This afternoon we said goodbye to Florence. Both Bo and I agree that this was exactly the trip that we needed and wanted. It was an incredible 5 year anniversary trip filled with culture, delicious food, new wines, friendly locals, an indulgent hotel, and lots of wonderful memories. We cashed in six years worth of Starwood points in exchange for three nights at the St. Regis Florence, a decision we’d make again in a heartbeat. The service was a level we haven’t experienced since our honeymoon and the king size bed and complimentary upgrade to a river view with soaking tub was bliss, especially as our flat in Geneva only has a simple shower.

There are so many incredible restaurants in Florence, especially considering its size. There was no way we could try all of the restaurants, even the ones which friends and family recommended. The list of restaurants below are the ones that we’d recommend to our friends, family and you readers. There were other spots that we either tried and didn’t enjoy or paled in comparison to these other spots.

We learned first hand that authentic Italian food is truly delicious not because of it’s complexities but instead its simplicity.

As always, if you have any questions, just drop me a tweet or email! Tomorrow we’ll try to remember what it’s like to eat more green vegetables than pasta. Until then, I’m going to sip a glass of Chianti we brought back from this weekend’s adventure and relax.

Breakfast

Many Italians barely eat breakfast, unless you consider multiple espressos and possibly a cigarette a meal. Most coffee shops offer a few pieces of fruit or an array of pastries, ranging from donuts, sweet brioche to ham and cheese croissants.. They’ll be the first to admit it isn’t their specialty, though and steer you towards a deliciously, strong cup of caffeine. For this reason, none of our breakfasts were especially memorable, except yesterdays at Pugi. Located just a steps away from the Duomo, this is the perfect spot to grab breakfast before starting your day. The bakery often has lines out the door but if you come early you can snag one of their sweet brioche or a slice of one of their fruit breads and cakes, which they insist are just as delicious for breakfast. They were sampling the fig cake which almost made me swap my brioche but in the end the sweet brioche won.  They are also known for their by the slice pizzas and focaccia bread, prepared Florentine style, salt free. Note that they don’t serve coffee but just two doors down there is a small shop which serves up Illy coffee.

Lunch

Three different friends recommended we dine at ‘ino for lunch the day we tour the Uffizi. Located right around the corner from Ponte Vecchio and the Uffizi Gallery, this small shop is known for their fresh, local ingredients and unique flavor combinations on their extensive sandwich and panini menu. Completely in Italian, the menu includes more than 50 different combinations ranging from meat heavy, truffle inclusive and even vegan. We shared two paninis – prosciutto with truffle tapenade and and the caprese. Served with two glasses of red wine, the total came to 24 euros. Not bad when you consider that these sandwiches are HUGE, freshly prepared, top ingredients and filled with locals.

Dinner

Over the course of three nights we dined at four different spots. One of them was a total flop which I will not waste energy discussing. Two of them (Trattoria dei 13 Gobbi and Trattoria Gargani) and were memorable dinners which we’d happily enjoy again and the fourth, was okay but a bit overhyped. La Giostra was good and everything people said it would be but by the end of the dining experience, we were more than ready to leave. The staff was almost too friendly, coming off as trying too hard. The restaurant was packed, but with almost entirely American tourists. Don’t get me wrong, I love my home country but when traveling, I prefer to dine among the locals or at least a mix of tourists. The music they played was incredibly random and included more than 30 minutes of just a bit too loud Red Hot Chili peppers. That being said, the food was delicious and reliable.

Luckily, our hotel pointed us in the direction of two separate restaurants which delivered memorable dinner experiences. It is rare for us to go to a restaurant and rave about every single dish. Both of these restaurants served flawless meals that weren’t stuffy but were flavorful, reasonably priced and like anything we’ve had before. The steak Florentine at Trattoria dei 13 Gobbi was Bo’s favorite dish of the weekend while the pasta magnifico or citrus pasta was mind blowing because it incorporated citrus flavors in a cream sauce, something we’d never considered! Their homemade cheesecake, a last minute splurge, was also one of the best decisions all weekend!

Gelato

My readers LOVE their gelato! I received no less than 20 recommendations for Florence gelato shops, luckily more than 80% of them were for the same two places: Vivoli and Gelaterie La Carraia. Bo and I tried one right after our epic bike ride and the other yesterday when ducking out of the rain. Maybe it was the sweet taste of success after biking over 35 miles, but both Bo and I preferred La Carraia’s flavors, consistency and staff. Both places small size cost 2 euros but the serving  was a bit more generous and their cookies flavor was hands down the best gelato ever! A mix of nuts, chocolate, biscuit (aka cookies) with a vanilla base left me wishing I’d chosen it instead of Bo. But, their pistachio didn’t disappoint either. Vivoli wasn’t bad it just wasn’t La Carraia. There was a longer line, the service wasn’t friendly and their pistachio wasn’t as rich in flavor as La Carraia.