Borgo San Jacopo at Hotel Lungarno
Executive Chef Claudio Mengoni, a Florentine with international chops, brings a youthful sophistication to this stronghold of his home city’s fine-dining scene. Part of the plush Hotel Lungarno, MICHELIN-Starred Borgo San Jacopo is more romantic than edgy, and its cuisine is a contemporary take on Tuscan and southern Italian flavors. The small terrace overlooking the Arno and Ponte Vecchio is the best seat in the house — and possibly the city — but if you don’t ask for it, you shan’t receive. The wine list here is legendary, with just under a thousand labels from Italy to Lebanon, and sommelier Salvatore Biscotti is on hand to guide your pairings.
Angel Roofbar & Dining at Hotel Calimala
Even the walk to the table is a thrill at this tiered rooftop bar and restaurant atop the Hotel Calimala. Every angle has a view, from the Palazzo Vecchio to Giotto’s bell tower to piles of brick-red rooftops and private terraces. (The missing piece? Brunelleschi’s dome.) Unlike some rooftop spots in Florence that disregard comfort and let the panoramas do the work, here there’s proper seating and pretty pergolas that elevate the immediate surroundings. The menu is Italian-international, infused with a hint of the broader Mediterranean and Middle East — think challah in the breadbasket — which keeps it in sync with the hotel’s neighboring small plates restaurant, Mezè Wild Dining. Angel also does aperitivo and after-dinner drinks; the former hour may be where it shines brightest.
Caffè dell’Oro
For laid-back curbside elegance, Caffe dell’Oro, part of Portrait Firenze, is just the ticket. With straight-on views of the Ponte Vecchio, Arno and all the passersby, it’s a chic and contemporary all-day dining spot with a bistro sensibility indoors and a luxe block-party vibe outside. Stop in for light bites and people-watching as the sun goes down over the river, enjoy a leisurely cappuccino or book a dinner slot for approachable bites like the house Chianina burger and the Asian fusion-driven antipasti.
La Leggenda dei Frati
A stalwart of the Florentine scene, La Leggenda dei Frati feels miles from the bustling city center but is less than a 10-minute uphill walk from the Ponte Vecchio via the winding Costa San Giorgio. The restaurant is attached to Villa Bardini, an art exhibition center and garden billed as an “alternative to Boboli” but deserving of better: Its terrace has unmatched views over the city, with Brunelleschi’s dome and the tip of Santa Croce peeking out below you. In the kitchen, Chefs Filippo Saporito and Ombretta Giovannini, partners in life and cuisine, do a healthy amount of experimenting, but ultimately prioritize quality ingredients over innovation. The formula works: Their chicken liver terrine has been on the menu since 2004 and continues to be their checkmate.
Serrae Villa Fiesole
MICHELIN-Starred Serrae Villa Fiesole has the view to give all others a run for their money — the panoramic vistas from this converted Medici villa are worth the drive or bus ride up to the hills. At the wheel in the kitchen is Antonello Sardi, whose sustainability credentials (including a MICHELIN Green Star in 2021) reflect his commitment to raw ingredients from the Tuscan territory. Tasting menus are conceptual without feeling forced or gimmicky, each centering a different aspect of Sardi’s approach — or giving him full carte blanche.Among the main courses, the Pagliana pigeon is a standout.
Irene at Hotel Savoy Firenze
Conventional wisdom says to steer clear of all dining directly on a major piazza or near big tourist attractions. But little about the Rocco Forte group’s Hotel Savoy and its restaurant, Irene, is conventional — even as its surroundings are some of the most recognizable in Florence. Irene is parked on the Piazza della Repubblica, midway between the Ponte Vecchio and Duomo and anchored by a 19th-century triumphal arch, several historic cafes and a trademark carousel. The streetside terrace is a chic spot to watch the world go by with a glass of vino while staying cordoned off from the chaos; window seats in the cheery-glam interior offer a similar vibe for colder days.
Hero image: © Serrae Villa Fiesole
