The Other Side of Florence Food Tour with Eating Europe

Florence’s food story feels different across the Arno. This three-hour walk explores Oltrarno, where cheese shops, old bakeries and neighborhood eateries make a fine counterpoint to the city’s grand churches and crowded central streets. Expect small tastes, local history and a few foods that may be new to you, including lampredotto.

I like two things in particular: the route pairs classic Tuscan flavors with the places that give them context, and it introduces the historic wine windows without treating them as mere photo stops. The small group, capped at 12, should also leave room to ask questions and hear the guide’s stories.

One consideration: this is a tasting tour, not a full sit-down meal, and the menu and stops can change by day or season. Lampredotto and other regional dishes may not suit every palate, while severe food allergies are not safe to accommodate on this tour.

What to know before you go

• A proper taste of Oltrarno: The walk ends in Piazza Santo Spirito, after exploring a neighborhood with a more local feel than Florence’s busiest central streets.
• Tuscan staples, from cheese to lampredotto: Tastings can include Pecorino, Finocchiona salami, cantucci, a lampredotto sandwich, soup, wild boar stew, wine and gelato.
• Wine windows with a story: You’ll see the small historic openings once used to serve wine directly to locals, then enjoy wine at a neighborhood stop.
• A small group: The tour has a maximum of 12 people, which suits a walk built around food stops and conversation.
• Three hours of walking and eating: Plan for several short tastings rather than one large meal, and leave a little appetite for the end.
• A flexible menu: The foods and stops may vary with the day or season, so treat the listed lineup as a guide rather than a guarantee.

A Florence food tour across the river

The Other Side of Florence Food Tour with Eating Europe follows a compact route through Oltrarno, the part of the historic center across the Arno. It blends food, neighborhood history and practical local tips, with stops that range from a traditional alimentari to a gelateria.

The tour costs $113.72 per person and lasts about three hours. That is a considered spend for a food walk, but it covers several tastings, drinks and an English-speaking local guide. Its value depends on what you want from Florence: if you’re keen to learn how local dishes fit into daily life, the combination of food and explanation makes more sense than simply paying for a succession of snacks.

The guide is a big part of the experience. Chiara and Elisa are among the guides who have led it, and both have been praised for their storytelling and warmth. You may have someone else on your date, but the tour’s format gives the guide plenty of chances to connect each dish with the neighborhood and its traditions.

The group limit of 12 is useful here. At a food shop or wine window, a much larger crowd could make it harder to hear, see what’s being served or ask a question. The small size should help keep the walk sociable without making it feel like a private tour.

Start with Pecorino and fennel salami

The route begins at Piazza Nazario Sauro and heads to Formaggi E Salumi Sandro & Ivana, a traditional alimentari. An alimentari is a neighborhood food shop, and this is the kind of stop that gives a tasting its sense of place: you’re sampling products sold as part of everyday food culture, rather than starting with a formal restaurant meal.

The planned tasting features two varieties of Pecorino and Finocchiona, a Tuscan salami flavored with fennel. Expect about 20 minutes here. The cheese gives you a taste of the region’s sheep’s-milk tradition, while the fennel makes Finocchiona distinct from more familiar cured meats.

The stop is brief, but its value is not just what’s on the plate. A local guide can explain what you’re tasting and point out the character of the products. One participant described the cheese shop owner as a lively personality, so the first stop may offer a little neighborhood theater alongside the food.

Cantucci and coffee at a family-run bakery

At Pasticceria Buonamici, you’ll get cantucci, millefoglie and a freshly brewed espresso or cappuccino. The bakery has been run by the third generation of the same family and has endured floods, wars and pandemics. That history gives the coffee break a human scale: this is not simply a place to pick up a sweet, but a long-standing neighborhood fixture.

Cantucci are crisp Tuscan biscuits often served with a drink. The tour promises a look at the secret behind making them, a useful detail if you want to take home more than a box of sweets. You’ll also try millefoglie, a delicate layered pastry, and have time to enjoy your coffee.

This is a good point to pause and reset before the savory street food and wine stops. The tasting is still only part of a three-hour walk, so it won’t be a leisurely café morning. If you’re hoping for a long sit-down coffee, keep that separate from the tour.

Walk past Porta San Frediano

Between tastings, the route passes Porta San Frediano, part of Florence’s medieval walls and dating to 1333. It’s a welcome reminder that Oltrarno’s character is shaped not only by its food, but also by its place within the old fortified city.

You won’t need to set aside a separate visit to the gate, but seeing it on foot helps connect the neighborhood to Florence’s earlier boundaries. This is one of the tour’s practical strengths: the walk links food stops with landmarks, so you get a sense of the area rather than simply moving from counter to counter.

Try lampredotto, Florence’s classic street sandwich

At Da Simone, a local street food stand on P. Nerli, you can try lampredotto in a panino. The sandwich is made with cow stomach, a traditional Florentine preparation that has long been part of the city’s street-food identity.

That may sound like a challenging lunch, but the point is to encounter a dish you might not order on your own. The tour frames it as an iconic local food, and the guide can help explain its place in Florence’s cooking. You can decide for yourself after a taste whether it’s a new favorite or a story to tell over dinner.

The stop lasts about 20 minutes. This is one of the more adventurous parts of the route, so it’s worth knowing about in advance if you’re a cautious eater. Food offerings can vary, and you shouldn’t assume that every tour will serve exactly the same selection.

Spot the old wine windows

Oltrarno is known for its small wine windows, openings in historic buildings once used to sell wine directly to locals. The tour points them out as part of the walk, explaining how they fit into Florence’s culinary and social life.

