The 13 Best Dining Experiences in Florence

1.Tuscan Cooking Class and Dinner in Florence

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 732 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $83Our pick

Meet in Florence at 4:45 pm for an English-language cooking class of about four hours. With a chef and assistant, you’ll prepare a four-course meal, share dinner with the group and take home a recipe booklet. Menus vary, so don’t book for one specific dish. Each chef teaches up to 15 participants.

“The instruction was good and the food tasted amazing but we thought we would be more hands on and not sharing with a group of 6”

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2.Heart of Florence: Dinner and Three Tenors Concert Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 400 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $88

Start with a three-course Tuscan dinner in a traditional restaurant near Piazza della Signoria, then walk to Cattedrale dell’Immagine for a live Three Tenors-style concert. Expect opera arias, Neapolitan songs, and reserved seating in your chosen section. Dinner begins at 6:30 pm; check your ticket for the concert’s meeting time and venue details.

“Restaurant difficult to find, staff unwelcoming, food ok , not special at all , tiramisu was a poor imitation of the real thing. Staff could not even be bothered to help with directions to the concert venue. Everyone felt let down. The concert , on the other hand was excellent , the tenor in particular had an extraordinary voice. Althogether an evening of two parts!!!Would Not fell able to recommend this event.”

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3.Chianti Delights: A Tale Of Two Wineries With A Vineyard Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 324 reviews · 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $106

Leave Florence by coach for free time in Siena, then visit two Chianti estates for wine and olive oil tastings and a Tuscan dinner. The evening combines independent sightseeing with a hosted winery meal; English and Spanish are guaranteed, and guides on past departures have included Lisa, Ana, Frederick, Diego, and Marti.

“Perfect day trip, great wine great harvest and travel guide, had a blast! Perfect afternoon trip to get out of the heat.”

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4.Dinner and Concert with “Three Tenors”: A Real Italian Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 265 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $104

Start with a three-course Tuscan dinner near Piazza della Signoria, then walk to a concert venue described as Santo Stefano al Ponte for opera arias and Neapolitan songs inspired by Pavarotti, Domingo, and Carreras. The evening lasts about three hours, starts at 6:30 pm, and includes reserved seating, with the exact seat location tied to your ticket option.

“For our Italy trip, we booked 4-5 excursions. This was probably my least favorite. I felt it wasn’t very organized—-more like you bought a ticket for the concert and dinner was included at a nearby restaurant. The food was ok. In hindsight, I would still go to the concert but maybe have dinner at a nicer restaurant. The cost would’ve been about the same.”

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5.Pizza Dinner and Opera Arias Concert

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 238 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $98

Start with a fixed-menu pizza dinner and dessert in Florence’s Oltrarno district, with drinks included. Then walk a few minutes to Santa Monaca Church for a live concert of Italian opera arias and melodies. There is no guide, so check your restaurant directions and concert time before setting out.

“quality of the musicians. top notch singing and playing.”

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6.Chianti Vineyards Tour with Wine Tasting & Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 200 reviews · from $123

Spend about eight hours traveling from Florence to a Chianti estate by air-conditioned coach or minivan. Visit the winery, taste its wines, then share a Tuscan dinner with local food and wine in the vineyard when weather allows. Guides vary; hosts have included Aurora, Luca, Marta, and Edoardo.

“Luca was an excellent guide, and the winery was awesome!”

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7.Siena & San Gimignano with Dinner in a Boutique Winery

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 199 reviews · 9 to 12 hours (approx.) · from $126

Ride from central Florence to Siena for a guided walk and local tasting, then explore San Gimignano on your own before a meal and wine tasting at a Chianti winery. The small-group minivan tour lasts about 9 to 12 hours. Add Pisa for a longer day; tower entry is not included.

