Author: Ani Tigranian

The brains behind lauded food and wine bar Enoteca Pitti Gola have opened a spinoff restaurant that offers fine wines and Tuscan food for modern appetites. Here, guests won’t just find one steak alla Fiorentina, but rotating options from different cattle breeds, along with dishes like spaghetti with braised artichokes; Florentine bechamel, ricotta, and spinach crepes; Tuscan soups; stewed wild boar; and other comfort-food classics. Osteria dell’Enoteca curates its wine wall with varietals like Brunello, Valpolicella, Barolo, and Chianti classico, while dinner is finished a complimentary post-meal digestivi (limoncello or herbal liquors) made by the owners.

Spun off by Florence’s artisanal brewpub Archea Brewery, Pint of View is a craft-beer pub and kitchen boasting Korean- and Japanese-inspired bar food such as ramen bowls, stir-fried glass noodles, fried tofu in a soy broth, and cooked ossobuco. Beers on tap hail from breweries around the country, including Archea’s own craft beers, plus there’s an inventive cocktail list with drinks like the Kyusan: a gin-based libation emulsified with matcha and softened with sake and simple syrup.

Florence has had a tough time merging Italian cocktails with well-made snacks, but Manifattura has filled this void. Tucked inside the tiny Piazza San Pancrazio, Manifattura is bringing “Made in Italy” back with its 1950s decor; a bar shelf brimming with exclusively Italian beverages, like the nearly forgotten citron soda Tassoni; and timeless Italian music playing in the background. No Tiki- or Prohibition-style drinks to be found on this menu (Italy never had a prohibition). Instead, Manifattura is a nostalgic option for locals and where visitors can discover the legacy of Italian cocktails with small plates to accompany them. Think classic Italian snacks like triangle tramezzini finger sandwiches, fried chickpea fritters, and roasted chestnuts, plus heartier options like a creamy baccala whip on a Parmesan waffle and spelt flatbread piadina.

Massimo Bottura, the famed chef behind the three-Michelin-starred Osteria Francescana, has come to Florence with his first branded Osteria outside of Modena. Don’t expect Bottura’s usual degree of experimentation here — this is small-plate fare in a tea-room setting. Dishes not to miss include the Caesar salad, with dressing wedged between every layer and topped with pieces of Parmesan crisp; the marinated pork belly Taka bun; and the tortellini drenched in a Parmigiano-Reggiano cream. And while prices skew high, the restaurant is housed in the the Gucci Museum in one of city’s most historical squares, with food created by one of the world’s most acclaimed chefs. In other words, you’re paying for the location and name as much as the food.

This bistro serves up wood-fired pizzas and small plates with a well-thought-out wine list spanning obscure Italian labels and a handful of natural and biodynamic wines. The simple but satisfying menu features prosciutto and burrata starters, grilled local seafood, cacio e pepe-filled ravioli, and gnocchi with gorgonzola. Dessert is quasi-obligatory, with slabs of cheesecake with chopped pistachios and dollops of creamy tiramisu.

Europe has a tough time with authentic Vietnamese cuisine, but this Florence outpost is making earnest strides thanks in part to its chef’s close ties to Vietnam. (Representatives from Ho Chi Minh City came to oversee the early menu and kitchen training.) Here, regional Vietnamese dishes are served in a minimalist tearoom in the heart of Florence’s Santa Croce quarter. Expect delicate bowls of pho, vermicelli spring rolls, flat dumplings imbued with lemongrass, and tamarind shrimp plates. The imported tea selection includes unique lotus and artichoke varieties. Finish it off with a slice of banana-coconut cake.

Hungry market shoppers can now dine at one of city’s best butchers, Macelleria Menoni, which cooks local cuts from behind the case. Lunch here is a butcher-to-table, street-food-style experience on a tiny indoor terrace inside Mercato Sant’Ambrogio. Diners dig into hearty preparations like stewed beef in a Renaissance-style dolceforte sauce; fried meatballs; and Florence’s quintessential street food, lampredotto, or cow stomach, served on toast. To break up the protein-filled feast, sides include potatoes and a tangle of garlicky chard.

Once hidden in the outskirts of Florence, one of the city’s favorite international dining options has now opened in the central Sant’Ambrogio quarter. Ararat serves Armenian-Georgian cuisine with bottles of full-bodied Georgian wine to match. On the menu are hand-formed Georgian dumplings called khinkali, stuffed with potato or spiced ground beef; a variety of grilled meats, including Armenian lula kebab accompanied by roasted tomato and eggplant mashes; a selection of Armenian flatbreads; and Georgian khachapuri, a cheesy bread bordered by a thick, soft crust with a runny egg buried in the middle.

As the name suggests, Moderna positions itself as a modern Italian trattoria with revised twists on local classics. The menu strikes a chord between fine dining and bistro fare, featuring dishes like beef tenderloin with foie gras, guinea hen rolled with prosciutto and topped with truffle, and tagliatelle with ragu Bolognese in a Parmigiano-Reggiano fondue cream. Just off the pedestrian path yet reachable from Santa Croce, it’s worth the small detour.