Laura's Florence Insider Tips
- Words By
- Bibby Sowray
- Reviewed By
- Laura Fantacci
There’s nothing better than a short city break to reignite the senses and immerse yourself in a different cuisine and culture. And in our opinion, you can’t beat Florence, better known to Italians as Firenze, for the perfect mix of food, culture and shopping. It’s always good to have personal recommendations when travelling and, lucky for us, we have the insider scoop from Laura, who shares her top spots.
It’s hard to narrow this down, but I love Cibrèo for dinner. The restaurant is family-run and they have a real passion for the alchemy of Florentine cuisine. For lunch, Tre Panche, at Hotel Hermitage, which has a beautiful terrace with incredible views. For something sweet, you can’t beat the gelato at Gelateria la Carraia, with a view over Ponte Vecchio. Whenever I go to Florence, I have to bring some food back from C.Bio. I highly recommend the Ragu and Sugo al Pomodoro della Nonna.
For beautiful additions to your homeware, don’t miss the collection of splatter pottery at Merceria Mazzanti. Lisa Corti has an amazing collection of fabrics for homes and a ready-to-wear collection. A trip to the iconic flagship store Luisa Via Roma is a must, to see everything from fashion to homewares. Jeweller and previous cover star Carolina Bucci is opening a store and showroom in Florence this summer, so it’s the perfect opportunity to try on some of her iconic pieces.
Finally, I can’t go to Florence without going to Santa Maria Novella Farmacia, the oldest pharmacy in the world, which has been crafting beautiful fragrances, remedies and herbal products since 1221. In particular, I stock up on Rosa Novella Scented Wax Tablets, which infuse your drawers with fragrances of petitgrain, rose and sandalwood – they make the prettiest gift, too!
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