Travel notebook: Florence fleeing clichés
WHERE TO SLEEP
Savoy Hotel _(Piazza della Repubblica, 7; from €405) _
A hot novelty. But it is not an opening, but a a major renovation , because the Savoy is by no means a newcomer to Florence , but rather an institution situated just opposite the Column of Abundance , which marks the exact center of the city.
Part of Roccoforte Hotels , of its decoration, a breath of fresh air of new colors, textiles and wallpapers, has taken over Olga Polizzi , combining the Tuscan artisan tradition (Chelini, Ceccarelli, Il Bronzetto, Castorina...) with the English flavor of the label.
The views have not changed: to the Duomo and the historic center, but now they can be enjoyed from its renovated suites Presidential Dome, Panoramic and Grand View. It is worth eating at Ella Irene's bistro, run by Fulvio Pierangelini, especially on weekends, when she has brunch and special menus (now, for example, a meatball-themed one).
a hot novelty
Villa Cora _(Viale Machiavelli, 18; from €385) _
A great hotel – or, in other words, a great luxury five-star hotel – within easy reach, but far enough from the center to enjoy the tranquility and stillness of the Florentine countryside , between the hills and in front of the Boboli Gardens.
It is located in an elegant nineteenth century villa completely restored in 2010 and a ten minute walk from the center across the Ponte Vecchio , which is not just any ride.
In its rooms (44 in total) with four-poster beds and Carrara marble bathrooms, great personalities have slept, and in its halls with frescoed ceilings, chimneys, moldings, mirrors and oriental decorations, many others have danced. They still do it, but now it also comes out sunbathe on its roof terrace with views of the city and to swim in its heated pool open all year round and surrounded by an Italian garden.
The amenities in the rooms are Annick Goutal , while that of the Bené spa comes from the mythical Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella **(see Where to Buy) ** , founded in Florence in 1612.
He is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World and it should not be ruled out if you go with the family, because proposals for children (pizza classes, painting, swimming, etc...) there is something to choose from. Dog friendly.
A five-star great luxury to pamper yourself
Portrait Firenze _(Lungarno degli Acciaiuoli, 4; from €470) _
Member of The Leading Hotels of the World, it is one of the ten hotels that salvatore ferragamo have in Italy. With this introduction two things are presumed: a lot of style and guests to match. Both are strictly fulfilled.
The interior design of its 37 rooms, midcentury style and with a predominance of marble and velvet, was the work of Michele Bonan . They all offer gadgets at will and views of the river Arno and the Ponte Vecchio , as their Riverside Cafe , great place to watch the sunset . The experiences they propose are in the same cultural and artistic line, such as the one they do with the leica photographic house and a visit to the artisan jewelry workshops.
guests have free entry to the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum and a 10 percent discount in the boutique. The company owns two other hotels in the city: the Continentale and the Lungarno , with the same philosophy. They allow dogs under 10 kilos.
Four Seasons Hotel Firenze _(Borgo Pinti, 99; From €468) _
It has a con: it is not in the very center. But also several pros, and one of them shaped like a pool . The others are the palatial Renaissance interiors, with frescoes and floors from Capodimonte, wallpapers with oriental motifs, antiques...; the gigantic garden with fountains, statues, pavilions and ancient olive trees ; the spa and its restaurant Il Palagio (star included). It's a Four Seasons for a reason.
Boasts to be the oldest hotel in Italy
** NH Collection Porta Rossa ** _(Via Porta Rossa, 19; from €179) _
From this considered five-star hotel, no less, the oldest in Italy , five minutes are enough to visit any of Florence's attractions: it is just as close to the Ponte Vecchio as it is to the Piazza de la Signoria. It is also located in a rehabilitated palace in which all the old elements have been preserved, including frescoes on ceilings and walls.
Its 72 rooms are contemporary without losing that classical Florentine air . His suite is in a 13th century tower.
The Student Hotel _(Viale s. Lavagnini, 70-72; from €100) _
the future is here . A different accommodation model has also arrived in Florence: the mix between hotel and student residence (to which half of its 390 rooms are dedicated), together with a coworking, art and culture space.
The wrapper, Palazzo del Sonno ( dream palace, by the way, very well brought) , It is a building from 1864 converted into a super modern space, colorful, with an industrial look, where university students, their visiting parents and hotel guests coexist. grand pianos, graffiti and swings , but also ironing rooms, a library, game rooms and communal kitchens.
