4 Best Restaurants in Around the Duomo, Florence

One of the best spots in Florence for people-watching offers stellar service, light snacks, and terrific aperitivi. It's been around since the 1860s, and has been famous for its hot and cold chocolate (with or without cream) for more than a century. Though the food is mostly good (it's not a bad place for a light, but expensive, lunch), it's best to stick to drinks (both alcoholic and non-) and the terrific cakes, pies, and pastries.

The feel here is more Munich beer hall than Florentine trattoria—indeed, although the menu lists plenty of Italian dishes, it also has hamburgers and other traditional pub fare. Heavy wooden tables are set closely together, and copies of 19th-century paintings adorn the intensely yellow walls, along with two frescoed Michelangelesque nudes that cavort over a brick arch. There's outside seating in warm weather—a great place to enjoy a beer.

This rustically elegant space, which has served many purposes over the past 600 years, offers some of the tastiest food in town at great prices. It's the perfect place to come if you aren't sure what you're hungry for, as it offers a bit of everything, including several fish dishes, among them carpaccio and grilled offerings, and a selection of pasta dishes that make choosing just one very hard, though the ravioli with pecorino and pears is particularly good. There's also a changing list of piatti unici (single dishes that can be ordered on their own, usually served only at lunch), as well as cheese and cured meat plates, and a tasting menu. The well-culled wine list has lots of great options by the glass and even more by the bottle.

Breakfast, lunch, dessert, and afternoon tea are all possibilities at this restaurant on a leafy outdoor patio in Piazza Signoria. The garden is also open until midnight, serving food until 10 pm, making it a swanky spot for an evening cocktail and light meal.