February 2, 2023

Food

The best pastry shops in Florence

Perfect addresses for those with a sweet tooth

An article that will appeal especially to the sweet tooth. Today we take you around the best pastry shops in the city where you can buy the most typical sweet specialties. For those who, however, do not want to give up breakfast at the bar, don't miss our guide to the tastiest breakfasts downtown.

Galleria Iginio Massari Firenze
Via de' Vecchietti, 3
ph: 055 802 5253

After Brescia, Milan, Turin and Verona, the king of Italian pastry chefs famous for a legendary panettone, has arrived in Florence, flanked by his children Nicola and Debora. It is on the ground floor of the charming hotel Helvetia & Bristol Firenze, right in the city center, and is striking for the size of the laboratory, almost bigger than the pastry shop itself. In the pastry shop, you can find all of the pastries, but next to the already consolidated production, there are also many new products, including, of course, the typical Florentine specialties such as zuccotto. The line might discourage you, but don't give up, it's worth it!

Paszkowski Caffè Concerto
Piazza della Repubblica, 6r
ph. +39 055 210236

Originally a beer factory and later a literary café where intellectuals of the 19th century would meet, Paszkowski has preserved all its style and charm over the years. Declared a “National Monument” in 1991, Caffè Paszkowski is one of the symbols of civic tradition. The pastry selection as well as the café are of the highest quality; worth trying are the Paszkowski cake, the leavened products and the tarts. In the summer guests can enjoy delicious gelato in the outdoor seating area that looks out onto Piazza della Repubblica.

Caffè Rainer
Via San Zanobi, 97/r
ph. +39 055 5276634

In the heart of the historical centre, a sweet corner of delights with the scent of Austria. To open Caffè Rainer in 2011 was the idea of Rudolf Rainer, master pastry chef from Innsbruck. In the mornings you can find 14 types of naturally leavened croissants, savory baked goods with Austrian products, and fresh salads. Caffè Ranier also offers a vast selection of cakes; try the Sacher, Strudel, the “torta Cardinale” with coffee, the “Stollen” (fruit cake), as well as beautiful, artisanal French Macaroons.

Caffè Gilli
Via Roma 1/r
ph. +39 055 213896

Over 250 years of history back this lounge bar which has been successfully passing on the style and tradition of pastry-making since 1733. A pastry shop where the furnishings and lighting take us back to a long-ago time and place. A lovely outdoor area looks out onto Piazza della Repubblica in the summer, while the main indoor space offers an intimate and refined atmosphere. The café and pastry offerings are excellent, as well as the selection of chocolate candies. Once a meeting place for artists and writers, Caffè Gilli is today a cultural benchmark of the city.

Dolci & Dolcezze
Piazza Cesare Beccaria 8r
ph. +39 055 2345458

It can be defined as a real cake boutique. Its owner is a self-taught woman who uses only high-quality ingredients like the Corman butter from Belgium or the Valhrona chocolate, but also seasonal fruit of the highest quality, bought at the Mercato Centrale, and wild fruits from the Pistoia mountains. Among its specialities is the chocolate cake, the wild fruits crostata (pie) and, if you want to enjoy an unforgettable breakfast, the filled croissants –with cream, chocolate, fresh raspberries or stewed oranges. During festivities (or on request) you can even find the Marchesa, a very choreographic cake realized by using four different ways of processing chocolate.

I dolci di Massimo
Piazza Gualfredotto 14/r
ph. + 39 055 6581578

Following an old family cooking tradition, I dolci di Massimo has been selling fine pastry products since 1994, in the Gavinana district of Florence. There you can find Sacher cakes, meringata cakes (literally “meringued”, with meringue in it), profiterole (choux pastry), semolina desserts, millefoglie (layered cake with pastry cream), and then mignon pastries, cakes for special events, semifreddi (partially-cooked dessert cakes), chocolates, biscuits, torrone (Italian nougat), marron glacés, pandoro and panettone (Typical Italian holiday sweet breads- at Christmas). Massimo has inherited the art of pastry-cooking from his father, and still preserves the wish of amaze his customers with his work. The shop offers a special wine list, too. As well as good savory breakfast product and croissants.

