6 Dining Experiences in Florence to Build a Day Around

1.Tuscan Cooking Class and Dinner in Florence

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 732 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $83Our pick

Meet in central Florence at 4:45 pm, cross the Arno to a professional cooking school, and prepare four Italian courses with a chef and assistant. You may make pasta, gnocchi, chicken, risotto, or dessert, then eat together with wine and take home the recipes.

“Truly was a must to do while in Florence. Our 2 daughters throughly enjoyed learning how to make an authentic 3 course Italian dinner. Our chef was warm and made us feel like we were cooking in our own kitchen. Would highly recommend & would book again if we are able to return.”

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2.Heart of Florence: Dinner and Three Tenors Concert Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 400 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $88

Start with a fixed three-course Tuscan dinner near Piazza della Signoria, then walk to Cattedrale dell’Immagine for an intimate concert by three professional tenors, with opera arias, Neapolitan songs, piano, and sometimes mandolin, double bass, and ballet dancers.

“Loved the performance but I felt the food was unimaginative and not that special for the cost of the ticket. Only water on set menu, any glass of wine, small bottle of beer or coffee was extra.”

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3.Chianti Delights: A Tale Of Two Wineries With A Vineyard Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 324 reviews · 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $106

From Florence, ride to Siena for free time in Piazza del Campo, then visit Chianti wineries for tastings, olive oil, and a four-course Tuscan dinner. Guides such as Ana, Lisa, and Frederick have earned warm praise, but expect limited guided sightseeing and possible indoor dining.

“Stop in Siena was lovely however arrived at winery too late in pitch dark unable to see surrounding views, castle etc. Dinner is not really a 4 course made out to be in the brochure with cheese & meats to start, a basic Lasagna followed by sliced pork and potatoes. No vegetables or salad ( even on a share basis would be ok) Dessert was really disappointing....Biscotti biscuit only. Not really value for money unfortunately.”

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4.Dinner and Concert with “Three Tenors”: A Real Italian Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 265 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $104

Begin at 6:30 pm with a three-course Tuscan meal near Piazza della Signoria, then walk to Santo Stefano al Ponte for opera arias, Neapolitan songs, musicians, and occasional dancers. You receive concert seating by section, but you must manage the short transfer yourself.

“It was hard to find the location because I didn’t know to click more on the directions and so ended up at a few wrong places, but eventually found it. Dinner was good and the show was excellent.”

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5.Pizza Dinner and Opera Arias Concert

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 238 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $98

Begin with pizza, dessert, and drinks at a cozy Oltrarno restaurant, then walk a few minutes to Santa Monaca Church for live arias by Verdi, Puccini, Rossini, and others. There is no guide, so you make your own way between the two nearby venues.

“Good dinner at a nice restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating. Calzone was superb. Both the restaurant and the concert were easy to find with Google maps. It is located in a less touristy part of Florence. We had very quiet and peaceful outdoor seating at the restaurant and, although I suspect we got a discounted dinner with the combined package, the restaurant staff treated us as valued customers and the choices of food and wine were extensive and very filling. Not being opera aficionados, we didn’t know what to expect of the concert but it turned out to be quite entertaining even though we couldn’t understand a word…”

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6.Armenian Food Experience in Ararat Restaurant

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 1 day · from $67Best value

At Ararat Restaurant in Florence, choose an appetizer, first plate, and main from Armenian and Georgian specialties, then enjoy lavash and a glass of Armenian wine. Expect a modern, cozy setting, possible live music, and hosts who speak Italian, Russian, English, and Armenian.

“I had a wonderful time at Ararat restaurant! The food was really great, and the spit roasted pork was especially outstanding—absolutely out of this world!”

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