Florence Travel Guide

The start of a perfect day to see the best Florence points of interest begins at Piazza della Signoria in the centre of town and a leisurely al fresco breakfast at Café Rivoire. A legendary local hangout – and one of Florence’s prime spots to both see and be seen – mornings at Café Rivoire revolve around people watching, café and biscotti.

While walking around clutching a to-go cup is something you’d never see a Florentine do, taking your espresso standing up at one of the area bars is entirely de rigueur. At Bar Damiano on Via di Parione you can hone your fledgling Italian with the convivial barista while downing un caffé doppio, leaving you both smiling and well caffeinated in only a matter of minutes.

Un pomeriggio perfetto in Florence can only mean shopping. And there’s no better place to start your shopping foray than just a few blocks from Piazza della Signoria in the Florence epicenter of luxury retail, Via de’ Tornabuoni. Home to Cavalli, Hermes, Loro Piana and Ferragamo – for the couture-obsessed, this is as close to Mecca as one can get. Indeed, even window-shopping your way through these veritable temples to style is an experience not to be missed. Should your interests lend themselves more towards admiring fashion rather than acquiring it, plan to spend and hour or two at the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo. Located on the banks of the Arno in Palazzo Spini Feroni, the exquisitely curated museum pays homage to nearly a century of design by the man who is arguably Italy’s most revered designer.

For a thoroughly authentic shopping experience in Florence, shop where the locals shop and head to Via del Corso and the tiny streets surrounding it where you’ll find everything from handcrafted leather goods to exquisitely woven textiles and cutting edge couture. For shoes and boots handcrafted in Italy, take a look at Leonardo’s on via dei Cerchi or Sabatini’s on Borgo degli Albizi. Also on Via dei Cerchi is Jean Saade, a local mainstay for exquisitely handcrafted fine jewellery.

Venturing across the Arno into the Oltrarno neighbourhoods of Florence is a must if you’re serious about shoes. At the workshop of Stefano Bemer, you’ll find breathtakingly beautiful men’s shoes made from leathers that range from the predictable calfskin to exotic elephant and eel. And while you’re in the Oltrarno, take a stroll down Borgo San Jacopo for the quirky vintage and antique stores it offers and as well as to stock up on the deliciously indulgent, Sicilian soaps found at Ortigia.

Florence is full of markets and two you’ll want to make a point of going to are the Flower Market held every Thursday at the Piazza Repubblica and the Fortezza Flea Market, held the third weekend of each month (sans August) in the Piazza Vittorio Veneto. And for a shopping experience that comes wrapped within a history lesson, don’t miss the Scuola del Cuoio, or Florence School of Leather. As rich in history as it is rife with exquisite leather, you’ll find fabulous goods in this little-known gem.

From the most humble of bars to the grandest of restaurants, it doesn’t take long to discover that dining in Florence is a celebration for the senses. Taste what is arguably the most delicious Panini in Tuscany at I Due Fretellini. A favourite with the local crowd, you won’t find tablecloths – or even tables – at this gem; only a storefront window is drawing a queue of customers from the moment the tiny shop opens for business.

For a casually elegant meal, Trattoria 4 Leoni located in Oltrarno is an impossibly declivous experience in Northern Italian dining. Reservations are necessary if you want to score one of the best tables and be sure to try the fioccheti or ‘little purses’ filled with harvest ripe pears and succulent goat cheese.

For an experience that puts you in the kitchen rather than simply at the table, head just outside of Florence to Fiesole and the Belmond Villa San Michelle. There, in the sun-filled student kitchens tucked away within the villa’s former conservatory, Chef Atillio di Fabrizio will guide you through rolling gnocchi, mixing panzanella and mastering tiramisu before inviting you to a feast featuring the fruits of your labour served on the hotel’s grand loggia.