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Where to eat in Florence without falling foul of its snacking ban

As Florence introduced a new ban on eating in public on some of the busiest streets in its historic centre, The Local asked Florentine food experts where to go for affordable, authentic eats that won't get you nabbed by the "panino police".

Published: 7 September 2018 17:52 CEST
Where to eat in Florence without falling foul of its snacking ban
One of Florence's famous lampredotto stands, serving stomach sandwiches. Photo: Eric Parker/Flickr - CC BY-NC 2.0

The city's move to fine people caught picnicking is a bid to tackle crowding and littering on four central streets: Piazzale degli Uffizi, Piazza del Grano, Via della Ninna and Via de' Neri, home to one of Florence's most popular sandwich shops and a victim of its own success.

“Neri has become awash with tourists over the past three years, part of the 'Trip Advisor effect',” says Nardia Plumridge, author of the Lost in Florence blog and an upcoming guidebook of the same name. 

“The once small hole-in-the-wall panini joint, All'Antico Vinaio, started receiving rave reviews and then the throngs of hungry diners followed… Now this once quaint street is littered – excuse the pun – with sandwich shops all selling take-away food. So, it isn’t any surprise this issue of where to eat, overcrowding and rubbish has the council acting.”

But in a city famous for its street cuisine, it's no wonder either that visitors are keen to try Florence's original fast food – like schiacciata (salty flat bread, great on its own or in sandwiches), trippa (slow-cooked tripe with tomatoes, served to go in a bread roll) and lampredotto, the city's signature sandwich filling made from the fourth stomach of a cow and garnished with fresh, salty green sauce.

Lampredotto. Photo: Oded Tshesly

And besides, sometimes you just don't feel like sitting down for a restaurant meal – especially if you're on a budget, eating solo, or simply not that hungry.

So where's someone to go for a quick, casual and affordable Florentine meal, without getting in anyone's way?

Option 1: A moveable feast

“The concept of actually urban picnicking in the streets is a new thing, probably brought on by mass tourism and a lack of free space to sit and relax for the many hordes of people who pass through this Renaissance city and invariably get hungry,” says Georgette Jupe, who blogs as Girl in Florence and is the editor of Italy Magazine.

But that doesn't mean that Florentines don't eat on the street. They just do it differently: from chioschi, or street food carts.

“After living in Florence for over 11 years, I am used to street food being the odd lampredotto cart parked ambiguously on a crowded street corner or small square, as workers line up to eat their traditional broth-dunked panini with green sauce directly at the cart itself before heading off to return to work,” Jupe says.


A Florentine food cart. Photo: Fabio Venni/Flickr – CC BY-SA 2.0

“Nearby my house, people often vie for a panino co' i' lampredotto at the Trippaio di San Frediano, a local institution and mercifully he has a few chairs to ensure that you aren’t offending the world by standing and eating in the middle of the street.

“Or if you aren’t afraid of distance, try the much-beloved Aurelio near Rifredi in Piazza Bernardo Tanucci, serving up, yes, lampredotto but also other Tuscan favourites: bollito [boiled beef sandwich], trippa, peposo [peppery beef stew]. He has a cult following with many of my Italian friends.”

Meanwhile Rome-based gourmand Oded Tshesly gets his lampredotto fix at Lupen e Margo or Orazio Nencioni when he's in Florence. For less adventurous visitors, he advises ordering a bollito – a similar deal but with beef instead of innards.

Option 2: Seek out a seat

Part of the problem with All'Antico Vinaio et al on the Via de' Neri is the limited space, but there are such things as sandwich shops with seats. 

Plumridge recommends Ino, a “quality panino stop just behind the Uffizi Gallery with tasty fillings, many laced with truffles, which you can eat within their store on stools. Wine is served by the glass to wash it all down.”

“I'd suggest Schiacciavino near Santa Croce,” says Coral Sisk, a culinary tour guide of Florence and creator of the Curious Appetite blog. “They have some seating and they do the oily, salty flatbread schiacciata panini stuffed with options of marinated vegetables, meats, cheeses and fresh vegetables and a higher quality selection of wines.”