Mama’s Bakery
Via della Chiesa, 34r
ph. +39 055 219214

In the heart of the Oltrarno quarter (literally: beyond the Arno) there's this delicious bakery, resulted by an ispirative idea of Matt Reinecke and his wife, who wanted to give life to a cosy and friendly place where people could taste in a relaxing environment products of the American tradition, prepared with selected ingredients of the highest quality. Bagels, baguettes, quiches and savoury pies or sweet breakfasts with cakes, muffins, cupcakes and biscuits that are typical of the United States, accompanied by a wonderful American coffee.

Marcello
Viale Europa, 169
ph. +39 055 6531510

Outside the city centre a place for people who love good quality pastries taken with a special coffee or a cup of tea. Each pastry product of the pasticceria Marcello is made by hand in the laboratory at the back of the shop, produced with natural ingredients only, which do not include margarine. Here you can find wonderful pastries or handmade savory breakfast choices, cakes or mignon desserts. The best products? The semolina chocolate cake and the fruit tart, two of the most famous an classic not-to-be-missed pastry products.

Pasticceria Gualtieri
Via Senese 18r
ph. +39 055 221771

Opened in 1933 by Alfredo Gualtieri and Lina Cennini, whose family counts many famous Florentine pastry-cooks, this historical cake and pastry shop is famous today for its wide choice of cakes, like the torta tirolese (Italian version of Austrian SacherTorte), the semolina cake and the Meringo semifreddo (an Italian partially cooked dessert). Just an example: the Iris Cake, whose very secret recipe, handed down for generations, does not require any flour. Don’t miss its creamy cappuccinos. You can even stop there for a happy hour, every day from 6 pm to 8 pm.

Pasticceria Giorgio
Via Duccio da Buoninsegna, 36
ph. +39 055 710849

Among the pastry shops, Giorgio is by far one of the best as regards savouries. lt is therefore worth leaving the centre of the town (the shop is in the Soffiano area) to try sandwiches, such as the one with roasted meat of suckling pig, with salad and balsamic vinegar or the one with Colonnata lard, onions from Tropea and alici. When it comes to sweets its schiacciata alla fiorentina, soft and stuffed with whipped cream has no equal, just like the cream puffs or the millefeuille pastry. On Sundays, you will have to stand in a queue, so be patient.

Pasticceria Nencioni
Via Pietrapiana 24r
ph. +39 055 241012

Historical florentine shop, opened in 1950 by Maria Luisa Falai and her husband Vinicio Nencioni. A coffe and cake shop born as a headquarter’s shop, which started as a bakery with homemade products like bread, cakes and fresh past, and has become specialized in pastry-making. Must-have products are: the SacherTorte and the Millefoglie (with pastry cream inside), the mignon pastries and the mini puff pastry savouries assortment. If you happen to be there at 4 pm, we suggest you take a budino di riso (a pastry made with rice) or a sfogliatina (sweet puff pastries): they will be fresh from the oven!

Pasticceria Querci
Piazza Viesseux 2/r
ph. +39 055 490513

The most delicious croissants in Florence! Whole, berry or chocolate mignons. You must try them in the morning with a steaming cappuccino and everything passes! Also noteworthy are its puff pastries (the chocolate fagotto cake, for instance) and cream puffs in different flavours. The lovers of savouries must try the butter sandwich with ham and cheese accompanied with fresh spuma bionda (strange but effective Tuscan combination). The bakery, situated in the Statuto area is worth moving from the centre.

Pasticceria Stefania
Via Guglielmo Marconi, 26
ph. +39 055 583040

Elegant pastry shop near Ponte al Pino, Campo di Marte. Recommended for breakfast: cremini, (puff pastry turnovers filled with cream), which they churn out all the time - always hot - and cappuccino. On the counter, puff pastry cannoncini with whipped cream or chocolate, berries and cream “fruttini”, miniature reproductions of the famous Stefania’s semolina cake (short crust pastry, semolina cream and a coating of chocolate). Do you want to go for the savoury? Try the mini pizzas and butter sandwiches with Prague ham.

