Outside the historical center, Da Burde is one of the city’s finest family-run institutions for traditional Florentine food. Currently led by the youngest generation of the Burde ownership, the trattoria has an atmosphere that’s both old-world wine bar and homey banquet, where sincere family recipes are earnestly prepared from scratch. The trek to Da Burde is worth it for diners in search for true Florentine relics, passed-down specialties like minestrone, meatballs, chickpea farinata, and grilled meats, all with incredible wines to match. [$$]

The Florentine culinary repertoire historically excludes pizza (the Renaissance town is better known for ribollita and bistecca alla fiorentina), but the city is still a magnet for exceptional pizza-makers. If you’re craving a well-crafted pie, look no further than Santarpia, which combines new-wave creativity with traditional heart. Pizza chef Giovanni Santarpia hails from Campania and has spent years earning feathers as one of the best pizzaioli in the country. He’s obsessed with dough and ingredient quality, fermentation, and warm hospitality. The craft beer selection is top-notch as well. Santarpia is outside the historic center of town, but worth the detour. [$ - $$]

Timeless restaurants like this make Florence special: Sabatino’s is a family-run, blue-collar joint that hasn’t changed much since it opened in 1956. Pasta dishes at this walk-in-only trattoria hover at a humble €4.50, while meaty mains like roast chicken clock in at a mere €5.50. Its simple homestyle cooking and bargain prices are a testament to Italy’s all-inclusive food culture: You don’t need to be well-off to eat well here. [$]

You could throw a rock in any direction and hit a good restaurant in Florence, but it’s a little harder to hit a place with remarkable wine offerings too. Il Guscio has been around since 1986 and has a menu that takes homestyle Tuscan and Italian classics to gourmet status: gnudi dumplings made with scamorza and spinach pesto, Maldon-salted sliced sirloin with julienned vegetables, paccheri pasta with spicy Calabrian ’nduja and burrata, beet risotto. The wine list is rife with boutique, biodynamic, and terroir-centered producers, heavy on Tuscan wines balanced with an ample selection of crucial bottles from around the country, selections from France, and plenty of sparkling. Portions are hearty, so make sure you order to share, and save room for dessert, which is very much on point. [$$ - $$$]

Ruggero is described by locals as a tuffo nel passato (blast from the past). The time capsule trattoria hasn’t updated its decor since the ’70s, but the affordable local fare has held up. Come for quality options such as pici pasta, roast pork, tender filetto (tenderloin), and seasonal sides (porcini, zucchini flowers, artichokes). Their calling card primo dish is spaghetti alla carrettiera, a dense red sauce preparation with a kick of chile, anchovies, breadcrumbs, and herbs. Ruggero isn’t quite in the historic center, but it’s worth the walk past the Porta Romana. [$$]

Located in Piazza del Cestello, Essenziale is challenging Florence’s otherwise sluggish experimental dining scene. As the name suggests, the restaurant focuses on the essential aspects of dining, with a minimalist atmosphere that keeps attention on the plate. Chef Simone Cipriani is known for revisiting Florentine classics, like turning pappa al pomodoro into a savory doughnut. Dishes deftly diverge from the heavily regimented repertoire of Florentine cuisine by fusing Italian foundations with tacos, kimchi, and tempura, and the kitchen makes statements with its use of offal on classic pastas. The rotating themed tasting menu is exciting and priced at 55 euros ($65). [$$$$]

This enoteca (Italian for wine bar) is hidden in one of the most charming but often overlooked corners of Florence, but once you find it you’ll have a hard time leaving. The humble snack and wine bar is run by the owners’ daughter Camilla, who has an uncanny ability to match wines to your personal tastes. Don’t skip one of the tasty meat and cheese plates, a warm cheese crostini, and something bubbly from the Champagne fridge. The anchovy toasts are some of the best you’ll find — Camilla makes hers with hand-filleted anchovies from the Mediterranean cured in high-quality olive oil, topped with a curl of lemon zest. Like most boutique wine bars in Florence, this venue is best for small groups looking for light bites and drinks, not full dinner. [$$]

Located in the bohemian Oltrarno (“other side of the Arno river”), Cammillo is an old-school trattoria serving straightforward Tuscan fare with white-tablecloth service. The prices are above average for homestyle dining, but it’s worth the extra money for expertly prepared rustic classics like winter ribollita soup finished with proprietary olive oil, warm root vegetable salads, bistecca fiorentina, and game meats. Trust the pasta offerings: The family that owns the place has roots in Italy’s pasta capital, Bologna. [$$$]

Procacci is a cornerstone of Florence’s aperitivo scene. In operation since 1885, the cafe catered to King Vittorio Emanuele III, and it has displayed a royal coat of arms from the House of Savoy since 1925. The truffle den is now owned by Antinori, Tuscany’s most historic wine-producing clan (30-plus generations strong), who supply all wine. These days, it’s a good spot for people-watching during fashion trade shows; global fashionistas flock to dine on dainty mini paninos slathered with truffles, along with glasses of tomato juice or sparkling Franciacorta wine (Lombardy’s equivalent of Champagne). You should go further into the decadent menu options like foie gras, mortadella soaked in alchermes (an Italian liqueur), or egg with sliced truffle. Pick up a few gourmet souvenirs too, including truffle salts, truffle-infused anchovies, white truffle honey, aged balsamic vinegars, and fine chocolates.  [$ - $$$]

