Where to Eat in Florence for Romantic Dinners and Celebrations

The sumptuous, crescendo-style tasting menu at the city’s only Three-MICHELIN-Star restaurant, delivers each dish with bold, pure flavors and impeccable, ballet-like service — making every moment feel like a grand celebration. With Chef Riccardo Monco at the helm in the kitchen and sommelier Giorgio Pinchiorri’s world-renowned wine list, it’s the ultimate setting for an unforgettable milestone birthday.

Housed in the elegant Hotel Lungarno on the city’s left bank, this restaurant showcases Chef Claudio Mengoni’s seasonally driven, artfully plated dishes — each a celebration of Italy’s finest ingredients. With Salvatore Biscotti curating a stellar wine list of over a thousand labels and a handful of romantic Arno-view tables, it’s the perfect spot for an intimate, milestone birthday.

Set amid the neo-classical elegance of Palazzo della Gherardesca’s gardens, Il Palagio offers a refined gourmet experience where Chef Paolo Lavezzini’s Italian-roots-meets-Brazilian-soul cuisine delights palates. With bespoke tasting menus, including a dedicated vegetarian option, and an enchanting garden setting, it’s the ideal venue for celebrating a special birthday under the stars.

Steeped in history, the Torre della Pagliazza’s intimate dining room — once a Byzantine tower and a 12th-century women’s prison — now showcases Chef Rocco De Santis’ imaginative, seafood-focused Mediterranean cuisine rooted in his Campania heritage. With a concise three-course Carte Blanche lunch (or bespoke dinner) and only a handful of tables, it’s the perfect setting for an exclusive anniversary celebration.

Chefs Karime López and Takahiko Kondo helm this vibrant modern osteria, imbued with Three-Star Chef Massimo Bottura’s theatrical flair. They offer globally inspired à la carte dishes alongside two elegant tasting menus (I Nostri Souvenirs and Le Nostre Nuove Memorie), plus the exclusive lunch Breve Viaggio in Osteria. Cap your anniversary celebration with a post-lunch stroll through the Gucci Garden Museum upstairs — open until 7 p.m. daily — for a perfect blend of culinary artistry and couture.

Locale’s dramatic blend of Renaissance pillars, vertical gardens, and molecular mixology creates an immersive evening where every avant-garde cocktail feels like a work of art. Pair their inventive small plates during aperitivo or a full contemporary meal for an unforgettable date night that’s anything but ordinary.

Chef Xin Ge Liu’s Gusto Xinge transforms Chinese cuisine into a fashion-forward fine-dining experience. Its brick-red and cobalt-blue dining room provides a chic, intimate backdrop for inventive dishes that marry Cantonese tradition with haute -couture flair. With meticulously composed flavors and a curated cocktail bar, it’s the perfect spot to spark conversation and celebrate a date night that’s anything but ordinary.

The cozy, retro-chic interior of Podere 39 lies delightfully inside a Porta Romana flower shop with blooms overhead and vintage weighing machines on the walls, creating an intimate, whimsical date-night setting. With its seafood-focused homemade pastas and a thoughtfully curated wine list (as well as a standout selection of artisan beers) you’ll have to remind yourself to leave room for dessert. It remains an ideal secret spot outside of the historical center for a memorable evening together.

Hidden away behind the cathedral in the historic Corte degli Imperatori, Palazzo Portinari’s frescoed dining room — with its gentle fountain murmur — provides an enchanting backdrop for Chef Vito Mollica’s inventive seafood creations (think linguine with local clams and Oscietra Royal caviar) and artisanal breads. Impeccable service, a curated Tuscan/–Umbrian olive -oil selection, and artful flavor pairings make it the perfect setting to wow your out-of-town guests.

Steps from the stroll up to Piazzale Michelangelo, this charming Lungarno restaurant — with its vaulted brick ceilings, elegant decor, and lush greenery — offers out-of-towners an authentic taste of Tuscany grounded in the principles of biodiversity and regenerative agriculture under Chef Ariel Hagen. Pair your meal with exceptional wines by the glass or bottle, then unwind in the Saporium Lounge where tapas, curated cocktails, and local vintages await.

Il Santo Bevitore’s grand vaulted coach house — dressed in elegant-rustic timber paneling and candlelit tables — showcases a menu that delights the senses and appeals to a variety of palates. We personally love their nduja and ricotta riccioli pasta starter. With a thoughtfully curated regional wine list and a welcoming, knowledgeable staff, it’s the perfect spot to immerse out-of-town guests in Florence’s modern culinary spirit.

Just outside the city center in Peretola, Trattoria Da Burde’s century-old, family-run charm — with antique paneling and a bar lined with local wines hand-picked by sommelier Andrea Gori — offers visitors and a loyal local clientele an authentic Florentine feast. Pair classic dishes like ribollita, bistecca alla fiorentina and seasonal soups with a legendary dessert table and warm, convivial service, and it’s the perfect stop to immerse out-of-town guests of all ages in true Tuscan tradition. It’s only open for lunch, except on Fridays when you can grab a coveted dinner spot.

round the corner from the buzzing Sant’Ambrogio market, Trattoria Cibrèo offers families an authentic taste of Tuscany — robust classics like tripe salad, rich chicken liver pâté, and legendary flourless chocolate cake — without the hefty price tag of its sister restaurant next door. Its bright, convivial trattoria setting and first- come, first- served service make it an unmissable spot to immerse guests in Florence’s true culinary heart.

L’Ortone marries time-honored family recipes with seasonal, homemade pastas and breads in a warm, two-floor trattoria where every dish — from Tuscan favorite coccoli with stracchino cheese and Bagatto San Daniele prosciutto to their signature porchetta guinea-fowl — will delight your taste buds. With a pride-worthy wine cellar, a sunny summer veranda, and genuine Florentine hospitality from a close-knit team, it’s the perfect welcome for guests of all ages and groups of all sizes.

With just nine tables and attentive, personalized service — complete with a window-seat view hand-selected to entertain — you’ll feel perfectly pampered dining solo at Degusteria Italiana. Indulge in inventive tasting-menu highlights like white truffle-topped egg and liquid-center ravioli, then linger over a coffee in their elegant, over-the-top decor for a truly unforgettable lone lunch.

Zeb’s sleek, counter-seating setting — run by mother-and-son duo Giuseppina and Alberto Navari — serves up daily market-fresh Tuscan classics like pappardelle with ragu and their signature roasted rabbit. With just a handful of seats in a contemporary, home-kitchen atmosphere and an intimate vibe, it’s the perfect spot for a solo lunch or dinner before or after a sunset stroll to Piazzale Michelangelo.