Another of her panino picks is Panificio Brunori on Borgo Pinti: “You have to look closely for this one as there are not clearly marked signs. It is a great family-run bakery and they make fresh sandwiches to order for under a fiver with a short menu from their in-house baked bread. The sesame roll is soft and a delicious carrier for most fillings, especially their fennel salumi finocchiona.


Baked goods from Panificio Brunori. Photo: Jonathan Austen/Facebook

“SandwiChic near the Accademia is a step up in quality for what I'd deem more artisanal panini, meaning the sauces are all in-house prepared, whole ingredients like meats and cheeses from small producers (including IGP-quality mortadella and Pienza pecorino), they play nice music inside and have a few seats too.

“Cernacchino is a Florentine favorite, run by women with hearty, gut-busting, blue-collar fare like porchetta and lampredotto sandwiches and a neat selection of primi and secondi for cheap, filling, quick lunch plates. Seating is available inside as well, and it's and just a stone's throw from Piazza della Signoria.” 

Meanwhile itty-bitty Semel in Piazza Ghiberti may not have much room to sit, but being further out of the centre you're exempt from the no-eating-in-public rule. It's a favourite of Jupe's: “Mario’s gourmet panini and tiny glasses of wine are always the welcome treat after browsing Sant’Ambrogio’s market.”

Option 3: Adventure out of the centre

A short walk across the river takes you to Piazza San Spirito, “a leafy square which has Gustapanino, Tamerò for pasta and many more eateries offering a seated experience for a decent price,” says Plumridge. “Caffè Ricchi has inside seats in a cosy nook offering primi plates from €5.”

And if you're prepared to travel, you can take your panino with you for a more leisurely picnic. 

“If people have the patience, head over to the river past Ponte alla Grazie towards Ponte San Niccolò, as there is some green space and park-like areas to picnic along the river, but it's definitely outside the historical centre,” says Sisk.

“Otherwise, Cascine Park is big and spacious but it is a mission to walk to.

“There really should be more parks and green space in the centre: there is one little park area near Piazza Sant'Ambrogio but just bench seating – there isn't really a picnic culture in the city and most people pack into the car to go the countryside.”


Try venturing further down the River Arno to find more space in Florence. Photo: sakhanphotography/DepositPhotos

Wherever you go, mind your manners

But leaving town isn't really the point for the millions of visitors who flock to Florence's Unesco-listed historic centre, and nor should it have to be. So if you find yourself in the city's lovely heart, panino in hand, just show some consideration.

“It’s really about treating a place like you would want someone to treat your home,” Jupe tells The Local.

“Be mindful of those around you and when you can, get your panino to-go if there is no space to eat on-site and find a bench in Piazza San Firenze or in the park at Piazza Demidoff rather than eating in the street or under the Loggia dei Lanzi.

“Do not block storefronts and do not sit on curbs, or the steps of churches to eat; common sense prevails here. I know the city has a serious lack of public spaces to relax but apparently this is something they are working on. Make sure to throw away your trash, especially plastic bottles of water and the paper the panino comes in.”

That way neither Florence, its residents, your stomach or your pocket have to suffer. 

READ ALSO: Thirteen dialect words you need to know in Florence


Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP
 

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FOOD AND DRINK

What to do (and avoid) when paying a restaurant bill in Italy

If you have plans for dinner out in Italy, here's a look at the etiquette over the bill - from where and how to pay to the culture around tipping.

Published: 12 June 2024 12:11 CEST
What to do (and avoid) when paying a restaurant bill in Italy

If you go out to eat in Italy, then there are a few things you should know about paying the bill afterwards.

This sounds like it should be straightforward, but the etiquette may differ from your home country.

Uncertainty around how it all works in Italy leads some visitors to worry about causing offence, or to wonder if they’ve been overcharged (which is thankfully rare, although it does happen.)

But becoming familiar with a few local norms should make dining out in Italy a stress-free experience.

How to ask for the bill – When you’re ready, try to catch the waiter’s eye and ask for the bill (possiamo avere il conto?). You can always ask for the bill while they clear your plates.

