and the pastry is then glazed with coffee icing. It is perfectly balanced, and you’ll soon regret you ordered just one.

Tommaso’s paccheri alla trabaccolara and Rossella’s passatelli

My oven roasted bone marrow and Tommy’s chicken liver pate. Can you spot Livia eating her prosciutto in the background?

Lunch - Il Santo Bevitore

Via Santo Spirito, 64r, 50125 Firenze

Il Santo Bevitore is something in between a restaurant and a trattoria: dark wood wainscoting, long shelves crammed with wine bottles, vaulted ceilings and a friendly welcome. You look around and see local families, young people nicely dressed for the Sunday lunch and older couples, locals that know the menu by heart and curious tourists who enjoy the relaxed, convivial atmosphere. Our 2-year-old Livia was made to feel at home by the friendly waiters and waitresses, they were very kind.

The menu includes typical cheese and cold cut boards, some traditional dishes like ribollita and pappa al pomodoro, and also several fish options, something quite rare in local restaurants. Their bread basket won’t pass unnoticed: forget spongy white bread, their loaves and focaccia are freshly baked by S.Forno, their neighbourhood bakery a couple of minutes away from the restaurant.

As an appetizer, I went for oven-roasted bone marrow. It’s something I don’t cook at home, so I’m so happy when I find it on a menu: it was superbly done, creamy and caramelized on the surface, a perfect complement to their fragrant bread.

As my wildest dream would be to have a personal chef cooking for me fresh fish every day, whenever I get the chance I opt for fish. My fish soup was simple, warming, smooth and intense, the shrimps and the squid were buttery soft. While I’m writing this I’m salivating again at the idea of that perfectly executed soup.

It's been a long time since I've eaten this well in a restaurant, but after our lunch at Il Santo Bevitore, I crave to go back for more, as their menu is worth at least a second and third visit. The food is on point, the service warm and kind, and the prices are more than fair compared to other restaurants in Florence.

My picks: mandarin sorbet and pear sorbet. Who says fruit flavours are boring?

Gelato - Gelateria La Sorbettiera

Piazza Tasso, 11r and Via Mazzetta, 9a Florence

Customer - I will have strawberry.
Gelato lady - No signora, it's not in season.

This small snippet of a conversation overheard while queueing for our gelato perfectly describes why we love la Sorbettiera in Piazza Tasso: here gelato has a season.

Antonio Ciabattoni opened la Sorbettiera in 2007 together with his wife, Elisa. Since 2009, he's been whipping up gelato cones in Piazza Tasso, where his open workshop allows clients and passersby to take a peek behind the scenes. The quality of his artisanal gelato shines through in every vibrant, seasonal taste, supported by high-quality ingredients and profound attention to new trends and dietary requirements of clients.

Come to La Sorbettiera for outstanding classics such as hazelnut and pistachio, inventive creations, such as their ginger custard and chestnut honey gelato or basil and lime gelato, inspired by Chef Jacque Genin, and seasonal treats.

My favourite flavour is catrame (tar, and when you look at the gelato you understand why), a 75% dark chocolate sorbet that is dense and intensely chocolatey, while Tommaso, comes rain or shine, always has lemon and sage sorbet, refreshing and herbal. When the season comes, strawberry hits all the right spots, too: fruity, sweet, with refreshing sour notes. That makes Livia very happy, even though she is a catrame estimator, too.

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REMINDER! Pre-order Cucina Povera

Cucina Povera is our upcoming cookbook, we talked about it here. It will be available wherever books are sold on April 4, 2023, but it is already available for pre-order.

I know it may seem odd to ask you to preorder a book now especially when it will be delivered in April, but preorders are the best way to support an author and help a book succeed.

At the moment, Cucina Povera is on discount on Amazon.com (14% off the final price).

Once you pre-ordered the book, head over here where you can receive an instant download of the Cucina Povera Bonus Recipe Booklet, featuring six delicious recipes that will complement the final edition of the cookbook.

Dive into some of my favourite recipes now while you wait for your copy and share your creations with #cucinapovera on Instagram.

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1. Do you know the difference between the French croissant and the Italian cornetto? The Italian pastry is a laminated brioche dough, so it is enriched with sugar, eggs, and aromas (usually orange and vanilla). Here you can find my recipe to reproduce the Italian croissants at home.