Breakfast in Florence: Guide to Bars and Cafes in the Centre and Outside

Breakfast is one of the most important moments of the day. The first meal in the morning is the one that provides us with the right amount of energy to face the following hours in the best possible way.

This is why it is important to know the best places to have breakfast, even on holiday.

In this article, we have compiled a list of the best bars and cafesto have breakfast in Florence, in the centre and in the surrounding areas.

Breakfast in Florence, the best bars

From the classic Italian breakfast to the international one, from vegan options to those designed for gluten intolerants.

Finding the right bar and café for us is really important.

Here are some of the best places to have breakfast in Florence:

Rainer: in the Reparata area, we find a café that takes us directly to Austria thanks to the philosophy of Rudolf Rainer. Here, we can enjoy Sacher cakes, strudels and topfen. But also coffee, croissants and hot chocolate as in the best of Italian traditions. In Via San Zanobi 97/r;
Ditta Artigianale: a renowned coffee is born from an excellent roasting company, where you can be pampered by quality products, carefully selected filters, and a wide and diversified offer. In Via dei Neri 30/32 r;
Caffè Pasticceria Serafini: it is one of the historic places in the city, active since 1928. It is a perfect pastry shop for those who love to have a rich breakfast thanks to a truly wide range of desserts, with fine, fresh, seasonal pastries, cremini, shortcrust pastry boats, strudels. To drink, we recommend the Fornacino, coffee with cocoa powder, milk cream and chocolate chips. In Via Vincenzo Gioberti 168/r;
Caffè Libertà: the bar that boasts what some say are the best croissants in the city. Don’t miss cremino chocolates, tarts with cream and fresh fruit, rice puffs, braided croissants with cream, cappuccino. In Piazza della Libertà 26;
Giorgio: one of the city’s pastry reference points, with all the choice that you can imagine. Among these, we recommend their cannoli, millefeuille, choux pastries with pistachio, and cream puffs. In Via D. di Buoninsegna;
La Ménagére: one of the most original places to have breakfast in Florence. Open at any time of the day and also featuring live music during the evening. For breakfast we can choose croissants, muffins, cupcakes and much more. In Via de’ Ginori 8/r.

Breakfast in central Florence: where to go

If we are in the centre or heading to the heart of the city, we can choose from a wide range of bars and cafes.

Here are some of the best places to have breakfast in central Florence:

Ben Cafè: a rich selection of coffee, tea and herbal teas with quality products. It is located in Via delle Oche, near the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore;
Caffè Amerini: excellent selection of fresh cakes designed with different flavours. There is no shortage of croissants, chocolate pastries, rice cakes. For those who want to have a breakfast with savory products, pizzas and flatbreads are also available. In Via della Vigna Nuova 61/63 r;
Robiglio: a pastry shop Piedmontese origins, founded in 1928 and with a great tradition linked to the processing of chocolate and sugared almonds. Among the cornerstones we find mignons, croissants, single-portion cheesecakes and pastries. To pair with a freshly squeezed juice or cappuccino. In Viale Spartaco Lavagnini 16r;
Nencioni: another historical reference point for breakfast in the city. It was founded in 1950 with a bakery dedicated to the production of its own desserts, fresh pasta and bread. Over time, it became a renowned pastry shop. Here we can taste croissants, rice cakes, mini pastries. In Via Pietrapiana 24r.

Bar where you can have breakfast in central Florence

If we stay overnight in the heart of the city or find ourselves in the centre early in the morning, we can have breakfast here:

Le Vespe Cafè: open at all hours of the day, at breakfast it will delight you with French toast and pancakes, baked products and biscuits. Among the savoury options, their eggs Benedict are worth mentioning. It is located in Via Ghibellina 76r;
Gilli: the oldest bar in Florence was born in 1733 and the echoes of the past are still clearly visible today. It masterfully blends craftsmanship and innovation by offering mignon pastries and the Austrian dessert Linzer Torte. The coffee is absolutely unmissable, even in the version with added cream. Awarded three cups and three beans by the Gambero Rosso guide. It is located in Via Roma 1r;
Paszkowski Caffè Concerto: it is one of the symbols of the city, declared a “National Monument” in 1991. This café offers yeast, cakes and the unmissable Paszkowski cake. It is located in Piazza della Repubblica;
Galleria Iginio Massari Firenze: the coffee of the most famous Italian pastry chef was born on the ground floor of the Hotel Helvetia & Bristol Florence. Many old and new proposals, including the famous zuccotto. In Via de’ Vecchietti 3;
Scudieri: born in 1939, its quality pastry are certainly delicious. Among its products, we recommend their mignons, croissants, biscuits. All homemade and served hot. It is located in Piazza San Giovanni 19;
Procacci: open from 10.00, it is another of the historic Florentine locations for breakfast. Don’t miss their apple pie, coconut biscuits, little krapfens with Chantilly cream, the chocolate biscuits. In Via de’ Tornabuoni 64r.