“Both cities and the winery were outstanding. The driver Ramona was fun and funny, patient and informative. The one guide provided in Siena felt rushed, a little robotic and impatient with us. I think she had somewhere else to be or has done the tour too many times, but we were really there for the sights. We could have navigated and probably done without her altogether. Great shopping and gelato. I recommend this tour as a way to get to know Siena, SanGimignano and Tuscany, but if you want more time in the cites than 1 hour then book a different tour, depends what you are looking for. This one…”

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8.Hard Rock Cafe Florence with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 193 reviews · 1 day · from $31Best value

Choose lunch or dinner at Hard Rock Cafe Florence, inside the former Gambrinus Cinema on Piazza della Repubblica. Your set menu includes a main course, dessert, and a soft drink, coffee, or tea, with a starter added to the three-course option. Expect familiar international dishes, music memorabilia, and possible live music on selected evenings.

“The staff were friendly but the set menu didn’t have much choice. There was no atmosphere and the staff were encouraging us to buy the merch. We didn’t even look at the items that celebrities donated, we ate and left.”

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9.Wine Tasting and Dinner in Chianti Vineyards

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 192 reviews · 6.5 hours · from $141

Leave Florence by air-conditioned vehicle for an afternoon in Chianti. Tour a family-run winery, taste wines, olive oil, and Tuscan snacks, then sit down to a seasonal dinner with wine pairings at a second estate. Guides vary by departure, with past tours led by Chiara, Anna, Francesca, and Gabriel.

“We enjoyed the tour. It was nice to stop in Greve. The views from the bus and the first winery were beautiful. The wine and dinner at the second winery were great and the host was friendly and funny. I'm glad we did this tour.”

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10.Siena and Chianti Day Trip with Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 126 reviews · from $80

Leave Florence by coach for free time in Siena, with its Gothic cathedral and Piazza del Campo, then continue to a Chianti wine estate for a Tuscan dinner and local wine tasting. The 7.5-hour afternoon and evening tour includes an English- or Spanish-speaking escort. Guide names vary, with past tours led by Ana, Guido, Brando, Julio and Dario.

“Our tour guide, our driver, our wine tasting guide and the dinner were excellent. The tour gave the opportunity for free time to explore Siena, followed by a delicious dinner at a winery. Thoroughly enjoyed this day trip!”

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11.The Cooking Lab – Authentic Food Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 113 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $126Top rated

At Chef Luca Polverini’s home in Florence, you’ll make fresh pasta, a Florentine starter, and tiramisù, then share the meal with local Chianti. The private, English-language class lasts about three hours and runs in the morning or evening. Expect hands-on instruction, a welcoming home kitchen, and practical tips you can use when you cook again.

“Great chef. Very knowledgeable, great teacher and we made some great food! We are not good cooks, but we are now very confident in our pasta abilities”

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12.4 – Courses Dinner Interactive Cooking Lesson In Florence

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 111 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $100

At In Tavola in central Florence, a chef leads a hands-on, English, Spanish, or Italian lesson in a four-course Italian dinner, from fresh egg pasta to dessert. You cook as a group, eat what you make, and receive the recipes. Tuscan red wine and bottled water are included. Chefs have included Gustavo, Giacomo, Fabrizio, and Matteo.

“A great experience! Instructors were great and we made some great food - and lots of it. Highly recommended!”

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13.Traditional Farmhouse Cooking Experience in Lucca with Lunch or Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 34 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $179

At Antonietta’s farmhouse near Lucca, you’ll roll fresh pasta by hand, learn to make tomato sauce, and sit down to a three-course Tuscan meal with local wine and homemade limoncello. The small-group class lasts about four hours, with English offered and pickup from Lucca available for an extra fee.

“This class was a highlight on my recent trip. I have always wanted to take a cooking class in Italy and this was just perfect. Antoinetta was the best teacher and hostess possible. We learned how to make several Italian dishes just the way her mother taught her. I especially enjoyed that fact that we were learning in her home and then sat down to eat a 5 course Italian dinner with her. The cost of this class is a bargain and the experience was amazing.”

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