Simple street food to try in Florence
Choose a lampredotto roll or a filled schiacciata, and avoid spending your whole lunch break in one famous queue.
A quick lunch in Florence does not have to mean joining the longest sandwich queue. Look near the part of the city you are already exploring, read the menu and decide what you feel like eating. A well-timed stop can leave you more of the afternoon for the city itself.
Two useful choices are a lampredotto roll and a filled schiacciata. They are quite different, so understand the filling before ordering.
Lampredotto is a specific kind of offal
FeelFlorence's guide to lampredotto explains the traditional stalls known as trippai. Lampredotto comes from the cow's stomach and is cooked slowly before being sliced into a roll.
Ask which sauces are available and whether you want the bread dipped in the cooking broth, where offered. If offal is not your thing, choose something else. Trying local food should be enjoyable, not a test of how adventurous you can be.
Eat the roll while it is fresh and manageable. Keep napkins handy and avoid unwrapping a saucy sandwich over your travel documents or shopping.
Schiacciata gives you more filling choices
Schiacciata is a Tuscan flatbread that can be filled with cured meat, cheese or other ingredients. Check the combination and portion size before ordering. A large filled bread may be enough to share, if that suits you and the shop permits it.
For a vegetarian option, ask about both the filling and spreads. A vegetable name does not tell you everything in a prepared combination. Choose a simpler filling if that makes the ingredients easier to confirm.
Keep the lunch stop practical
Check the price before adding premium fillings or a drink. A takeaway order may not include a place to sit. Use a suitable public space or the shop's seating where available, follow local signs and keep entrances and steps clear.
Take your litter with you and leave room for residents and other pedestrians. A quieter nearby shop may fit your day better than waiting through the whole lunch hour for a famous name.
For a slower meal on another day, our Bologna pasta guide explains how to choose one satisfying dish without ordering every course.
The Florence guide helps leave enough time for lunch between the galleries and walks.