In gastronomy, the space OOO - Out Of The Ordinary offers coffees and cocktails from morning until late at night and is open to Florentines. On the roof there is a swimming pool (at the bottom of which it reads “the beach is boring” ) with an amazing view of the dome of Santa Maria and the hills painted by the great Leonardo.
"The beach is boring"
Room Mate Isabella _(Via Tornabuoni, 13; from €110) _
The chain of Kike Sarasola has us accustomed to functional hotels , tastefully decorated, comfortable and in the center of the city. The Isabella is no exception. It is in Via Tornabuoni, the Florentine fashion street par excellence , inside an old mansion.
Its interior design was commissioned in 2013 by the designer lorenzo castle, imprinting its characteristic style on it: walls lined with wallpaper and covered in vintage paintings and prints, geometric prints... A BBB option to enjoy the city in a contemporary key.
WHERE TO EAT
Enoteca Pinchiorri _(Via Ghibellina, 87; from €250 for the tasting menu) _
The great Florentine restaurant. With three stars in an elegant and classic interior (at the Relais Santa Croce Hotel, by Relais & Châteaux) and prices to match. the french chef annie feolde wonderfully surrounded by a young and dynamic team, is a self-taught cook that focuses her cookbook on the best Italian product treated with technique.
Giorgio Pinchiorri tops it off with his wine selection (with a good collection of vintage labels and rarities and one of the most expensive wineries in the world).
A BBB option to enjoy the city in a contemporary key
The Ora D'Aria _(Via dei Georgofili, 11R) _
Behind the Uffizi, the Tuscan chef frame stable officiates here with his Michelin star on his lapel. Theirs is traditional Tuscan food with a modern twist..
This may be the place to get down high pompadour (it has several tasting menus at dinner times of 60, 80 and 150 euros and an interesting wine cellar), but also that tram stop after get stuffed with art at noon , with its tapas lunch proposals for 35 euros (5 dishes). You choose.
The Bottega del Buon Caffè _(Lung. Benvenuto Cellini, 69/r; from €40 to €120) _
Another Michelin on the banks of the Arno River , but on the other side, in the heart of the San Niccolò neighborhood. In The Bottega all this is also mixed with the nature of its owners, Claus and Jeanette , from Denmark, who put a Nordic touch on it.
The idea is to bring the orchard closer (They own one very close, that of their spectacular Borgo Santo Pietro accommodation) dressed in the best clothes.
And this starts it Chef Antonello Sardi that gives Tuscan cuisine its most current version in a brick and stone space and open kitchen where local wines take on significant weight. Private tastings can be booked in your cellar.
Tuscan cuisine with a modern twist
Gucci Osteria _(Piazza della Signoria 10) _
In 2018, Alessandro Michele reopened the Gucci Museum at the Palazzo della Mercatanzia (with what is considered the best gift shop in the world, Gucci Garden ), which goes from the beginnings of Guccio Gucci in 1921 to Tom Ford.
Gucci Osteria is his restaurant, in which the menu is prepared by Massimo Bottura (Osteria Francescana) and includes classic Italian dishes and fun takes on international favorites (from hot dog to ceviche) .
Central Market _(Via Generale dalla Chiesa, 13) _
You cannot miss in this selection a market to buy (cheeses, truffles, sausages...) or nibble on the go –fresh pasta, trapazzinos (a kind of cone-shaped pizza), stews, roast chickens...–.
Artisan products in a space that also has room for art and leisure , often linked to social projects.
The Buchetta _(Via De’ Benci, 3/3a) _
You have to try traditional Tuscan food. And it can be done here with guarantees and without fear of the saber. You will find all that pasta (gnocchi with stracciatella and crispy pork; spaghetti with pecorino from Pienza, pepper and truffle...) that you also want to eat in Florence and, of course, the famous fiorentina steak (minimum 1 kilo), preceded by a selection of cured meats and cheeses and finished off with some almond cookies and a sweet wine or the always appetizing tiramisu.
A space to buy and eat and hallucinate
Io Osteria personale (Borgo San Frediano, 167r)
In one of the neighborhoods that best preserves the flavor of the city that was and in a old sausage shop you will find this restaurant that strays away from pasta and fiorentine steak.
The options are counted in each section (starters, first and second) with the fingers of the hand, with surprises such as the mackerel marinated with Savoy cabbage, herring caviar, Sichuan pepper and barley risotto with squid, cheese, pepper and lime.
