Tips For Authentic Food in Tuscany: Navigating Overtourism and Tradition
Planning a trip to Tuscany, the fabled region of Italy? Discover how to find authentic food on a Tuscany tour and avoid Florence tourist traps. Learning to spot real gelato, authentic wine windows, and traditional Tuscan restaurants will help travelers feel more connected and fulfilled during their journey.
Tuscany is renowned as one of the world’s most celebrated culinary destinations and one of Italy’s most visited regions. The city’s capital, Florence, is seriously struggling with the exorbitant number of tourists who embrace a very superficial approach to travel and rush from site to site.
Finding authentic food in Tuscany, or the best restaurants in Florence for locals, has become increasingly difficult. It requires both a discerning eye and a good understanding of local customs, encouraging travelers to seek genuine experiences and appreciate Tuscan culinary traditions.
The effects of globalization driven by social media trends can affect the livability of an urban center like Florence on many levels. The food displayed across the city, for residents and tourists alike, is increasingly a caricature, while restaurant owners face the challenge of maintaining ethics and integrity in dining.
If you are a curious traveler, we aim to educate you to navigate stereotypes, rediscover seasonality on restaurant menus, and explore Tuscan food traditions.
Florence Overtourism Impact
In a recent article in the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Emiko Davies reports that Mr Frassica, a Florentine restaurant owner, points out that certain iconic foods are exploited and that food becomes a caricature of local culture.
The article also refers to the closure of small shops and restaurants, overwhelmed by chains taking over the city center of Florence.
The questions raised are about the loss of genuine restaurants, those with personality and ethical choices behind the details. Once lost, what remains, in particular for the residents?
How to Avoid Tourist Traps in Florence and the Fast Travel Approach
One of the latest trends in Florence is standing in line for a sandwich that has gone “viral” after some social media influencers post about it, which can influence travelers’ choices and perceptions.
Then off to buy cannoli, a typical Sicilian dessert, not Tuscan! The funny thing is that in Sicily, cannoli are never stuffed in advance, to avoid the shell from getting soaked. And certainly not displayed in a shop window under the sun.
Overtourism tends to bring flocks of visitors who don’t have time or interest to scout what’s local in the streets of Florence. It is, in most cases, related to mass-market tour operators that prioritize other selling points. Fast travel consists of a short city tour with basic information, set to check off the list of famous sites.
Next is a mandatory visit to leather and gold shops recommended by the organizer in exchange for commissions. Lastly, an included meal with a tourist menu or some limited free time to grab something quick to eat.
This shift can dilute the authentic food found on a Tuscany Tour, making it harder for travelers to experience genuine local flavors. Consequently, many restaurants have adapted their menus to satisfy the demand for a limited number of popular dishes.
Tourism is a positive thing that benefits restaurant entrepreneurs, shops, and stores. However, respect for tradition, gathering places, and local activities is also needed, as store and restaurant chains are taking over. Visitors can support local artisans, choose family-run eateries, and avoid tourist traps to preserve Florence’s cultural integrity.
How to Identify Authentic Restaurants in Florence
To find the best restaurants in Florence for locals, one must often step away from the shadows of the Duomo. Exploring the less-visited streets of the Oltrarno neighborhood or visiting the Sant’Ambrogio Market allows travelers to feel more connected and curious about authentic Florentine dining, far from the standardized “tourist menus” of the main drags.
Another way to select restaurants is to plan ahead and research reliable guidebooks such as the Slow Food Guide, the Michelin Guide, Osterie d’Italia, il Gambero Rosso, and more. Additionally, look for places where locals dine, such as small trattorias or markets, and ask locals or staff for recommendations to find authentic experiences beyond guide listings. This approach helps travelers discover genuine local dining spots that may not be widely advertised.
Tuscany is much more than the big popular names such as Siena and San Gimignano. Small-group travel benefits from a curated itinerary that blends iconic and popular must-sees with remote villages hard to reach for people who come on their own. And the best part of small-group travel is the hassle-free experience, where the driver and guide take care of all logistics.
That said, one of the primary tips to find authentic food on a Tuscany tour is to learn how to read a menu before sitting down.
Menu with Fewer Items
An excessive selection of courses is often a warning sign; it is logistically impossible for a kitchen to prepare dozens of fresh, seasonal dishes daily.
It is considered normal and sustainable in a modern kitchen to cook certain dishes one day, then portion them, freeze them, and reheat them when an order comes in.
Even with that operational routine, good Italian restaurants are the ones with fewer items on the menu.
Authentic Food on a Tuscany Tour: Seasonality in Italian Food
While classic Tuscan dishes like the Bistecca alla Fiorentina (a grilled T-bone steak cooked very rare), soups, and fresh pasta, as well as hearty staples like wild boar stew or peposo (peppery beef), are available year-round, fresh vegetables and specific fish dishes should shift with the calendar.
