The Best Trattorias in Florence for Genuine Tuscan Flavors

For a century-old institution dishing up hearty Tuscan fare, head to this trattoria near the train station. Originally founded in 1911 as a fiaschetteria, an old-school wine bar that also served cucina povera (peasant food) such as soups and boiled eggs, its previous life as a wine shop is evident with its defunct wine door at the eatery’s entrance. Today, expect to drink Chianti inside with generously portioned bowls of pappa al pomodoro (bread soup with tomatoes and garlic) to accompany huge slabs of Florentine steak.

Any food-fueled Florence sojourn must include a visit to this shrine of Florentine cuisine. While Cibrèo, the original restaurant, offers a fine-dining experience, its trattoria next door serves a humbler blue-collar menu amid traditional craftsman furnishings. Il Cibrèino is celebrated for its dedication to seasonal flavors like tomato budino (a flan-shaped savory jelly), forgotten family dishes like lamb brain and fresh catches cooked al cartoccio (in foil or parchment). Bookings are accepted, and are recommended during busy travel months.

Reservations are highly recommended for this family-owned hybrid bottega/deli/trattoria in the outskirts of Florence’s historical center. Well worth the taxi or bus ride is the succulent steak grilled over open flames, in addition to the pantheon of Tuscan classics (from pastas to soups) pulled from the Burde family’s recipe treasure chest. While one brother, Paolo, keeps an eye on simmering cauldrons of kale and polenta farinata (savory porridge), the other brother, Andrea Gori, curates the wine cellar as one of Italy’s most respected sommeliers.