Unless you’re in a very busy or touristy place the bill is not usually presented until you ask for it – this is deliberate, as Italian waiters normally don’t like to hurry their customers and once you’ve finished dinner it’s perfectly OK to linger and chat over the dregs of the wine.

If you’re in a place that runs two service periods at night (usually one at around 7.30pm and one at 9pm) then you may be asked to clear your table by a certain time, but this should be made clear to you when you book or when you arrive. 

If it’s getting late and the place is emptying out the waiter may bring over the bill and ask you to pay so they can close up the till – but they’re not necessarily saying that you have to leave. If they start stacking up chairs, however, then that’s your cue to go home.

What to expect on the bill – On top of the cost of your food and drink, in many places you can expect to see an extra fee for coperto, or a cover/table charge, on your Italian restaurant bill.

Coperto is a a fixed fee which is charged by restaurants in Italy on a per-person basis, in addition to the price of food and drinks, to cover expenses for washing or replacing cutlery, plates, napkins and tablecloths used by customers.

The coperto charge only applies to seated customers (both children and adults), meaning that you won’t have it tacked onto a takeaway order – and should definitely complain if you do.

READ ALSO: ‘A rip-off’: Should you really get mad about Italy’s table charge?

It’s usually around €2-€4 per person, but can rise as high as €10 or even €15 per person at major tourist sites such as Venice’s Piazza San Marco or right next to Milan’s Duomo cathedral.

Coperto has been banned by regional law throughout Lazio since 2006, so you shouldn’t see it listed on your bill in a Rome restaurant, though it may be snuck in in the form of an extra charge for bread (pane) or service (servizio).

There’s nothing illegal about charging these fees, and a restaurant could in theory add all three to your bill – but they must be clearly listed on the menu or price board, and you can refuse bread when it’s brought to your table so you don’t have to pay an extra charge for pane.

Where to pay the bill – One major difference between Italy and other countries is that many restaurants – usually more casual ones – will expect you to walk up to the cash register to pay the bill.

This means that once you feel ready to go you can just walk up and pay at the counter, rather than waiting for the bill.

You can always double check with the server by asking paghiamo qui o alla cassa? (do we pay here or at the counter?)

In many cases, the answer will be ‘either’ so it’s really up to you – but be prepared to wait a while for both your bill and your change if you want to pay at the table.

Tourists sit in the shade of umbrellas at an open-air restaurant on a street in central Rome, on July 19 2022. Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP.

How to split the bill – If you dined with a friend or friends, then you may want to split the bill. Some Italian restaurants use smart tablets that allow servers to click each of the items you ordered and then inform you of exactly how much you owe individually, while others will expect you to do the maths yourself. 

The waiter will likely ask how you want to pay (come volete pagare?). In response, you and your friend can tell the waiter vogliamo dividere il conto (we want to split the bill) once they come out with the card reader.

READ ALSO: How to spot the Italian restaurants to avoid

If you want to split it, you can say possiamo dividerlo in three/cinque? (can we split it three ways/divide it by five?). If there’s two of you can also say paghiamo metà a testa.

If you don’t want to do an equal split – let’s say your friend had the bistecca alla fiorentina and was drinking wine while you had a salad and a water – you can just do the maths yourself and then tell the server exactly how much you want to put on each card when they come out with the card machine.

How to leave a tip – Italian wait staff aren’t reliant on tips to get by like they are in many parts of the US. As is the case elsewhere in Europe, they are paid a standard wage and tips are viewed as an added, and optional, extra.

Italians may tell you they rarely leave a tip, or only do so if service was exceptional.

While tipping is always appreciated, then, it’s entirely at the customer’s discretion (beyond ‘servizio’ charges on the bill).

READ ALSO: When and how much should I tip in Italy?

If you don’t see servizio listed on the bill, you might want to leave one or two extra euros per person, and if there’s a group of you paying the bill together, you’d want to round up to at least the nearest five.

If you’re paying by card, bear in mind that not many places will be able to add a tip to the card payment – so you might want to carry some change or small notes so you are able to leave something behind.

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