Patience
Patience is a marker of quality! An authentic Italian risotto, for instance, should never take less than twenty minutes to serve, as that is the cooking time of rice. Reliable restaurants with ethical principles prepare it on the spot, preferably next to a big pot of boiling broth made with the vegetable and meat cuts left over from other recipes.
Florence Wine Windows History and DOCG Wine Label
One of the most recent tourist attractions in town is the “wine windows”, small openings in historic palaces used centuries ago to sell wine directly to the public. Recognizing their cultural importance can deepen visitors’ appreciation, especially as an adjacent bar now sells wine by the glass, connecting past and present.
Once exploited by the families who lived in those buildings to make extra cash and sell flasks of their wine to the public, these windows had several advantages. Their small size meant they were not considered regular shops and, therefore, not taxable, highlighting local resourcefulness that can inspire admiration.
While these offer a picturesque “selfie” opportunity, they should not be a substitute for a quality-driven Tuscan wine tasting. A system of appellations guarantees the quality and origin of wines, information that must be displayed by law on the label.
What is a DOCG Wine Label?
While it is understandable that many visitors don’t necessarily care for a wine lecture when buying a glass of wine, the basic rules of serving wine should be checked. Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino, the two most representative Tuscan wines, should have a small DOCG wine label around the neck of the bottle. Asking to check the bottle and read the back label is the customer’s right.
It would be a shame to drink questionable wine in Tuscany, even if it is worth a popular selfie in front of a picturesque wine window.
Learn more about the DOCG wine label’s strict requirements and how the system of wine appellation works in Italy, on our blog about Piedmont’s Nebbiolo Wine Tours.
Tips to Find Authentic Food on a Tuscan Tour: Authentic vs Touristy Gelato
Recognizing that the industrial mix of ingredients available on the wholesale market allows for cheaper gelato production helps explain why many shops opt for this approach, despite its impact on quality.
Real Italian gelato differs from industrial production by using natural ingredients and textures. Unlike artificial flavors and colorants, authentic gelato avoids excessive air and water, resulting in a richer, more genuine experience that appeals to discerning consumers.
The appearance of industrial gelato, with its fanciful shapes and pointed spirals, may seem attractive, but it often masks quality issues like large ice crystals and excessive air, which can mislead consumers seeking genuine quality.
The benefit for the seller is more volume in their product, flavorless ice crystals, and air are sold at the price of gelato. The taste is diluted, and it melts very quickly on the cone.
Mantecazione Gelato Technique
The real Italian gelato, made with the slow stirring process called mantecazione, reflects the craftsmanship and care behind each batch, creating a flavor that’s more concentrated and a creamy texture that feels special.
Our Grand Tour of Tuscany highlights gelato spots that prioritize seasonal ingredients and traditional methods, helping you find authentic flavors and supporting quality craftsmanship.
Since strawberries in Italy aren’t available year-round and pistachios aren’t always bright green, focus on the quality and freshness of ingredients. Good gelato shops keep their product in covered buckets, not on visible piles, ensuring the creamy texture and quality are preserved without superficial displays.
Case-Study: The Traditional Ribollita Recipe History
There are staples, iconic Tuscan recipes that can be found almost everywhere, that carry a lot of history. Sharing this kind of insight is what we do on our small-group tour of Tuscany.
For example, ribollita, a thick vegetable soup, is considered a testament to the ingenuity of the Tuscan peasantry. More than just a vegetable soup, it is a dish born of necessity, resourcefulness, and the strict social hierarchies of medieval Italy, reflecting the resilience and resourcefulness of Tuscan culture.
The name Ribollita literally translates to “re-boiled.” Its origins date back to the Middle Ages, when poor servants of feudal lords collected the scraps left over from their masters’ lavish banquets. To evoke curiosity and respect for tradition, it reflects the ingenuity of those who made a nourishing meal from humble leftovers, connecting readers to Tuscan history.
Crucially, the soup was prepared in a large pot on Fridays (traditionally a lean day of fasting from meat) and then “re-boiled” with layers of stale bread and a drizzle of olive oil over the following days. Each subsequent boiling made the soup thicker, creamier, and more flavorful.
When looking for the best restaurant in Florence, looking for authentic food on a Tuscany Tour like ribollita, make sure to check the restaurant’s philosophy, ethic, and interest in promoting authentic cuisine. Most good restaurants tell the public where the ingredients are coming from, from locally-sourced ingredients, farmhouses located in the surroundings.
In the case of ribollita, ingredients are cavolo nero, a type of kale with dark green leaves, traditionally picked after the first frost, which softens the leaves and sweetens the flavor. Cannellini beans and the typical Tuscan bread, which doesn’t contain salt, are also essential components, reflecting regional agricultural practices and culinary traditions.
