Lisa Harvey

When I moved to Florence five years ago, I was on a mission to try as many trattorias, market stalls, cafes and restaurants as I could. Among lots of good meals, a few great qualities stand out: Small menus, a simple and genuine concept, outstanding seasonal ingredients and a sense of generosity. Read on to discover some of my favourite spots.  How to avoid tourist traps in Florence For such a compact city, there’s a lot on offer in Florence. The problem is in telling which pappardelle with wild boar ragu or salami-stuffed schiacciata sandwich will really make your heart sing, and which is just TikTok fodder? It’s a guessing game, but there are a few clues you can follow. Pasta served from a giant wheel of parmesan? Not a thing. A certain sandwich shop with a queue along the street? Not worth the hype. Touts on the street yelling out with the promise of prosecco on the house? You guessed it. Meander away from the main piazzas to seek out those charming family-run hidden gems, or get a head start by heading straight to the places below.  📍 RECOMMENDED: Discover our ultimate guide to eating in Florence Phoebe Hunt is a writer based in Florence. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. 

Spring 2025: With longer days and clear blue skies, Florence bursts into life in Spring. The Arno river gushes with snowmelt, wisteria and the fabled Iris Garden are in full bloom, and the city’s many parks and gardens flourish before the intense summer heat hits. Morning markets like Sant’Ambrogio and Mercato Centrale are just as colourful, laden with courgette flowers, artichokes, watermelons and peaches. It’s shoulder season, but there’s plenty to do with jazz concerts, fashion shows, and a new Tracy Emin exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi. Small but perfectly formed, Florence is a city that feels stuck in time in all the best ways. When I moved here in 2020, I planned to stay for a summer – but like so many drifters and dreamers before me, I remained, fell in love with Italian life and built my home here. Now, it’s all about the day-to-day; finding Renaissance frescoes in obscure places, savouring a morning cappuccino and taking evening strolls along the Arno.  How long do I need in Florence?  Come for a weekend or stay for a lifetime, and Florence will continue to surprise and delight you. The city’s historic centre is small, walkable and easy to navigate in two to three days - stroll along the Arno River, cross the Ponte Vecchio bridge, pop into a few churches and museums and you’ve got the gist of it. Linger a few more days, though, and you’ll start to uncover its real magic, from  hidden trattorias and low-key aperitivo spots to day trips out into the impossibly beautiful

When it comes to art in this Italian cultural capital, there are a few must-sees: Michalangelo’s David and the Uffizi, of course, but what most visitors don’t realize is how many of the best museums in Florence, and the best local art offerings, lie beyond popular choices. Many collections are tucked into Florentine corners that most people walk past without really noticing. Did you know that there is samurai armour on show around town? Or that you can gaze at personal artifacts from orphans that have shaped the city’s past? Or that some of the city’s top shopping destinations actually double as art displays? Grab a gelato, our list of best things to do in town and our rundown of the most awesome local museums and get ready to see Florence like never before. Find out more about how Time Out selects the very best things to do all over the world. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in FlorenceRECOMMENDED: the best hotels in FlorenceRECOMMENDED: the best Airbnbs in Florence