Can’t resist the charm of the lungarni, Florence’s riverside streets? We get it: they’re the perfect spot for a romantic date, making any dining atmosphere nearly magical. Among the choices on this front is the historic Harry’s Bar, on Lungarno Vespucci. You’ll find top-notch cuisine; this haunt is perhaps best known for its beef tartare, which has made it famous with Florentines and visitors alike. Not to mention a fully stocked cantina with a wide and refined range of wines. The setting features exclusive spaces including private mini-salons, a terrace and a dehors, where you can take in views of Ponte Vecchio and other striking bridges. An honorable mention goes to the cocktails in the meticulous American Bar list: try them!

If you’re instead on the hunt for something modern, where Tuscan tradition meets contemporary taste and aesthetics, move toward the opposite side of the city until you land at Lungarno del Tempio. Here you’ll come upon Trattoria Moderna, a space with post-industrial, polyhedric decor to complement its simple-yet-never-predictable dishes, all prepared using fresh, seasonal ingredients. Expect an avalanche of flavors where nothing is left to chance: the kind of cuisine where nothing’s done just to impress, but to focus on substance. Among the menu specialties you’ll find a decadent spaghetti al polpo (spaghetti with octopus, ideal for warm summer days) or a pork chop with mashed potatoes, fennel and hints of licorice, a wonderful winter comfort food.

 

Maybe you love local specialties, but would never argue if something tasty from the international scene was presented to you. Sound familiar? Head toward Piazzale Michelangelo – calling it an incredible setting hardly does it justice – and grab a seat at Ristorante La Loggia. The building was designed by the architect Giuseppe Poggi and originally intended to hold some works by Michelangelo. Here, after falling prey to the charms of the city and admiring it from its most famous terrace, you’ll be able to satiate your appetite with a classic Florentine steak or a Rossini filet, if you so choose.

Continuing with the spellbinding settings, you definitely won’t be disappointed by Le Bistrot, the restaurant at the Hotel Villa Cora on Viale Machiavelli. This is a 5-star hotel and thus the restaurant serves up the kind of high-end fare you’d expect. The à la carte menu marries top-shelf ingredients with carefully researched cuisine, resulting in sophisticated dishes that you can enjoy in winter in an Eastern-inspired, frescoed room, or poolside in summer, with a view of the surrounding park.

 

Hoping to find something uber-exclusive, maybe for a romantic evening with your other half? Climb (ok, ride the elevator) up to the sixth floor of the iconic hotel The Westin Excelsior, and ste pinto Se.sto on Arno in piazza Ognissanti. Surrounded by lengthy glass windows you’ll feel like you can reach out and touch Brunelleschi’s Dome and Giotto’s bell tower as you indulge in contemporary and international dishes, with a delicious emphasis on seafood: think cod ravioli or fresh fish from the local market with a gourmet chef’s twist. Fabulous option for a sunset aperitivo, too.

 

An alternative that’s equally refined and has a similarly breathtaking backdrop is B-Roof, on the top floor of the Grand Hotel Baglioni in Piazza dell’Unità Italiana. Here you’ll be surrounded by curated furnishings that feel timeless, plus a warm, welcoming atmosphere. A high-level cuisine awaits you, one that takes you on a trip through some of the most distinctive scents and dishes of Tuscany, prepared with extreme elegance. Even if you just stop in for an early-evening drink at aperitivo hour, you’re in for quite a show – the views speak for themselves!

 

In the heart of the historic center, if you’re hoping to find something innovative and a little unusual, you’ll find two truly interesting possibilities. On via del Proconsolo, not far from Piazza del Duomo, you’ll find Nu OVO, a play on words in Italian where the absolute star is… the egg (“”uovo” in Italian). This restaurant will give you endless inspiration on how to use eggs in your home cuisine: they’ve got a perfect, irrepplicable shape and infinite possibilities on how you can use them. They’re simple and fast but delicious and nutritious: Nu OVO will remind you of their versatility. Open only at lunch, this spot is truly unique on Florence’s food scene.

If you’re instead in Santo Spirito and you’ve admired the attractions of the neighborhood, including the basilica with its Michelangelo crucifix, the opulent Pitti Palace and the many artisan workshops around the neighborhood, make a stop at Italian Tapas, a restaurant and cocktail bar in via Sant’Agostino. It’s a spot with a historic edge, since it’s located inside a XVI century Florentine palace, but its staff and menu are guided by an extremely contemporary vision, where Italian cuisine is presented in fresh ways. Perfect for those of you are always looking for something au courant.