Pastry bars in Florence

If you love having breakfast with delicate products, you must try an excellent sweet.

This is why we thought we would recommend the best bars and pastry shops in Florence:

Dolci e Dolcezze: an authentic experience made even more evocative by the refined period furnishings. Unmissable crumbly pasta scented with butter, dry biscuits, rice cream, shortcrust pastry boats and, of course, coffee and cappuccino. In Piazza C. Beccaria 8r;
Gualtieri: this pastry shop was born after the Second World War and is located near the Boboli Gardens. Among the proposals we also find many gluten-free and vegan products. In Via Senese 18r;
Pasticceria Stefania: born where the historic Scali oven once stood, this pastry shop is renowned for its fried donuts filled with crème patissière. Also worth trying are its apple-filled pastries. In Via G. Marconi 26r;
Pasticceria Silvano e Valentino: homely atmospheres for a place where you can let yourself be tempted by fresh desserts, pancakes, millefeuille, pastries with chocolate and cream. In Via Niccolò Paganini 2;
Dolci Pensieri: Anglo-Saxon echoes with many references to the famous bakeries for a refined and modern place. It offers muffins, smoothies, a rich selection of desserts, cheesecakes, chestnut cakes. In Via del Ponte alle Riffe 26r and in Borgo la Croce 26r;
Mama’s bakery: many references to US recipes with cheesecakes, cupcakes, brownies, muffins. In Via della Chiesa 34r.

Bars in Florence

Historic cafés and venues that wink at modernity.

Here are some of the bars where you can have breakfast in Florence:

Caffè Lietta: timeless atmospheres for this venue located in the former Caffè Giocosa. There is no table service, you can only be served at the counter. The Caffè’s specialty is the pirulo, a shortcrust pastry pudding filled with processed ricotta. Of course there is no shortage of cakes, croissants and biscuits. In Piazza della Libertà 6-8r;
Carduccio: this bar/bistrot is one of the reference points for vegans and celiacs. Its espressos, extracts, smoothies and fruit salads are a must. In sdrucciolo De Pitti 10r;
Coffee Mantra: high quality coffee made from carefully selected beans. Also try flat white, cortado, cappuccino, macchiato, cold brew. In Via della Mattonaia 71r;
Fluid: a young bar born from the Le Piantagioni del Caffè roastery. Its environment is modern and colourful, designed to attract younger people. You cannot miss their espresso, filter extractions and baked products. In Borgo La Croce 59b.

Places to have breakfast in Florence

Breakfast is a real ritual during which we dedicate time to ourselves, pampering ourselves.

Let’s see some of the best places to have breakfast in Florence:

Piansa: very high quality café with constantly changing proposals. We also find tasty and balanced cappuccinos, filter coffee, artisanal cakes and biscuits. In Via Gioberti 51r;
Simbiosi: attention to organic and impeccable coffee, sweet and savory products and the unmissable v60 method filter. In Via de Ginori 64 r;
Marisa: one of the reference points for cremini chocolate lovers. But let’s not forget their pastry filled with pears and chocolate, hazelnut cream puffs, braided paistry with walnuts and fig jam, their Fedora cake. In Via Circondaria 24;
Gaetano: it was the first pastry shop to bring Sicilian desserts to the city. Today, they have an extensive choice, from cream pancakes and Schiacciata, from brioche with pistachio to chocolate puffs, to puff pastry with strawberries and cream and soy croissants. In Via di Novoli.

Bars in Florence for breakfast

Historic cafés, modern environments or places with suggestive views.

Here are some bars in Florence perfect for breakfast:

Artisan Company and Hario Cafè: we are located in the former monastery of Sant’Ambrogio. A perfect store for a breakfast with sweet and savoury products. Try the Greek yogurt with homemade granola, scambled eggs, pastrami bagel, croque monsieur, Roman artichokes, cinnamon French toast, American pancakes. In Via Carducci 2/4 r;
Cibreo Caffè: coffee and hot croissants served in an elegant setting with cosy atmospheres. In Via del Verrocchio 5r;
Caffè dell’Oro: a breathtaking view of Ponte Vecchio for a place that offers cappuccino, American coffee, freshly squeezed juices, waffles, oat porridge, French toast. In Lungarno degli Acciauioli 4;
Cortese Café Novecento: it is the restaurant of the most famous raw pastry chef in Italy, Vito Cortese. Vegan and gluten-free products, coffee, cappuccino, smoothies, organic fruit juices, desserts with dried fruit, cookies. In Piazza Santa Maria Novella 12r;
Todo Modo: an independent bookshop where you can also have breakfast. While you are enjoying yogurt, sweet sandwiches, rice puddings and savory croissants, you are surrounded by more than 20,000 books. In Via dei Fossi 15r;
Il Santo Bevitore: return to the past with a breakfast with bread, butter and jam, milk and biscuits and bread and chocolate. But also rice puddings, Tuscan flatbreads, focaccias, pizzas, freshly squeezed juices, Florentine tea, coffee and milk. In Via di Santa Monaca 3r.