This elegant yet relaxed spot on the corner of the bustling Piazza della Passera is perennially packed. Locals love the family atmosphere, quality produce and traditional Tuscan dishes. Visitors love the bold flavours, white tablecloths and lengthy wine list. Staff, meanwhile, treat everyone like they’ve been coming for years. Be sure to try the pappa al pomodoro, a typical peasant dish of stale bread mixed with sweet tomatoes, basil, garlic and herbs.

If you fancy a change from the meat-heavy dishes favoured by traditional trattorias, head for lunch at this elegant little place, which is adored by stylish locals for its creative vegetarian menu. The brainchild of an antiques dealer, it is located on a pedestrianised road, surrounded by homely coffee bars and bustling gelaterias. Chalkboards announce the dishes of the day, while photographs of Florence from days gone by line the softly lit walls.

Like many trattorias in Florence, the interior is cramped and cosy, but unlike many, here you’ll find local Florentines dining beside you. Along with expected Tuscan favourites, they serve imaginative dishes such as a vodka pasta.

This cocktail bar and restaurant is simply exquisite, with peacock- blue walls covered with antique film posters, bronze lamps hanging over the cloud-patterned wallpaper and vases brimming with fresh flowers sitting next to flickering candles. Albanian chef Entiana Osmenzeza is in charge in the kitchen, and her menu mixes Tuscan flavours with Spanish and Balkan influences. The result is sophisticated, seasonal gourmet cooking.

The direct translation of Il Santo Bevitore is “the holy drinker”. It’s a dimly lit restaurant with vaulted ceilings and wine bottles adorning every inch of wall space. The traditional Tuscan menu is based on fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Head to its tiny sister bar Il Santino (two doors down) for an extensive wine list and pairing plates of cheese and antipasti.

I’Brindellone is popular with the locals, so book in advance or risk being turned away. A small trattoria with simply decorated cream walls and an unpretentious atmosphere, it’s a little further from the tourist trail in the city’s Oltrarno district. This trattoria is well known for it’s Fiorentina steak, typically served rare. Prior to cooking, the waiter will bring the raw steak to your table for you to inspect.

Run by the same family for generations, Trattoria Sabatino hasn’t changed much since it opened in 1956. The food is fresh, the service is friendly and, unlike many restaurants in Florence, it’s not overrun with tourists. The Italian-only menu changes daily, but staff will be more than willing to help you decipher the menu.

Cammillo Trattoria has been well-known for its home-style Italian cooking since opening in 1945. Still run by the same family who opened it, expect traditional Tuscan food with a refined, modern edge. The building itself is centuries old, featuring a red-brick vaulted ceilings.

Located in eclectic San Frediano, this is one of Florence’s oldest bakeries. Run by 83-year-old Roberto Buonamici, who was just a child when his father founded the pasticceria in 1949, the tiny spot has stuck to its Florentine roots over the decades, still selling regional cakes now almost extinct amid a wash of homogenous Italian fare. Be sure to try the torta della nonna, a rustic Florentine shortcrust filled with custard and topped with almonds, and take a bag of the homemade cantucci cookies home. The bakery’s new cookery school will appeal to anyone looking to learn a few Italian baking tips.

Chef Fabio Picchi is the unofficial king of Sant’Ambrogio, the historic market square in Florence where wild boar and chicken necks are still sold alongside fresh vegetables and cheeses. Through his small restaurant empire, he celebrates la cucina povera, traditional recipes from the Tuscan countryside, where cooks were embracing a nose-to-tail ethos long before it became fashionable. Order the much-written-about chicken head in Cibrèo Ristorante or perch at the informal Cibrèo Caffè across the road for a light lunch of rustic pâtés and antipasti.

Plonked between the Ponte Vecchio and Ponte Santa Trinita, on what is arguably the best stretch of the Arno River for people-watching, Caffè dell’Oro has more going for it than just its delicious menu. Grab a seat on the terrace and relax over a morning cappuccino, or treat yourself to lunch from the accomplished, Tuscan-leaning menu. Highlights include local beef tartare jazzed up with kaffir lime, and crispy octopus with burrata and wasabi (it works!).

With front-row seats facing the imposing Pitti Palace, this is a prime spot for a glass of cool white wine and reviving lunch between sightseeing. The menu, a masterclass in simplicity, features the likes of burrata and anchovies on toast, and zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta. The owners are passionate oenophiles and dishes are best paired with bins from their excellent list of organic wines from Tuscany and further afield.

For a city that prides itself on bistecca (Florentine steak), it can be hard to find a really good one in the centre of town. Housed in the original Palazzo Antinori wine cellar, Buca Lapi claims to be the oldest restaurant in Florence. As well as steak, diners can enjoy a taste of traditional Tuscan dishes such as ribollita (white bean soup with croutons), wild boar with polenta, and pan-fried tripe.