With over 2,000 restaurants in Florence, there’s no shortage of great places to eat in the heart of Tuscany! You can find just about every cuisine within the city center, but if you expand your horizons to the areas surrounding Florence, especially Fiesole, you’ll discover even more great eats. Here are our favorite Fiesole restaurants.
It would take ages to sift through all the eateries in the quaint villages and adorable towns of the greater metropolitan area, so let’s zoom in on Fiesole restaurants. Fiesole is a town and commune northeast of Florence and was a getaway for the upper class during the Renaissance. If we know anything about well-to-do people, it’s that they know how to eat!
That’s certainly the case today, as Fiesole is home to excellent bars, restaurants, bakeries, and more. Between the great food in Fiesole restaurants and the stunning views of Florence, you’ll find that the short trip up the hill to this quaint town will be absolutely worth it.
Top 5 Fiesole Restaurants
Bistrot al 5
Bistrot Al 5 commits itself to excellent food made with extremely local raw ingredients for truly local cuisine. Most of the ingredients they use are organic and made right in Fiesole, including the bread, olive oil, wine, saffron, and handmade pasta.
For a meal with the best local flavors, try 24-month-aged sheep’s milk pecorino cheese as a starter, followed by ravioli filled with peak seasonal ingredients like eggplant, grilled tomatoes, basil, and creamy stracciatella cheese in the summertime.
Buca delle Fate
If you’re craving pizza during your visit to Fiesole, you must stop at Buca delle Fate. At this excellent pizzeria with a view of Fiesole’s Duomo, Chef Giancarlo serves up perfectly made pizzas and pasta dishes. The long fermentation time of the pizza dough ensures a soft, chewy crust every time, and it’s easier to digest!
You can’t go wrong with a classic pizza Margherita, or try a slightly different but equally delicious white pizza with melt-in-your-mouth mortadella (large, pink heat-cured pork sausage), fior di latte, and sprinkled with crushed pistachios.
Trattoria Le Cave di Maiano
If you don’t mind venturing up even a little bit higher above Fiesole, you’ll reap the benefits when you enjoy a peaceful, delicious meal surrounded by nature at Trattoria Le Cave di Maiano (Via delle Cave di Maiano 16). The location has been a restaurant since the 1890s, so you can enjoy classic Tuscan cuisine in one of the very locations where it was developed over a century ago.
City slickers frequently come to the Trattoria for a great meal and to get out of the city, and it’s not hard to see why. The service is impeccable, the atmosphere is heavenly, and the food does not disappoint. Enjoy Florentine steak made the proper way (grilled over a fire, raw and red inside), the historic comfort food dish “Chimney Sweep Soup” (kale, bean, and rice soup), or pappardelle with duck ragù.
La Loggia
For you lovers of views that don’t mind a splurge, the ultimate restaurant for you is La Loggia. Located in the 5-star Villa San Michele Belmond Hotel, the restaurant is also worthy of 5 stars for the service, the food, and the views.
Chef Alessandro Cozzolino has crafted three creative tasting menus (including a vegetarian option), with inspiration taken from the very Tuscan countryside surrounding you. We’re talking beef from heritage cattle stewed in red wine from Tuscany and served with lettuce grown in the valley or hot and fresh crepes with Tuscan summer black truffles and a touch of onion. Oh, and be sure to order the wine pairings to go with all five courses. You won’t regret it!
Coquinarius Fiesole
For excellent Tuscan cuisine and local steak, reserve a table with a view at Coquinarius Fiesole. The friendly bistro is perfect for dining on your own or for a romantic evening out, with its two expansive rooms with windows and an outdoor patio, overlooking a stunning panorama view of Florence.
At Coquinarius, feast on elevated Tuscan cuisine made with local ingredients. Enjoy delicious plates like a slow-cooked egg with pecorino cream and asparagus, pasta with Maremma beef ragù, or Chianina beef tartare.
Why visit Fiesole?
Fiesole is a town and commune northeast of the Florence city center. It’s small and quiet, hitting that sweet spot of being near a big city with the feeling of a countryside residence. It’s a great place to bring your kids when visiting Florence as it’s safe for them to run around.
There’s plenty to see and do in Fiesole, making it a worthwhile day trip from Florence. You can see the remnants of Etruscan walls, as well as Roman baths and amphitheater at the archaeological park.
Did we mention that A Room with a View is set in Fiesole? Well, it is, so expect to take in spectacular views of Florence while in this little town. Also, plan a walk through the gardens of Villa di Maiano where the movie was filmed!
How to get to Fiesole from Florence
Now that you’re convinced to venture out to this village for a bite to eat, you need to know how to get there! Thankfully, Fiesole is easy to get to by bus or by car and is only about 10 kilometers away from Florence.
Getting to Fiesole by Bus
From the Firenze Santa Maria Novella train station, take the number 7 bus to Fiesole Piazza Mino. The ride is only 30 minutes long, and buses leave about every 20 minutes.
Getting to Fiesole by Car
Depending on traffic, the drive from Florence to Fiesole is about 20 minutes long and has tolls.
From your starting point, make your way to the east part of the city and start heading north along Via del Campofiore. Next make a right onto Viale Augusto Righi. After about one kilometer, turn right onto Via San Domenico. After 4.4 kilometers, take the first exit at the roundabout to Piazza Mino da Fiesole.
There are many parking lots in Fiesole so you should be able to find a spot, but do pay attention to the signs so you know how to pay for your spot and avoid a ticket! You can also find parking behind the Roman amphitheater.
Verity Pryor-Harden is a freelancer of many talents living in the historical Tuscan city of Arezzo while studying Visual Communications in Florence. She’s a sucker for a cold spritz in a piazza on a hot day, enjoys making bizarre wine pairings, and is a Tuscan street food enthusiast. Follow along on Instagram @verityeph.