The highest concentrations of excellent ristoranti and trattorie are around Santa Croce and across the river in the Oltrarno and San Frediano. Bear in mind that menus at restaurants in Tuscany can change weekly or even (at some of the very best places) daily. Reservations are strongly recommended if you have your heart set on eating anywhere, especially at dinner on weekends.

Florence has a fair claim to being the birthplace of gelato, and has some of the world’s best gelaterie—but many, many poor imitations too. Steer clear of spots around the major attractions with air-fluffed mountains of ice cream and flavors so full of artificial colors they glow in the dark. If you can see the Ponte Vecchio or Piazza della Signoria from the front door of the gelateria, you may want to move on. You might only have to walk a block, or duck down a side street, to find a genuine artisan in the gelato kitchen.

Carapina, Via Lambertesca 18R, Gelateria della Passera, Via Toscanella 15R are worth trying out for their delish dishes.

New York has the hot dog. London has pie and mash. Florence has cow’s intestine in a sandwich. The city’s traditional street food, lampredotto (the cow’s fourth stomach) stewed with tomatoes, has made a big comeback over the last decade, including on the menus of some fine-dining establishments. However, the best places to sample it are still the city’s trippai, tripe vendors who sell it from takeaway vans around the center, alongside other, more “regular” sandwiches. The most convenient are in Piazza de’ Cimatori and on Via de’ Macci at the corner of Piazza Sant’Ambrogio. A hearty, nutritious lunch should come to around 4€.

A couple of high-quality national chain vendors have opened up Florence branches. You’ll see the lines before you see the goods at Grom, Via del Campanile, famous for using only natural and seasonal ingredients in its gelato. Rivareno, Borgo degli Albizi 46r offers a small range of predictably excellent flavors — mandarin is a big hit here. Both are open daily.

It’d be a sin for any family to visit Florence and not drop by one of its premier gelato parlors to sample the rich Italian equivalent of ice cream. If the kids mutiny and absolutely insist on a hamburger, you could try the slightly American-style restaurant Yellow Bar, Via del Proconsolo.