Things to do – Food and wine in Florence Italy

Food and Wine in Florence Italy

Tuscany is famous for the quality of its cuisine: it’s the land of simplicity, where the ingredients have such a high quality that you just need to cook them, in order to obtain something delicious. Speaking of wine, Tuscany is the land of Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino, two of the most appreciated Italian wines. If you’re planning what to do in Florence, reserve some time for food and wine tasting: Florence is filled with places to satisfy your palate. I don’t mean you don’t have any other things to do in Florence: there is a lot of art and history, you can shop around, attend events, but reserve part of your holiday for food and wine in Florence Italy. And if I can suggest the best way: do it with local tour guides, who can explain everything about the typical Tuscan cuisine.

 

 

 

Central Market The Central Market, close to the Train Station but also to the Medici Chapels, is the main place to buy groceries in the city center of Florence. Located on two floors until 2013, in 2014 it was restored and now the two floors have a totally different destination. At the ground floor the traditional market, open from 7:00 Am to 2:00 PM, where you can buy any typical Tuscan product but also many exotic ones. In the noisy market, you will find salumi (not to be confused with salami, which is a particular kind of salumi), bread, fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, fresh pasta. The second floor has become a temple of dining, is open every day from 10:00 AM to 12:00 AM and here you can taste excellent food for a very reasonable price. The huge hall is filled with tables you can freely choose, all around you can find sort of street restaurants, each one specialized in something, from pizza to fish, from grill to cheese and so on. In the center of the hall, they serve drinks. It’s a great place to go with friends or family, where everybody can eat a different meal but sit at the same table.

Central Market official website

 

Wine shops Tuscany is famous for its wines and wine tasting is one of the things to do in Florence Italy. Most wine shops will offer you various alternatives, explaining in detail what you are tasting and often adding some typical local food to match with different kind of wines. There are many wine shops in the city center or very close to it. Some of these shops can ship your wine directly to your home if you decide to follow up with a purchase. We have wine producers active in Florence since the 13th century, most notably the Antinori, Frescobaldi and Ricasoli families. Recently the Antinori brand opened a huge wine cellar in the Chianti region, few miles south of Florence, which is worth visiting.

Antinori Cellar official website