For night life lovers, Cristina
and Giuseppe can lead you to the right place, be it among
quiet and elegant bars or the most trendy pubs and discoteques.
If you’re music and theater lovers, they can book
you tickets at all of the major theaters in Florence.
Restaurants
Do
you go crazy for great cooking?
In Florence you’ll find your paradise among restaurants
and specialty wine bars “enoteche” off the beaten
path that most tourists don’t know about.
Cristina and Giuseppe can tell you where the “bongustai
fiorentini” (Florentines of good taste) favourite
restaurants are, from typical trattorias at a good price
to refined restaurants that respect the tuscan tradition.
Or perhaps you’d like to try an ethnic restaurant,
sushi bar, or an inovative theme restaurant.
Wine
& Food
Are you courious to taste wine and food products
from Tuscany?
You’ll be pointed in the right direction to discover
antique flavours and marvelous wines.
Shopping
in Florence
Are
you coming to Florence also for a little shopping?
Cristina and Giuseppe will lead you from the hippest shops
to the markets where you can find some real steals.
You could also try the high fashion outlet stores just
outside of the city where you can get great deals on Gucci
, Cavalli, Prada, and Dolce & Gabbana, just to name
a few.
SHOPS & RESTAURANTS: NOT TO BE MISSED!!!
• L’Olandese volante: Via San Gallo, 3 min.
walk from here. Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate! But not
only; together with a good choice of pralines from Holland,
you will find smoked fish, some kind of cheese, and other
delicious things.
• Gabs: Via San Gallo. Handmade funny bags in all
sizes and colours, wallets, earings, hair clips. A very
nice place with good prices.
• Herbalists’ shop Doctor Vranjes: Via San
Gallo. Home Italian essences (our favourite is “fiori
di Sicilia”) and eau de toilette, body lotions and
special face creams for all skin types, lip balms. Also:
special “tisanas” (infusions).
• Café “I’Birba”: Via San
Gallo. The place is nice, convenient and offers genuine
sandwiches and maybe the best home-made “torta di
mele” (apple pie) in the area, available after 1pm.
No fees for the table service.
• Pugi bakery: Via San Gallo and Piazza San Marco.
If you’re looking for a slice of good pizza or a very
good sandwich, Pugi shop is what you need. All the pizzas
are great, and their famous “schiacciata” (savoury)
is one of the favourite light-lunch for Florentine people.
• Restaurant “Il Vegetariano”: Via delle
Ruote 30; about 5 min. walk from the B&B, Via S. Gallo
area. Tue-Fri 12.30-2pm and 7.30-10.30pm (average E.15-20,
no c.cards). If you prefere not to eat another 1kilo-Florentine-steak,
or just want to try something different, this is the best
vegetarian restaurant in Florence.
• Ice-cream “Carabé”: Via Ricasoli,
after the cross-road with the Academy street, less than
5 min. walk from the B&B. One of the 3 best “gelaterie”
in Florence, with organic Sicilian products. Fruit water-ices
are superb.
• Giorgia Atelier: Via dei Ginori, 2 steps from here.
A lovely boutique with handmade clothes. The accessories
(bags, ear-rings, hats, scarfes) are unique pieces. Not
too expensive.
• Trattoria “Nerbone”: if you love Italian
food, you can’t miss the main food market in town,
located in Piazza del Mercato Centrale, just 2 min. walk
from us, and the trattoria Nerbone inside it. The place
opens at 7am and closed around 1pm: pasta and soups well
coocked, but everybody come here for the “panino al
lampredotto” (cow’s intestine) with special
sauces, “trippa” (tripe), and “bollito
misto” (a mixed boiled cow’s meat, tongue, trotter,
etc.).
• Restaurant “Pepò”: Via Rosina-Piazza
del Mercato Centrale. Mon-Sun 12.30-2pm and 7.30-10.30pm.
(average E. 40,oo). It’s one of our favourite place
to eat, good value for money. Home cuisine, tuscan food
with an excellent steak, some fish dishes. The menu changes
day by day and everything is fresh. Nice small place. Could
be crowded after 8.30pm.
• Restaurant “Coquinarius”: Duomo square,
Via delle Oche 15R.(small street) Mon-Sat 12 - 11.00pm.
Not expensive at all, it offers pastas, salads, smoked fish
and Italian cheeses. Own-made cakes. Bistrot atmosphere,
very very nice. It can be considered as a Café and
not only as a restaurant.
• Ice-cream “Grom”: Duomo sq., Via delle
Oche. Simply delicious. Try the “torroncino cream”
or the dark chocolate, or the “cassata siciliana”,
or the “crema di Grom”….
• Café “Procacci”: Via de’Tornabuoni
64R. Mon-Sat 10.30am-8pm. Small traditional fiorentine bar
and shop, ideal place to relax after the expensive shopping
in Via Tornabuoni, where all the main boutiques and jewelleries
are located. PS. not cheap.
• Da ‘Ino: Via dei Georgofili 3R- Uffizi area(jan
and feb. Tue-Fri 12-5pm Sat.11am-7pm; during the other months
11am-7pm Tue-Sat) High quality artisanal enogastronomical
products to taste and/or to take away.
• “Spazio A” Boutique: Via di Porta Rossa
107R. Mon 3-7pm and Tue-Sat 10am-7pm. Creations for women
by Alberta Ferretti, Moschino, J.P. Gaultier. The staff
is friendly and the clothes are fab! Expensive, of course,
but not exaggerate.
• Aspesi Boutique: Via di Porta Rossa 81R. Mon 3-7pm
and Tue-Sat 10am-2pm; 3-7pm. If you’re looking for
clothes in special very elegant colours, this is the right
place. Linen, silk, velvet, light wool. Expensive, but the
quality is high.
• Calvani Shoes: Via degli Speziali 7R, Piazza della
Repubblica area. Mon-Sat 9am-7.30pm. Sun 3-7pm. Men’s
and women’s shoes, different styles, from eccentric
to elegant. Sport foot-wear, boots, slippers… Very
chic!