Senz'altro Bistrot _(Borgo la Croce, 21R) _
In an area off the beaten track, Senz'altro is a small, young and fresh bistro where there is always something new to try, such as the gratin Jerusalem artichokes, grilled prawns, yogurt mousse, horseradish and pomegranate or the beef diaphragm cooked in tataki with cream of carrots, spring onions and dark beer sauce.
Good prices and very cozy atmosphere.
A young, fresh, small bistro PERFECT!
Il Desco _(Via delle Terme 23 R) _
Very close to the Duomo we include a biological restaurant . It boasts of bringing the farm to the table (specifically one in Power La Croce, in Reggello , near the city) with dishes ranging from traditional Bolognese lasagne to organic seitan roasted on white bean cream and baked chicory.
To drink, Tuscan wines and craft beers . Options for vegetarians and celiacs.
WHERE TO BUY
** Profumo-Pharmaceutical Office of Santa Maria Novella ** _(Via della Scala 16) _
It opened in the 17th century, but hasn't lost an iota of relevance since then. The place, very close to the famous Dominican Basilica, It is inside a portal where much of that time is preserved (frescoes on the walls included) always full of tourists.
keep doing aromatic plant pills in their little tin boxes and other remedies such as lavender water or aromatic oil , in addition to perfumes, air fresheners, candles, and even some whim to eat.
Louise Via Rome _(Via Roma, 19/21r) _
This curious family-run concept store with a long tradition has a very careful multi-brand selection ranging from design and fashion to music, decoration and cosmetics. Among his fetish brands: Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Dsquared2 ... It has two stores in the city and also sells online.
Tornabuoni's Office (Via de' Tornabuoni, 19)
Inside the Palazzo Larderel you will see this artisan perfume and cosmetics shop with a tradition of four generations. It has, in addition to face and body care, a home collection and plant-based nutritional supplements for the skin, to lose weight, to purify...
Street Doing Vintage Couture _(Via di Servi, 88/r) _
Florence is a great place to shop art, design and unique fashion pieces. Anyone who comes to the city with this concern should not miss this gallery that sells vintage clothing and accessories of the most prestigious houses in the world, all selected by their owners, Gianfranco and Giovanna.
flair _(Lungarno Corsini, 24r) _
The love of design in Florence is perfectly understood in places like Flair, the interior design shop and art gallery of Alessandro Tabacchi and Marco Mariotti specialized in unique pieces and limited collections from 1940 to 1980.
Everything seems to have been created to be placed in this place, but it is not true: that lamp, that chair, that lithograph will remain the same (or better) in your home, even if you don't have that marble fireplace or that ceiling with moldings and frescoes or live in a 15th century palace.
Alessandro Dari Jewelry _(Via San Niccolò, 115/r) _
He is quite a Renaissance man in the 21st century: musician, craftsman, teacher, artist.. . that astonishes with its spectacular jewels, more than a complement, a museum piece (in fact it has one that can be visited). Watch out for his impressive castle-shaped rings.
** Aquaflor ** _(Borgo Santa Croce, 6) _
We continue with the perfumes and go to a Renaissance palace in the Santa Croce neighborhood to get to know this workshop where, in addition to buying colognes, soaps and creams inspired by artistic perfumery, you can make one yourself in its workshops or participate in Guided “tastings” after the visit to the laboratory.
Create your own perfume
WHERE TO DRINK
Gilli _(Via Roma, 1/R) _
Although it has changed its location several times until arriving at the beautiful building where it is now, in the Republic Square , is the oldest bar in the city, from the time of the very medicine.
Here the barman officiates Luca Pichi, living legend of the Negroni, a cocktail that was invented in Florence. Just for that (and not only) You have to go at aperitif time and fulfill the ritual.
The Menagere _(Via Dè Ginori, 8/R) _
A coffee, a salad, a cocktail... Any option is possible in this peculiar place that brings together a restaurant, a bistro, a store of design objects for the kitchen and a flower shop.
We especially like it for gin and tonics (it's not so easy to find a well-prepared one in Florence) accompanied by good music.
WHO TO GO WITH
JG Florence Guides
The best company to get to know Florence, whatever the angle of the visit, is that of this art lover and authorized local guide of Cordoba origin . Art, lifestyle, shopping... and not only in the center, but also in the most unknown part of the city. For a first time or to repeat.
***** _This report was published in **number 125 of Condé Nast Traveler Magazine (February)**. Subscribe to the printed edition (11 printed issues and a digital version for €24.75, by calling 902 53 55 57 or from our website). The February issue of Condé Nast Traveler is available in its digital version to enjoy on your preferred device. _
wonderful, quirky; UNIQUE