Eat within eight minutes’ walk of the Duomo, at the nine places we’d send a friend to. Da Sergio Gozzi, Trattoria Mario and Vini e Vecchi Sapori do a seated lunch. For a quick one, I Fratellini and Forno Sartoni sell schiacciata and Nerbone sells lampredotto. There’s floret when you want vegetables, and Regina Bistecca or Cicalone for dinner.
The short list
9 places, in the order they appear below.
- 01Da Sergio GozziSeated lunch from a daily menuWalk from the Duomo: about 5 min
- 02Trattoria MarioRibollita at shared tablesWalk from the Duomo: about 7 min
- 03Vini e Vecchi SaporiCrostini neri in a small osteriaWalk from the Duomo: about 6 min
- 04I FratelliniSchiacciata and wine, standingWalk from the Duomo: about 5 min
- 05Forno SartoniWarm schiacciata ripienaWalk from the Duomo: about 4 min
- 06NerboneLampredotto rollWalk from the Duomo: about 7 min
- 07floretVegetable-forward lunch on a terraceWalk from the Duomo: about 3 min
- 08Regina BisteccaChianina steak dinnerWalk from the Duomo: about 2 min
- 09Osteria e Vinaino CicalonePeposo and pasta at dinnerWalk from the Duomo: about 8 min
Where can I have a proper sit-down lunch near the Duomo?
Toward San Lorenzo, at Da Sergio Gozzi or Trattoria Mario, or near Piazza della Signoria at Vini e Vecchi Sapori, all five to seven minutes from the cathedral. The Gozzi family has cooked opposite the Basilica of San Lorenzo since 1915. Mario has served Tuscan food across from the Mercato Centrale since 1953. Vini e Vecchi Sapori is a tiny osteria with natural wines and no English menu.
The menu at Gozzi changes daily, so arrive early, read the specials on the wall and order the grilled lombatina or one of the soups. The staff speak limited English, which stops mattering once the plates arrive.
Da Sergio Gozzi
Hours: Mon–Sat 12:00–15:00 · Sun closed
Address: Piazza di San Lorenzo, 8R, 50123 Firenze FI, Italia
Mario seats everyone at shared tables and takes no reservations, so come before the queue forms. The bistecca is good, but we judge the kitchen by its ribollita and pappa al pomodoro.
Trattoria Mario
Hours: Mon–Thu 12:00–15:00 · Fri 12:00–15:00, 19:30–21:00 · Sat 12:00–15:00 · Sun closed
Address: Via Rosina, 2r, 50123 Firenze FI, Italia
About 25 people fit inside Vini e Vecchi Sapori, so if every table is taken, come back in twenty minutes. Order the crostini neri and ask about the weekly pasta, which changes with the season.
Vini e Vecchi Sapori
Hours: Mon–Sun 12:00–15:00, 19:00–23:00
Address: Via dei Magazzini, 3/r, 50122 Firenze FI, Italia
Where can I get a cheap, quick lunch between sights?
Standing up, with schiacciata or a lampredotto roll. I Fratellini, five minutes from the Duomo, is a hole in the wall that has sold wine and schiacciata since 1875. Forno Sartoni, four minutes away behind Palazzo Vecchio, fills its schiacciata to order. Nerbone, seven minutes away, has held its stall on the ground floor of the Mercato Centrale since 1872.
At I Fratellini, order the daily combination and eat it standing by the window. The schiacciata comes from a local bakery, and everything else is built on it.
I Fratellini
Hours: Mon–Fri 11:00–19:00 · Sat–Sun 11:00–20:00
Address: Via dei Cimatori, 38/r, 50122 Firenze FI, Italia
Sartoni has fed office workers, artisans and market vendors for decades, and its schiacciata ripiena with prosciutto toscano is generous and cheap. Go around midday, when the bread is still warm from the oven.
Forno Sartoni
Hours: Mon closed · Tue–Sun 09:30–18:00
Address: Via dei Cerchi, 34R, 50122 Firenze FI, Italia
At Nerbone, lampredotto (the fourth stomach, slow-cooked with herbs) is sliced and packed into a semella roll dipped in broth. Go early and ask for extra salsa verde with a pinch of peperoncino.
Nerbone
Hours: Mon–Sat 08:30–15:00 · Sun closed
Address: Piazza del Mercato Centrale, 50123 Firenze FI, Italia
Where can I eat something lighter or vegetarian near the Duomo?
At floret, three minutes from the Duomo, when a few days of Tuscan meat have caught up with you. It is a planted terrace on the first floor of a fashion store, screened from the street below. The Colombian chef Paola Pineda writes a seasonal menu of bowls, tacos and dishes on toast that leans on vegetables, with vegan and gluten free options throughout.
Walk up through the shop and past the indoor bar, because the better tables are out on the terrace. The quinoa bowl with roasted pumpkin, pomegranate, avocado and almonds is enough for a full lunch.
floret
Hours: Mon–Sun 10:30–19:00
Address: Via Roma, 19/21/1° piano, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy
Where should I go for dinner near the Duomo?
To Regina Bistecca, two minutes from the Duomo, for steak, or to Osteria e Vinaino Cicalone, eight minutes away toward Santa Maria Novella, for long-cooked meat and pasta. Regina Bistecca took over a former antiquarian bookshop and serves Chianina beef aged 21 to 50 days, cut at least 4cm thick. Cicalone’s room is small, and walk-ins are often turned away on Friday and Saturday nights, so call ahead.
Start with the bone marrow or the raw tartare, then ask the staff where the current beef comes from and how long it has aged, because they enjoy explaining.
Regina Bistecca
Hours: Mon–Sun 12:00–15:00, 18:30–22:30
Address: Via Ricasoli, 14r, 50122 Firenze FI, Italia
At Cicalone, ask for the peposo, simmered in Chianti and black pepper, since it is not always on the printed menu. The pasta side is pici cacio e pepe and pappardelle with ragù, and the wine list leans on Chianti chosen to match the heavier dishes.
Osteria e Vinaino Cicalone
Hours: Mon–Sat 12:00–15:00, 19:00–23:00 · Sun closed
Address: Via delle Belle Donne, 43/r, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
Which place fits which meal?
Pick by meal rather than distance, since none of them is far. The table sorts our nine by walking time from the Duomo, from Regina Bistecca at two minutes to Cicalone at eight, with the meal each one suits best. Several of them close one day a week, so check the card before you set off.