Tucked away off the Ponte Vecchio is one of the most revered wine bars in the country. Part shop, part bar and local hangout, Le Volpi pours and sells bottles that uniquely represent the Italian wine landscape, highlighting passionate producers. A crack team of winemakers, sommeliers, and wine educators staff the bar, and if they hook you up with a wine you love, you can join the wine club or ship bottles abroad. The bar serves choice meat and cheese plates and warm crostini toasts to accompany tastings. If you see wild boar fennel salami, snag a plate. And you can’t leave without having the crostino with melted lardo and asiago, or the finger panini with cured duck breast and butter. [$]

Another time-cherished eatery, this basement wine cellar-turned-restaurant is small on space but big on soul. Dive deep into true Florentine cuisine with mainstays like ribollita soup, gnudi, artichoke omelet, panzanella, maltagliati pasta, steak, and fried cow brain — plus a great wine list. Overlook the rough-around-the-edges service, and you’ll find one of the best meals Florence has to offer. [$$$]

If the chaotic, crowded local trattorias aren’t your thing, head to 150-plus-year-old Sergio Gozzi for a similar slice of ambiance and culinary history — but with more space and less waiting. A true Florentine trattoria, Sergio Gozzi changes up its renowned fried offerings based on the seasons: fried zucchini flowers in the summer and artichokes in the winter. Also keep an eye out for porchetta, peposo (beef stew slow-cooked in wine and whole peppercorns), and one of the best pappa al pomodoro soups in town. Only open for lunch, Gozzi offers traditional homestyle food at reasonable prices. [$]

A refuge from the crowds thronging the nearby Duomo, Enoteca Alessi is an independent wine shop with a library-sized collection of wines, spirits, vermouths, amari, digestifs, chocolates, and other culinary treasures, perfect for souvenirs. Head to the wine bar for a glass of vino and an elaborate charcuterie board with fennel salami and various pecorino cheeses, or get crostini or a panini. Finish off the meal with the dessert wine flight and chocolate fondue. [$ - $$]

International food offerings are growing at a modest pace in Florence, and the city’s Iranian population is well represented by Ristorante Persiano Tehran. Situated in Piazza dei Cimatori, aka “Dante’s Neighborhood,” this restaurant proudly serves Iranian specialties, like ground beef koobideh, marinated spiced joojeh chicken kebabs, hearty herb and lamb stew ghormeh sabzi, Persian bastani, and rose, saffron, or pistachio-flavored ice cream. The decor pays homage to the owners’ home country and offers a Persian escape in the midst of Florence’s Renaissance-heavy center. [$$]

Eating and drinking well near the Duomo isn’t impossible, thanks to places like Coquinarius. This bistro with a vintage feel is perfect for diners who treat wine as the main course and food as the garnish. The bottle selection is extensive and constantly changing, and the sommelier Nicola Schirru is one of the most enthusiastic wine advocates in the city. Pair your vino with scrumptious pastas like burrata-filled ravioli in a pistachio pesto, baccala and saffron spaghetti, cacio e pepe ravioli with truffle, or charcuterie platters and crostini. A second location in Fiesole also provides a good stop if you are thinking of checking out the Roman and Etruscan ruins in this scenic town perched above Florence. [$$]

A short walk from the Uffizi Gallery, this tiny eatery makes its intentions clear on the handwritten menu outside: no pizza, no ice, no cappuccino, and no steak. This osteria serves traditional Tuscan food, and is known for its pappardelle in duck ragu, ribollita soup, fragrant saffron pasta tossed with zucchini flowers and a touch of cream, and meat-based mains like tomato-stewed cod and rolled, stuffed pork. This soulful Florentine institution is heavily frequented by locals — reservations are necessary. [$$]

Run by the same family since 1966, Fagioli serves extremely Tuscan cuisine and blue-collar Florentine classics like penne strascicate cooked by “dragging” pasta still very dente in a pan of meaty sugo. Pop by in the morning and you’ll find the crew preparing seasonal produce and simmering stews and soups in time for the lunch and dinner crowds. Few do showstopping bistecca alla fiorentina both well and from the local breed of cow called Chianina. Note: The space is small and bustling, and the service is hit and miss, but the food and value will make up for any gruffness. [$$]

Located in a Renaissance-era palace once owned by the Medici family, Locale is fine dining for craft-cocktail enthusiasts, with stellar service to match the extraordinary scenery. The avant-garde cocktail lounge boasts towering shelves of alcohol and an undercurrent of experimental flair. Below the main space, there’s an underground science lab/apothecary, where bartenders concoct butter-infused vodkas, redistilled gins, house-made kombucha with obscure local dried flowers, CBD-vaporized cocktails, and more. [$$$$]

