Christmas sweets in Florence's best pastry shops

Historic bars and cafés where a gourmet stop during the festive season is a must

After our tour to the best pastry shops in Florence to taste the best cappuccinos and cakes in town, let's discover together the pastry shops where to make a little stop to taste their Christmas specialties!

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

Impossible not to taste the famous Chocolate Cake of "Dolci e Dolcezze"! Born from the old recipe of a great-grandmother, made with pure Varhona Chocolate, Corman butter and eggs strictly of the day! Perfect with a good coffee or cappuccino. During the holidays a cult is the low chocolate cake in the shape of a tree or star, and the Bavarian orange and lemon. A delight for young and old people and an unmissable gourmet stop at any time of day.

Dolci e Dolcezze

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

Once a meeting place for artists and men of letters, caffè Gilli represents an important city landmark. During the holidays it transforms its shop windows into real works of art. Not to be missed are the famous snowmen made of artisan chocolate and the line of top quality panettone cakes, made with excellent ingredients and sourdough, also in an almond version.

Caffè Gilli

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

Paszkowski has retained all its charm and style over time. Famous for its pistachio, hazelnut, chocolate, chantilly and zabaglione cream puffs, during the holidays they add cantucci, ricciarelli, nougat and cavallucci. For an artisanal Christmas, tasty and devoted to the tradition.

Paszkowski Caffè Concerto

Galleria Iginio Massari Firenze
Via de' Vecchietti, 3
ph. +39 055 8025253

On the ground floor of the charming Helvetia & Bristol Firenze hotel we find the creations of the famous king of Italian pastry chefs. In the pastry shop you can find all his workhorses (including the Maritozzo and the Setteveli), but alongside the already consolidated production there are also many new products including, of course, typical Florentine specialities such as the zuccotto and many Christmas boxes that are also perfect for giving as gifts.

Colazione Iginio Massari

Marcello
Viale Europa, 169
ph. +39 055 6531510

From the excellent breakfast pastries, to the handcrafted savory pieces, to the cakes and mono-portions, Marcello's pastry shop puts all its professionalism acquired over the years into play. The cult of Christmas is the Pistachio Panettone: frosted on top with cream and pistachio granules and more pistachio cream for the inner filling. 

Marcello

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

Famous for its rich proposal of cakes, one of all, the Iris Cake: a very secret recipe, handed down from generation to generation, which does not require the use of flour. During the holiday season, alongside its workhorse, it offers handcrafted Panettone and Pandoro filled with Chantilly Cream, Monte Bianco, Tronchetto and Casina.

Pasticceria Gualtieri 

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

Opened in 1950 by Maria Luisa Falai and Vinicio Nencioni, Pasticceria Nencioni Falai has become a reference point in the city, especially for gourmands. In addition to the great classics, including the Sacher, at Christmas they offer Mont Blanc, Chestnut flour tart, chocolate ganache and marron glacés, and Fedora cake. Don't miss the panettone cakes proposed in three different versions, with the flavour of panforte, hazelnuts and chocolate, raisins and orange paste. 

Pasticceria Nencioni

TortaPistocchi®
Via del Ponte di Mezzo, 20
ph. +39 055 364034

The unmistakable Pistocchi cake, the first Dark Chocolate Cake, created by Claudio Pistocchi, who worked as an Executive Chef. A large, soft and creamy chocolate, produced by hand, without the addition of sugar and without using eggs, butter or flour. Just extra dark chocolate, bitter cocoa powder, and a little tin cream. Among these are the variants with hot pepper, citrus fruits from Sicily, pear, coffee, strawberry, grape and rum, white chocolate and cognac. In addition, ricciarelli are handcrafted.

Torta Pistocchi

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

An unmistakable name among the pastry shops of Florence. Its shop window never goes unnoticed and during the festive season it hosts cantucci, bottles of vin santo, cakes, cassate, panettone and pandori that delight the eyes of young and old people inviting them to taste the best artisan production of sweets and pastries. 

Caffè Scudieri Firenze

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

Masha Innocenti, originally from New York, has brought the best American tradition to Florence. For Christmas her cake design cakes feature many Christmas objects made of sugar paste. Try the Fudgecake for chocolate lovers, and the Carrot Cake with a carrot and cinnamon base.

Pasticceria Sugar and Spice

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

A corner of delights that smells of Austria and is reminiscent of the traditional Café Rainer in Innsbruck. Not to be missed during the festive season is the Christmas Stollen, a leavened loaf made in the shape of bread with candied orange and lemon, almonds, raisins, and spices including cinnamon, ginger, coriander, cloves, and nutmeg.

Caffè Rainer

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

Famous for its grandmother's cake but above all for the "pirulo", a tasty pudding with short pastry filled with ricotta cheese and available in different variations depending on the season, Caffè Lietta, run by pastry chef Giuseppe Schiaratura, offers for the holidays, in addition to the classic panettone, the brand new Il Nero (cocoa panettone with dark chocolate touches), Aspettando il Natale (a leavened panettone-like cake, glazed, with chocolate touches and orange peel) and finally the Christmas Piruli in ginger, cinnamon, mascarpone and panforte flavors.

Caffè Lietta