These windows are easy to mistake for decorative architectural details if you don’t know what you’re looking at. The guide’s explanation gives them a purpose and a human story: they were a way to serve wine through a building wall, connecting domestic spaces with the street.

The tour also uses an iconic wine window at Fiaschetteria Fantappié. It’s a fitting setting for a glass of Chianti Classico, though the listed tastings and locations may change. Don’t expect a long wine lesson or a full tasting flight; the emphasis is on enjoying a local glass and understanding the custom.

Tuscan cucina povera at Fiaschetteria Fantappié

Fiaschetteria Fantappié has served locals since the 1950s. The roughly 55-minute stop is the longest of the tour and brings together Tuscan soup, wild boar stew and a glass of Chianti Classico. It offers a more substantial taste than the earlier counter stops, while introducing the idea of cucina povera, traditional cooking shaped by modest ingredients and resourcefulness.

This is where the tour’s food-and-place approach pays off. Rather than treating the soup and stew as isolated dishes, the guide can connect them to the way Tuscan cooking uses what is available and makes it satisfying. The wine window adds a distinctly Florentine touch to the stop.

The included food and wine can make this the closest thing to a meal on the tour, but don’t count on it as a guaranteed substitute for lunch or dinner. Portions and offerings may vary. If you have a hearty appetite, plan to eat separately; if you want to save room, avoid a large meal beforehand.

Santo Spirito, Michelangelo and gelato

The walk continues through Piazza Santo Spirito, a lively square and the home of the Church of Santo Spirito. Inside is Michelangelo’s secret crucifix, a lesser-known work tucked into the Renaissance church. The tour’s description identifies it as a highlight of the stop, though the amount of time available for seeing the church may depend on the day’s pace.

The final food stop is La Sorbettiera, an award-winning gelateria described as Florence’s Best Gelato. You’ll get a two-flavor cup or cone and a quick lesson on how to recognize artisanal gelato. That ten-minute crash course is practical: instead of only being told which flavor to choose, you’ll get a few clues for judging gelato elsewhere in the city.

The gelato stop lasts about 15 minutes and ends the tour in Piazza Santo Spirito. It’s a pleasant finish, but it also means you should make room for dessert even after the cheese, pastry, sandwich, soup and stew. The route covers several tastes in three hours, so pacing yourself matters.

What the price includes, and what it doesn’t

At $113.72 per person, this is not a low-cost way to grab a snack. It is easier to justify if you value the guide’s local context, the range of food and drink, and the chance to visit small neighborhood businesses in one organized walk. The price includes an English-speaking guide, the listed tastings and Food & the City insider tips.

Gratuities are not included. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not provided, so you’ll need to make your way to the meeting point at Piazza Nazario Sauro. The tour ends at Piazza Santo Spirito, making the finish point different from the start.

Extra drinks are not included. You can email the operator to purchase a Premium Drink Package with three additional drinks for €16. Consider that only if you want more to drink than the standard tastings provide.

The tour is offered in English and may have group discounts. It is often booked about 61 days in advance, so if your dates are fixed, booking ahead is sensible. Free cancellation is available until 24 hours before the start time; changes or cancellations inside that window are not accepted for a refund. A minimum of two people is required, and if that number is not reached, you’ll be offered a different date or experience, or a full refund.

Dietary needs, children and other practical details

Vegetarian, gluten-free and other dietary requests can be sent by email or added when booking. The operator will do its best to accommodate them, but the tour is not suitable for people with severe or life-threatening allergies to ingredients found on the route, and it cannot take responsibility for allergies or intolerances. If you have a serious allergy, this is not a safe experience to book.

Children under four can join free, but food is not included for them. Children aged four and older need a paid ticket with food included. Service animals are allowed, and the activity is near public transportation. The tour information says most people can participate, though it does not give a detailed accessibility description.

Is this the right Florence food tour for you?

I’d choose this tour if you want to get beyond the central sights and understand Oltrarno through its food. The mix of Pecorino, Finocchiona, cantucci, lampredotto, Tuscan soup, wild boar stew, wine and gelato gives you a broad introduction, while Porta San Frediano and the wine windows add enough history to make the walk more than a tasting crawl.

It’s especially well suited to curious eaters who enjoy regional specialties and want an English-speaking guide to put them in context. It may be less appealing if you need a guaranteed fixed menu, have a serious food allergy, dislike offal or want a long, sit-down meal. If the neighborhood and its everyday food culture interest you, the price buys a useful introduction, not just a full stomach.

FAQ

How long is the Other Side of Florence Food Tour?

The tour lasts about three hours.

Where does the tour start and end?

It starts at Piazza Nazario Sauro and ends at Piazza Santo Spirito, both in Florence.

What foods might I taste?

Tastings can include two varieties of Pecorino, Finocchiona salami, cantucci, millefoglie, lampredotto, Tuscan soup, wild boar stew and gelato. Offerings may vary by day or season.

Are drinks included?

The listed tastings include coffee or cappuccino and a glass of Chianti Classico. Extra drinks are not included.

Can I buy extra drinks?

Yes. You can email the operator to purchase a package of three additional drinks for €16.

Is the tour offered in English?

Yes. The tour is offered in English and includes a local English-speaking guide.

How many people can join?

The group has a maximum of 12 people. A minimum of two guests is required for the tour to operate.

Can dietary requirements be accommodated?

You can email dietary requirements or add a note when booking. The operator will do its best to accommodate vegetarian, gluten-free and other needs, but severe or life-threatening food allergies are not suitable for this tour.

Can children join?

Children under four can join for free, but food is not included for them. Children aged four and older need a paid ticket with food included.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the tour are not accepted for a refund.