Tastes of Florence: Private Walking Food Tour

Want to taste the true Florence? Love buzzing markets and fresh local food? Stroll through the city with us to eat and drink like the Italians!

Tastes of Florence: A Private Walking Food Tour!

Want to Experience the Best Food Tour in Florence?! Eat your way through Tuscany’s gastronomic masterpieces, while spending the morning in the company of our passionate local guides – and connoisseurs! We will guide you from wine-bars to farmers markets, to traditional family-run bakeries, dating back hundreds of years…

Florence’s bustling market halls, best trattorias, and finest local butchers await you – our most popular food experience in Florence!

Savor Florence with all your senses

Our food tour will take you through Florence’s historic streets. This includes finding the unique Florentine “buchette del vino”! These little wine windows date back to the 17th century, and no food tour is complete without them. Have your first sample in a century-old cafe, and enjoy a classic Florentine breakfast. Choose your preferred Italian coffee and pair it with a classic ‘cornetto’ or other pastry. After this, sample your way through the San Lorenzo central food market. Enjoy over a dozen Florentine specialties, including local jams, cheeses and regional wines.
 

Learn with our Gourmet Guides

Italians are serious about their food. The government and regional authorities issue numerous certificates to guarantee quality.  Olive oil has to be ‘Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Balsamic Vinger – ‘Aceto Balsamico di Modena’ protected designation of origin (D.O.P). The best quality pistachios, are ‘Di Bronte’ the emerald green gem of Sicily. You’ll see, smell and taste what the difference been quality and ordinary products are!
 

Local lunch, local recipes

We’ve timed our food tour perfectly so that we end just in time for a delicious tasting menu in a local trattoria. You’ll have a starter ‘primo’ – a surprising dish for many! – a main course ‘secondo’, and of course a special Italian boozy dessert.

The Tastes of Florence Food Tour – Looking for a Semi-Private Tour?

For the very small group semi-private walking food tour click here!

What to eat in Florence?

While in Florence there are many options for what to eat. You can find all the typical Italian restaurants which serve pasta and pizza as well as trattorias serving local specialties. You can also find ‘bisteccherias’ serving Florentine steak as well as plenty of vegetarian and vegan restaurants. You will also see food trucks serving ‘lampredotto’ a secret of Florence! We recommend you try a bit of everything and on this food tour, we can help you do just that!

What is traditional Italian food in Florence?

Florence is famous for its beefsteak, the ‘Bistecca Fiorentina’. You will likely see these huge red chunks of meat hanging in the windows of restaurants – whether or not that is appetising to you we can’t say! For your own chance to cook up a real Florentine steak and learn all about it in the fun of our awesome partner trattoria click here to try the Florentine Steak Experience ™!

If rare steak’s not your think, or perhaps you don’t eat meat we also have a wonderful vegan food tour in Florence and a vegan cooking class. You can discover the veggie side of Florence including trying all the traditional Italian food from this region such as Pappa al Pomodoro and Panzanella!

Where to eat in Florence?

In Florence, like many big cities, there are a lot of touristy restaurants, which don’t always have the best food. If you’re going to eat steak check that they have Chianina beef certification, if you’re having pasta, you can ask if they make it fresh ‘fatta a casa’ (homemade). Nevertheless, there are numerous wonderful restaurants to try out and on our food tour we can give you as many tips as you need.

What is Tuscan food like?

Tuscan food can vary hugely. Even though the Bistecca Fiorentina is famous in Florence, Siena, for example is famous for its ‘Pici’ pasta, a type of very thick handmade spaghetti. Then in rural areas, they have wonderful cold cut meats, but also hearty plant-based dishes such as tomato and bread soups, and bean and black cabbage stews. Tuscan food can be different from what people expect from Italian food because it doesn’t focus so much around pasta and certainly not pizza! For pizza you can try Naples or Rome, and Bologna boasts some of the best pasta!

vegan food tour in florence

 

Why Not Try Our Other Food Experiences in Florence:

Click Here for our Vegan Food Tour in Florence!

The Florentine Steak Experience – the Best Bistecca in Florence

Gourmet Safari in Tuscany – Experience the Tuscan Dream with Wine & Food Galore

Private Chef & Cooking Class at Your Villa in Florence!

Pasta Making & Cantucci Making – Vegan Cooking Class!

