The gourmet shops in Florence
Where to go and what to buy
Pleasure, culture, traditions, identity and lifestyle, as well as food, but respectful of the territory and local traditions. Passion for quality food products, in Florence is expressed every morning when the shops open their doors in the city centre.
This is the best time to go shopping to find the freshest specialities, ours or others, and the total availability of the vendors who have not yet been overcome by the swirl of tourists, from kids going to school or employees running to grab a quick light lunch. The culture of the product and producer, are here on hand, especially when it comes to local products. Meat, fish, vegetables and cheese. Let’s see where to go to find some of the best treasures of the city.
To taste meat which is highly appreciated by the Florentine bourgeoisie there is Beccai di Sant’Ambrogio, good not only for the steaks but for offal, now back in fashion. Remain in Piazza Ghiberti to look also for stuffed chicken and the hills made famous by Fabio Picchi of Cibrèo. In via Orsini Saccardi e Panichi have a great rack of milk-fed veal and beef from Mantua of French or Chianina origin.
A Chianina is certainly in the sauce Simone Fracassi for sale from ‘Ino in Via de’ Georgofili where also butcher’s ham and the Casentino norcino. Those who love the taste of sweet San Daniele have to go to Galanti in Piazza della Libertà to try Dok dall’Ava.
When it comes to fish, The San Lorenzo market has a true master, called Massimiliano Ciani and his freshly caught fish is always accompanied by advice and anecdotes, client after client. Taste his bream, baked with aubergine purée and cherry tomatoes purchased at the nearby vegetable stand of Elisabetta and Gianni Boni.
About plants, let’s look at some other addresses. The gardener Filippo Vettori in Borgo San Jacopo is exalted in the challenge of finding what the chef on duty or simply a client needs. The first fruits of the brothers Conti are excellent and also in the market of San Lorenzo. If you are looking instead for farmers, you need to go in the stands of Sant’Ambrogio (eggs, unpasteurized fruit juices and jams of Gianfranco Visani, and Cure where products often come from Mugello, Chianti, Florence and the Florentine plain from the countryside around Florence.
Florence does not have a prominent Cheese tradition. The game make them experts in the selection. From Paestum, the buffalo Rivabianca arrives by courier at Convivium Firenze (Viale Europa, 4/6 and Via Santo Spirito, 4) Chic shopping instead for mozzarella, even smoked, at Mo Mò (Via Maggio 69r), a shop that sells among others provolone, and ricotta cheese.
Let’s talk about Parmigiano: Divine Golosità Toscane (Divine Delicacies in Tuscany) (avenue Giuliani 132) the “Red Cows”, a production of an even more valuable Parmigiano is on sale. Some of the most delicious pecorino are found at Bastianelli in Via Romana or Baroni inside the San Lorenzo market. Of note, finally, the Flying Dutchman in Via San Gallo for the excellent gouda, a typical Dutch cheese, ideal as an aperitif with Champagne or beer.