Tuscan cuisine is the foundation at this “culinary club,” but diners revel in finding specialties from across the boot on the menu. The owner and head chef inspires memories from nonna's kitchen, using obscure regional ingredients and materie prime (raw materials) from the most idyllic producers in the country, like one that supplies cheese aged in Etruscan-era caves. The fried polpette di bollito (beef croquettes) are must-haves, as are charcuterie boards, rabbit and olives, and the potato-filled tortelli with various options of ragu (the goat is a win). [$$]

Milan tends to garner most of the glory for its plethora of Chinese food, but few travelers realize Prato, a historic textile hub near Florence, is home to the largest Chinese community in Italy (the third-largest in Europe after Paris and London). While Prato’s Chinatown is a true dumpling destination, Florence benefits from ample spillover. For evidence, look no further than Dim Sum, where dumplings, noodles, and stir-fries fly out of the open kitchen, and all the dough, buns, and noodles are made in-house. Don’t miss the spicy pork dumpling soup, naturally risen steamed buns, tea-smoked duck, vegetable sides like bitter melon and eggplant. [$$]

In the heart of San Niccolo, just below the steps leading up to the panoramic Piazza Michelangelo square, is one of tastiest carb bars on the planet. Fresh cappellaci is the specialty at this mother-and-son operation, where it’s offered with a myriad of stuffings, like winter squash and ricotta, and toppings, like green kale pesto sauce or freshly shaved truffles, when in season. You’ll also find tavola calda-type offerings, like sliced roasted meats and caramelized vegetables, all with a unique Champagne and natural wine selection. [$$ - $$$]

Florence isn’t the kindest destination for seafood lovers, but there are a few gems in the meat-heavy Tuscan capital. The chef at Aroma Firenze takes real pride in his exceptional seafood dishes — pastas with plump prawns, a grilled seasonal catch, and ethereal crudo raw plates — as well as the thoughtful wine list and decadent desserts to finish. Service is warm and the atmosphere ideal for date nights. [$$$]

Chef Fabio Picchi is a culinary icon in town. He’s responsible for a cluster of restaurants congregated at the gate of the city’s most genuine Florentine food quarter, Sant’Ambrogio. Across six outposts, Picchi’s food creatively celebrates the region’s bounty and flavors while adhering to certain cornerstones of the Florentine and Tuscan repertoire. The offerings at his trattoria are dedicated to homestyle old-world cooking, like rib-sticking soups, roasted game, and obscure offal preparations like stuffed chicken neck. Creativity shows through in the cult-status ricotta and potato sformatino souffle, and some out-of-the-box riffs on Florentine staples, as in a budino made with turmeric and lemon Greek yogurt. Don’t come expecting pasta and pizza. [$$]

Young Florentines are molding the dining scene into something more refined and international, and there are few places left in the city where you can experience an old-fashioned, family-run greasy spoon, complete with the staff hollering at each other as if they were in their own living room. For that, head to this trattoria inside the Sant'Ambrogio market. Beat the crowds by going before 1 p.m., or join them in the small booths for dirt-cheap plates of panzanella in the summer, pappa al pomodoro (tomato and bread soup) in the spring, and everything else in between, like simple pastas, meat and potatoes, and hearty desserts of caramelized pears. [$]

For the best sandwich in the world, according to obviously biased owner Marco Paparozzi, head to his tiny panino stall perched on the curb of Sant'Ambrogio market. Fillings here break the usual meat-and-cheese mold, drawing from Tuscan-inspired flavors and dishes: Think stewed donkey, pear, pecorino, and truffle; wild boar sausage and broccoli rabe; and, at times, carb-on-carb taglierini pasta panino. Select your filling from the rotating chalkboard menu and Paparozzi or his nephew will promptly whip up a flavorful panino and insist it be washed down with a small glass of wine. [$]

While Florentines debate about which is the best lampredotto stand, Marco Bolognese's l'Trippaio di Firenze in Piazza Beccaria stands out. Lampredotto is classically cooked in a savory broth and served chopped, stuffed in bread, and topped with a green herb and chili sauce, but this stand has more options for curious eaters. Here, the dish is cooked in a notable range of sauces: tomato with artichoke or olives; beans and sausage; chard; and even an “erotic” stew of random organs (ovaries, uterus, tongue). [$]

Now in their fourth generation, the family of fornai (bakers) that owns this bakery seems totally uninterested in winning over new customers with gimmicks or gourmet improvements on classics. Instead, they’re fixated on sourcing locally grown flour and ancient grains for breads, and peak-season fruit for cakes. They aren’t shy with oil for their salty schiacciata, patience for their naturally fermented and risen loaves, butter for their pastries, Nutella for their biscotti, and love for everything else they make. While the bakery is definitely off the beaten path, it’s worth stopping by at lunch for a schiacciata panino with porchetta, mortadella, or fennel finocchiona, or for a sweet treat in the afternoon like chestnut flour flat cakes, rice custard fritters (a carnival specialty), or buttery puff pastries braided with chocolate. [$]