Santa Maria Novella

The original Santa Maria Novella apothecary (purported to be the oldest pharmacy in the world, founded by Dominican monks in the thirteenth century), is finished with ornate, frescoed ceilings and eighteenth-century furniture. But insanely beautiful interiors aside, you’re here for the products. The shop's shelves are stocked with delicate bottles of the most heavenly scented fragrance, body oils, and soaps that will dress up even the most banal bathroom. It also carries our favorite rose water facial mist and a selection of tinctures and smelling salts (it is an apothecary after all). A recent addition is the pretty tea room out back for an afternoon shopping break.

Despite being a few minutes from Piazza Santa Maria Novella and a stone’s throw from Florence’s most popular hotels, 13 Gobbi feels like a local secret. The chatter that fills the room is mostly Italian, the old wooden chairs and tables, black-and-white photographs on the brick walls, and generally laid-back, rustic air is distinctly Tuscan. The food even more so—grilled steak Florentine served medium rare and room temperature (as it’s meant to be), white beans and spinach, and the most perfect plates of homemade spaghetti al pomodoro. Take a seat in the leafy courtyard and order all of the above plus a caprese salad and a bottle of the vino rosso della casa.

Busy, casual, and no-frills Sostanza is the Florentine equivalent of your reliable neighborhood standby. The food is traditional and tasty, and it hits the spot: simple pastas, tender grilled meats, and house Chianti. The space is tiled and tiny, and the delicious plates of artichoke omelets, reasonably priced steak Florentine, and their famous buttered chicken make Sostanza a definite don't-miss. (If the chocolate-chip meringue with tiny, wild strawberries is on the meny for dessert—order two.) Cash only, no coffee.

The Accademia is famously the home of Michelangelo’s David, long considered by Florentines a symbol of their city’s strength, fighting off nearby foreign aggressors (remember, Italy has only been a unified country since 1871). A relatively new addition to the gallery is the instruments section, full of pieces like violins made by Stradivarius himself and a piano constructed by Bartolomeo Cristofori (the inventor of the piano), commissioned by the Medici family.

The Place townhouse in the heart of Santa Maria Novella (don't miss the 800 year old pharmacy just around the corner) has just undergone a refresh courtesy of Luigi Fragola Architects. The textural interior and intentionally mismatched Richard Ginori tablescapes embody colorful, Florentine flair. With just twenty rooms, the hotel feels more like a Florentine’s plush home than a hotel. In the winter months, drinks are served by the roaring fire in the lobby, but even if you aren’t staying here, come for the hotel’s weekend brunch or Tuesday aperitivo, both famous in the city. Images courtesy of Dario Garofalo.

In the same artisanal league as Loretta Caponi’s silks and linens, Richard Ginori’s dinnerware is fit for dinner with a royal family or at least a dozen aristocrats. The delicately painted Florentine porcelain plates, cups, saucers, and serving dishes are displayed like works of art throughout the space. The business was run by the Ginori family from its inception in 1735 until the early 1920s, and the quality of each piece is still exceptional all these years later.

Harry’s Bar in Venice is most famous for reputedly creating the sublime peach-purée-and-prosecco mashup that is the Bellini. The Florence outpost has the same sense of frivolity as its Venetian counterpart, and taking a seat at the bar and watching the white-jacketed barman whizz up the signature cocktail is a fun way to pass an hour or two. The space is elegant and charmingly old-fashioned with chevron floors and pink tablecloths. If Bellinis aren’t your thing, you can’t go wrong with the expertly made Negroni Sbagliato and the best steak tartare in Florence.