How to avoid the tourist traps and eat like a local in Florence

On my last visit to Florence, I was determined to get it right. I turned my back on the Duomo and crossed the Ponte Vecchio, walking the backstreets until I stumbled across a traditional-looking osteria. I was greeted in Italian and shown to my table, but just as I was congratulating myself and mentally composing the social media post I'd put up later sharing my "authentic" find, a large tour group of Americans pushed through the door conversing loudly about their day in Siena. Then the waiter returned and handed me an English menu.

Although I've been to Florence a multitude of times and even lived in the city for a while in my 20s, I inevitably find myself in a restaurant having a mediocre meal surrounded by similarly guileless tourists.

Simone Caponnetto, a born-and-bred Florentine and executive chef at Locale Firenze, sympathises.

"It can be challenging to find authentic food in Florence, especially in the city centre where many places cater primarily to tourists rather than locals," he says.

Aldo Fiordelli, who is food and wine critic for the country's oldest newspaper, Il Corriere della Sera, and senior editor at wine publication James Suckling, agrees.

"If you're looking for international fine dining, no problem, anything authentic is more difficult," he says.

But what exactly is authentic Florentine food? Beyond the famous Bistecca Fiorentina - a thick-cut steak from a Tuscan breed of cattle, dry-aged, then grilled over charcoal or wood - Florentine food is generally modest and deeply rooted in tradition. So how to dodge the tourist traps and find it?

For dining experiences that better reflect the city's true culinary heritage, Caponnetto recommends moving away from major tourist sights, avoiding places with English menus and heading to neighbourhoods like Oltrarno, on the other side of the Arno River.

Osterie (the plural of "osteria") date from the times of the Roman Empire and were humble inns with a dining room. They usually have a limited menu and are often family run. A trattoria is a (often barely discernible) step-up, sitting between an osteria and a ristorante. Like an osteria, a trattoria generally serves classic local dishes and is casual and modestly priced.

Caponnetto's favourite is Trattoria da Ruggero, just beyond the Porta Romana gates. "It's the best trattoria in town, run by a family who make you feel totally at home," he says. He also rates Trattoria Da Burde, near Cascina delle Parco, Florence's largest park. Fiordelli, meanwhile recommends L'Ortone, for a slightly more contemporary iteration of a trattoria.

An enoteca is not too far removed from an osteria, except the focus is more on wine, often served by the glass or as a flight. The food is usually very simple and wine-friendly. Caponnetto recommends Enoteca Spontanea in Santo Spirito. "They have a wonderful selection of natural wines with great prices. It's the place to grab a bottle before dinner, an aperitivo or a post-dinner drink."

For something more substantial, he suggests Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina in Piazza Pitta. "It's a beautiful setting and they have a great selection of hams, cheeses and homemade pastas." Pitti Gola, which offers themed wine flights of small-batch Italian drops also gets a thumbs-up from Fiordelli, along with Le Volpi e l'uva with its revolving list of by-the-glass choices.

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It's not going to be for everyone but if you can "stomach" it then lampredotto is a quintessential Florentine street food. It's made from the fourth stomach of the cow, slow-cooked and served in a panino with a green sauce. Caponnetto's preferences are those from Tripperia Pollini in Sant'Ambrogio, while Fiordelli gets his fix from Il Magazzino, which also offers tongue carpaccio for the offal enthusiast.

More appealing, perhaps, is a gelato. Caponnetto's suggestion is Vivoli, a gelato shop owned by the same family for 40 years.

Like the rest of Italy, coffee here is usually taken in a bar. Generally, it costs more to sit at a table rather than drink it standing up. If you ask for "un caffe" the default is an espresso and asking for "a latte" instead of a "caffe latte" will get you a glass of milk. Order a cappuccino or coffee with milk after 12pm in the historic centre these days and you'll probably just get a heavy sigh or an eye roll rather than outright refusal.

Caponnetto gets his coffee fix at Ditta Artigianale Coffee Bar. "The coffee here has a shorter roasting than classic Italian coffee, which coaxes out all the aromas," he says. There are three venues, the prettiest is in Via dello Sprone.

Fiordelli's recommendation is Caffe Lietta on Piazza Liberta. "Make sure to try their piruli (tall shortcrust tarts filled with ricotta), too," he advises.

"Atto di Vito Mollica," says Fiordelli decisively. "One of the best chefs in town, he is now in charge at Palazzo Portinari, a stunningly beautiful renaissance palazzo in the centre."

Caponnetto concurs and further suggests Saporium on the Lungarno, the street that runs alongside the Arno River, where chef Ariel Hagen uses produce from the restaurant's own estate in Borgo San Pietro.

Of course, Caponnetto's restaurant, Locale Firenze is also renowned. It's housed in a 16th-century palazzo in the city's historic heart with a contemporary menu tethered to Tuscan ingredients.

The place to drink a negroni in the city that invented them, while taking in the terracotta rooftops and famous domed cathedral of the city is Villa San Michele both Caponnetto and Fiordelli agree. It'll be a while between drinks, though, as the hotel's currently undergoing refurbishment and is slated to re-open in 2026.

In the meantime, Caponnetto recommends the rooftop terrace of Hotel Plaza Lucchesi, open to non-hotel guests from 7.30pm in the summer.

Fiordelli, who's literally written a book on the steak, recommends Buca Lapi near Piazza Santa Maria Novella, or Regina Bistecca near the Duomo. If you really want to eat like a Florentine, however, he cautions that it will always be served rare or blue.