Rivoire
Piazza della Signoria, 5
ph. +39 055 214412

It was Enrico Rivoire, chocolate maker of the royal family of the Savoia, when Florence was the capital of Italy in 1872, who opened at the sides of Piazza della Signoria a little café, in order to produce and offer to Florentine customers sublime chocolate, resulted from an old and secret recipe. Today Rivoire, after 140 years of activity, is one of the oldest cafes in Florence, where time seems to stop forever. Among its artisan products, don’t miss the cremini and gianduiotti (hazelnut chocolates), as well as the wonderful chocolate spread.

Robiglio
Via dei Servi, 112r - ph +39 055 214501
Via dei Medici - ph. 055 215013
Viale S. Lavagnini, 18r - ph. +39 055 490886

Robiglio pastry shop was created in 1928 by the willness of a young pastry-cook who came to Florence from Turin and fell in love with this city at first sight. He brought here in Florence the techniques in confectionery and in chocolate decoration and manufacturing that belonged to the tradition of the Piedmont region. Since 2012 the Pasticceria Robiglio “Via dei Servi” - the only shop under the brand Robiglio which still has a manufacturing pastry laboratory - has been succesfully redescovering historic products of the brand Robiglio like the Torta Campagnola (country rice cake), the Fruttodoro (a sort of plum cake with fruit candies and chocolate) and the Gallettine al Latte (typical milk biscuits).

Scudieri
Piazza di San Giovanni, 19
ph. +39 055 210733

Since 1939, Scudieri in Florence is an integral part of Piazza Duomo. The location is perfect: the corner of via dei Cerretani, opposite the Baptistery of San Giovanni and the nineteenth-century facade of Santa Maria del Fiore. The outdoor area overlooks one of the most beautiful views of the city. The pastries are the strong point. Produced in house and served always fresh from the oven: the variety, thanks to the continuous production, is very large, even for those who wake up late.

Sugar & Spice
Borgo la Croce, 15r (off map) - ph. +39 055 499503
Via dei Servi, 43r (map G2) - ph. +39 055 290263

Masha Innocenti, from New York, opened her first cake shop in 1993, dedicating it to American cakes, and giving it a unique touch, as far as tastes and cake design are concerned. In 2002 she opened, with her daughter Saskia, her second cake shop in the very heart of Florence and just a few step from the Dome - something really unique in its genre. Together, they have become a reference point in Florence thanks to their creativity and the passion and originality they put in the artisan manufacturing of really special products, thus offering us the best of the American tradition.

Caffè Lietta
Piazza della Libertà, 6/7/8r
ph: 055 269 6874

Named after the artist Lietta Cavalli, sister of the stylist Roberto and an icon of the experimental fashion of the seventies and eighties, in the spaces of the former Robiglio in Piazza della Libertà we find Caffè Lietta. You should try the grandmother's cake or the "pirulo", a particular pudding with short pastry filled with ricotta cheese, available in different variations depending on the season.

Caffè Pasticceria Serafini
Via Vincenzo Gioberti, 168/r
ph. +39 055 2476214

The history of Serafini's pastry shop began back in 1928, when inside the premises of the address 168 rosso, there was a beautiful wood-fired oven that produced, in addition to the best bakery of the time, also a very fine and appreciated pastry. The Master Pastry Chef at that time was Nello Campanelli who baked over 400 Schiacciate alla Fiorentina per day. Today the pastry shop has maintained its great quality, and combines the best of its pastry production with the increasingly popular and varied breakfast offerings. Pastries filled with cream, rice cream, but also apricot jam, blackberry, citrus cream, a wide range of rice pudding filled with jams and chocolate. Very famous the puffs with pistachio, hazelnut, chocolate, chantilly and zabaglione.