Tour Details

Tastes of Florence: A Walking Food Tour

Want to taste the true Florence? Love buzzing markets and fresh local food? Stroll through the city with us to eat and drink like the Italians!

Explore traditional Tuscan food and Italian culinary culture with our food tour as you taste your way through Florence’s historic center.

We’ll visit age-old eateries, market halls, wine bars, and more. This lively tour will introduce you to local flavors and traditions.

What’s more, with our passionate guides you’ll get a personal peek into family-run establishments dating back over hundreds of years…

Meat counters run by expert butchers, bakeries, tripe vendors (a Florentine specialty), delicatessens, and gelaterias await you!

From prosecco and wine to cheeses, olive oil and gelato, our Food & Wine tour of Florence is unrivaled in its quality – and quantity – of delights.

Take home ideas from the farmers’ market, rich with seasonal ingredients and traditions.

The tour concludes with a lunch menu tasting and glass of wine. Followed – of course – by gelato!

Highlights of the Flavors of Florence: A Food & Wine Tour include:

  • Explore the foods of Florence in a small group, visiting Florence’s best sanctuaries of delectable tastes
  • See Florence’s central food market with an avid foodie, an expert in fresh local ingredients who is highly skilled at creating typical Tuscan recipes
  • Visit local butchers, bakers and grocers, for an authentic Italian food and wine experience
  • Sample over 15 of Italy’s greatest delicacies including scrumptious cheeses, top-quality balsamic vinegar and fresh bread baked with traditional methods
  • Learn why Italians are so passionate about extra virgin olive oil
  • Enjoy a taste of dishes from a complete, traditional meal of appetizers, starter and main course
  • Sample some of Italy’s most popular ‘vino’ (wine)
  • Conclude your tasting experience, savor in the most loved dessert of all – gelato!

 

Included:
  • A great English-speaking guide
  • More tastings than any other food tour with samplings of great traditional foods and wines
  • Small, intimate groups, so you can ask as many questions as you like!
  • A complete lunchtime tasting menu of local specialties
Not included:

Extra courses

Extra drinks/ more wine

Tips

Location:
Florence historic center
Important information

Please let us know any dietary restrictions

Meeting Point

Corner of Piazza Della Repubblica and Via Roma outside the Bar/Restaurant called Gilli.

Via Roma 1r

Florence, 50123

FAQ's

We accept most major credit cards and payment forms. Please see the bottom of our website for the payment types accepted.

Most of our customers enjoy having the benefits of a private tour. You have your own guide. You can have rest stops when you like. We can tailor the tour to suit your needs and preferences. We always choose the best guide for your needs, whether you are a family, an art school, or a company doing an incentive event.

All our tours except our Sex, Drugs and Renaissance tour are kid friendly. When doing a private tour with us, you have your own guide, so tell us in the notes of the booking the ages of your kids and we will tailor the tour and choose a guide that’s great for kids for you. We also have 4 special kids’ tours in Florence.

No large bags or backpacks in museums, in churches shoulders and knees must be covered so bring a scarf to cover your shoulders. IF it’s a walking, bicycle or a countryside tour make sure to bring comfortable shoes.

It’s important for everyone to bring their ID

student or children for the museum

All tours are conducted in English only unless otherwise noted or requested. Other languages available for all private tours on request.

We recommend arriving 15 minutes before departure time for all tours and services

We are offering mainly Private and some Semi-private tours at the moment. We do not offer many semi private small group tours anymore due to the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. The difference between Private and Semi-private is that the private tours are fully private tours with your own guide and the Semi-private are small shared group tours where individuals can join others.

Knees and shoulders must be covered to enter the churches! Travelling in hot weather? Don’t worry, you can drape a shawl over your shoulders.

If you enjoyed your tour and would like to give your guide a token of appreciation, tips are happily accepted. When asked, the office staff recommends whatever amount you feel comfortable with giving.

Yes, visit our Get In Touch page for all our contact details.

Save time by browsing our website for ideas on romantic getaways, historic residences, palace and castle stays, beautiful views, good value vacations, classic Tuscan country holidays and top attractions. Stop by to chat with us about the best shopping and restaurants in Florence and Tuscany!

Yes. ArtViva, The Original and Best Walking Tours is an ASTA registered company based in Florence, Italy, respecting national and international laws and regulations regarding tourism. (Chamber of Commerce Number 516411)

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