Actually... I came to Florence just for the food.

Just came out of the Medici Chapel, and the owner of the restaurant next door was making a gesture of pulling on an imaginary rope, trying to lure us in. We were hungry anyway 🤤, so we decided to give it a try.❤️❤️❤️ The restaurant's decor was quite opulent, with large windows facing the Medici Chapel. Our mood lifted, but then we checked Google Maps and saw its not-so-high rating (3.9 at the time, now 4.0), which made us a bit apprehensive 🧐. Despite our initial hesitation, we ordered, and to our pleasant surprise, the food was actually delicious. It was classic Tuscan cuisine: large, weighed steaks, authentic lasagna, risotto, and clam pasta.😍😍😍 For a group of five, the meal came to €135, and we were so full that we didn't even have room for the chef's dessert. Ristorante Pizzeria Canto De‘ Nelli📍 The highlight was definitely the gelato we went out of our way to try after crossing the Ponte Vecchio. We came for the lavender flavor and ended up ordering coffee, green tea, lavender, strawberry, coconut, and even red bean (?). A three-scoop cone was €5.2. The lavender was unique, the green tea and coffee were refreshing, and the strawberry flavor really captured the essence of the fruit. Overall, it was the best gelato we had in Italy. Florence has three locations, one opposite the cathedral and another near the Ponte Vecchio. If you're in Florence, you have to try it! La Strega Nocciola Gelateria📍 We saved some room for the tiramisu that everyone on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) raved about, but to be honest, we were extremely disappointed 😥. At €5-5.5 per piece, it wasn't expensive and came in various flavors, but the taste was just too ordinary, lacking depth. It was even worse than the tiramisu from the supermarket. It felt like we were the fools for going out of our way and buying so much. And the affogato, which is essentially coffee mixed with gelato, avoid fruit-flavored gelato! It's a terrible combination, and we learned the hard way. Pompi📍 Florence is not just a feast for Renaissance art lovers; it's also a place to slow down and savor the Tuscan culinary delights 🍽️. P.S. The vintage movie museum in Florence is quite interesting 🎬. There are also local tailor shops on the streets with reasonably priced, stylish clothing worth browsing through (tailor shops, not leather stores!). #ItalianCuisine #Florence #FlorenceFood #ItalianFood #TravelTips #Foodie #RestaurantHopping