Florence dazzles with Renaissance treasures like the Duomo and Michelangelo's "David," while trendy spots like Pink Mamma serve up modern Italian delights.
Florence, Metropolitan City of Florence, Italy Get directions
"Pink facade, a rooftop atrium with plants all over, floral tiles, and multiple floors each with different vibes—welcome to Pink Mamma, the Italian pizzeria by the Big Mamma Group that’s fit for the pages of AD and your social feed. But this buzzy restaurant in Pigalle (in a former hospital, if you can believe it) has the style and substance to justify all those photos circulating on the internet. A mostly Italian staff keeps the energy high once you get inside, with enthusiastic greetings in Italiano and friendly banter that you know is part of the job description, but is super pleasant all the same. It’s what makes the atmosphere universally appealing: great for impressing a date, but also ideal for a birthday meal with grandma or a girl’s night out. photo credit: Pink Mamma photo credit: Pink Mamma The menu of pizza, homemade pasta, and meat is loosely Tuscan-inspired, and will transport you right to Florence. The rule of thumb here is if a dish is meat-based, get it. The best of them is the grilled bistecca alla fiorentina: a tender flank steak as big as the plate that comes with rosemary potatoes and, if you order right, a glass of Chianti. It would be a shame, though, to miss out on the crunchy-meets-airy Neapolitan pizza and pasta that put the Big Mamma Group on the map, so order at least one Mammargherita pie and the truffle pasta for the table. Plus, with punny names like Moment of Truffle, the pizzas are fun to order. Whether you walk in (prepare for a wait) or book ahead online (our recommendation), try to request a table in the leafy rooftop sunroom, the best seats in the house. To make the evening last even longer, don’t leave without stopping into the moody basement-level speakeasy after your meal for a great martini—if you can find it, somewhere behind the restaurant’s cold storage room." - Lindsey Tramuta
"Italian Airbnb hosts seem to love teal—this is the first of three teal-painted apartments on this list—but the real accent walls in this home are the floor-to-ceiling glass panels in the kitchen and dining room that showcase views over Florence and its surrounding hills." - Madison Flager,Caitlin Morton
"This expandable suitcase is “by far my favorite checked bag I’ve used—specifically due to its roomy interior and smart compartments,” says associate commerce editor Meaghan Kenny, who brought it on a nine-day trip to Italy this summer. “What I love most is the interior—pockets galore. There are two separate sides—one for stuffing as many packing cubes in as you can; that side comes with compression straps. The other side can be completely zipped and has two zippered pockets on top. It was like having two built-in packing cubes: I used one pocket to keep a wedding guest dress safe and the other for my large bottles of sunscreen—just in case anything spilled in transit. For the first time ever as an overpacker, I had room to spare. When I repacked before my flight home from Italy, I was able to fit several new shirts and souvenirs for my family and a new thick sweatshirt I bought in Florence.” $308 $231 at Béis"
"A Korean feast in the suburbs Really good, authentic ethnic food is hard to come by in Florence, so it's worth making a little effort to seek out this off-radar newcomer in the east of the city. Stylish, wood-lined Cucina16 is mainly a popular lunch-spot offering traditional Italian food, but on Friday and Saturday evenings it morphs into Kucina16 serving chef Jay You's excellent, elegant Korean cuisine. The five-course set menus change every few months, but include dishes like Yukhwoe (tartar made from tender fassone beef cut with fresh chilli, lime and green onion) and Samhap (salt cod fillet with miso glaze served with slow-cooked pork belly and kimchi). Spicing is toned down a little to cater for tender Italian palates and recipes make the odd allowance for impossible-to-source ingredients, but Jay You's beautifully-presented food is the real deal. It's also great value; set menus cost €25 or €30 including wine or beer and water."
"This urban residence's owner, Martino dei Napoli Rampolla, turned the palazzo into an open house for artists and paying guests."
