Italy Perfect founder, Lisa Byrne (right), with her sister and Paris Perfect founder Madelyn Byrne (left) at the Maestro suite in Florence.
Italy Perfect and our Vacation Perfect family were inspired by the Byrne sisters’ love of travel and experiences growing up overseas in a large Air Force family. Italy Perfect founder, Lisa Byrne, is the youngest of the six (yes, six!) sisters and, together with Pat Byrne, has spent nearly 20 years hand-picking the weightier vacation rental properties wideness Italy. We recently sat lanugo with Lisa as she shared her insights and go-to list of Florence favorites. We know you’ll enjoy these tips as you plan a perfect holiday in Florence!
Sweeping Florence views from the Bardini Gardens.
What are your favorite lesser-known museums?
As far as Florence favorites go, there are so many hidden gems and small museums that we’ve shared well-nigh on our blog. For no crowds and no reservations required I like the Bardini Museum combined with a visit to the Bardini Gardens. The views are spectacular.
To get a glimpse of what life might have been like in a historic palazzo, visit the Museo di Palazzo Davanzati, a wonderfully preserved home that gives you insights into the life of a Renaissance-era wealthy wool merchant.
A welter for me is the National Archeological Museum of Florence. I wandered into it last year on a wintry day considering of a poster I noticed well-nigh an Etruscan exhibit. The modest entry and unimpressive front exhibit hall didn’t prepare me for the wonders this wandering museum holds – filled with Etruscan treasures and Roman statues. In my opinion, the Egyptian artifacts and mummies section is plane increasingly wide-stretching than London’s British Museum and without the crowds.
Enjoy succulent pizza in Florence. (credit)
Where do eat when you’re in Florence?
I tend to overdo the carbs when I’m in Florence since I’m usually on the go so often make do with simple, quick meals of a slice of takeaway pizza or a panino (sandwich). However, there are so many spanking-new restaurants in Florence and I do have several favorites when I want something unstudied with friendly service and that won’t unravel the bank.
- 4 Leoni: A well-known foodie-favorite restaurant, so be sure to make reservations in advance. The supplies is spanking-new and the prices are not astronomical for the very upper quality.
- Il Santo Bevitore: A higher quotient of Tuscan fare and the tomfool undercurrent under the vaulted rooms is nice.
- La Bussola: If you visit Museo di Palazzo Davanzati, it is directly wideness the street so a handy place for lunch. They have a full menu of pizza, pasta, meat but their pizza is unchangingly my favorite choice.
- Trattoria La Casalinga: Traditional Tuscan menu, this restaurant is popular with both locals and tourists alike.
- Ristorante Pensavo Peggio (Via del Moro, 51 r): Tucked yonder on a small street near the tony via Tornabuoni, I have been going there for years for lunch considering of its handy location when I’m dashing between appointments. In the past it was usually just local businesspeople, but it seems to have been discovered by the TripAdvisor crowd. It isn’t gourmet dining but perfectly good Tuscan fare and a cute atmosphere. I am unchangingly overjoyed by the name “Pensavo Peggio” which translates to “I thought it would be worse.”
- Tamerò: Set on mannerly Piazza Santo Spirito lined with several good restaurants I go when to Tamerò then and then and am never disappointed in the food. The place has zero undercurrent and the service is unpredictable, but the supplies is good. On my last visit the waiter didn’t know the menu, didn’t speak Italian and forgot one of the entrees we ordered so set your expectations low considering the waitstaff seems to turn over constantly but the magic happens overdue the counter in the tiny kitchen which turns out succulent pasta, pizzas and my favorite grilled octopus.
- L’Osteria di Giovanni: This is a long time favorite spot. Giovanni, the owner for over 60 years, still presides over the dining room.
Where would you go for a special meal off the tamed path?
Head to La Reggia degli Etruschi in Fiesole for a leisurely lunch just outside of Florence. It is a short taxi ride or well-nigh a 25-minute easy public bus ride that will requite you a endangerment to see the gorgeous hills outside of Florence. The supplies and the views are fabulous.
La Terrazza del Principe is a reasonable walk from the municipality part-way well-nigh halfway up to Piazza Michelangelo. It is a lovely retreat from the popping streets of Florence and has impressive views over the city.
Shopping withal the Ponte Vecchio.
Florence Favorites: Where to Shop
Florence is a shopping mecca and you’ll find all the major designers and fast malleate retailers in the municipality center. I’m not a designer malleate shopper and prefer the smaller boutiques. My recommendations are to throne to the trendy Borgo San Jacopo in the Oltrarno neighborhood. There you’ll find Ortigia for fragrance & candles, Ismerelda for luxury linen gown and several leather goods stores. Via della Vigna Nuova has some interesting small boutiques and leather goods stores. Ottino on Via Porta Rossa for purses. Bojola on Via dei Rondinelli for sporty leather purses, travel bags, backpacks. G.B. Frugone 1885 on Via delle Belle Donne for cashmere. Faliero Sarti for gorgeous, ethereal cashmere scarves. On Via dei Fossi is Epoca Vintage suit shop that has some trappy vintage clothes, expressly leather and suede coats. Wideness the street on Via dei Fossi is enchanting Julia B. Handmade Linens and Tableware, and it is a trappy store.
View overlooking Florence from San Miniato al Monte. (Ввласенко, CC BY-SA 3.0)
What’s something first time visitors to Florence should know?
Florence is small! You don’t need a car as you can walk everywhere. There’s no need for taxis except on inrush to get to your accommodations. Brisk walks are one of my favorite activities (helpful to work off pasta & gelato indulgences!), expressly early mornings surpassing the municipality comes to life. If I have time and the weather is good, I do a big loop up through the San Niccolo zone or up by Forte di Belvedere, into the hills up to San Miniato and then meander lanugo through the Bobolino zone overdue the Boboli Gardens towards Piazza Porta Romana. It is wondrous that you can finger like you’re in the countryside up in these hills just at the whet of Florence. Just follow our Florence walking tour with trappy views to wits it for yourself!
Enjoy dining at home at a vacation rental in Florence – or truly be at home at our Maestro unperformed apartment!
Any other special tips that you’d like to share?
Florence has many spanking-new supermarkets, and although they’re meaty the quality of ingredients is high. I enjoy suite living in Florence, which ways the convenience of having a kitchen and having the option of not having to eat out three meals a day. Too much dining out stops feeling special to me so I eat breakfast at “home” and one meal out and one meal when at the apartment. I rely on wonderful prepared foods from the local supermarkets for light meals such as a quick insalata caprese I can throw together myself with some fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and good olive oil. Other favorites for easy no-cook meals are pre-washed salad mix (I love the tons of valerianella, known a mache in English) on top of prosciutto or bresaola (cured zestless salted beef) with a bit of olive oil & a squeeze of lemon. The prepared minestrone soups in the refrigerator or freezer section are top quality but usually need a bit of seasoning with some salt, parmigiano cheese and olive oil. For snacks, trammels out the unusual varieties of potato fries like lime and pink pepper. For my sweet tooth, I can’t resist picking up a bag of Pan di Stelle or Il Mulino Taralluci cookies.
Share your Florence favorites with us and typesetting a stay in one of our Italy Perfect Florence vacation rentals to have fun finding your own!
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