For more information and to book please visit www.mrandmrssmith.com or let us arrange your whole trip, by calling +44 (0)20 8987 4312 or from the USA dial 1 866 610 3867.
A love affair between culture, commerce and good living, Florence has long been celebrated as the most aesthetically pleasing city in all Italy, if not the world. And between the fairytale squares, centuries-old churches and sprawling palaces run streets alive with sociability, style and irresistible shopping.
Go for a jog in Cascine Park. Browse the antiques market in Piazza dei Ciompi. Have lunch in a trattoria in Mercato Centrale. Rent a vintage car and explore the hills (www.bellinitravel.com).
Our round-up of the hippest hideaways and romantic boutique hotels in Florence
With its sleek minimalist design, the Continentale in Florence is the very antithesis of Room With a View-style hotels, and it’s a hit with lovers of a contemporary vibe.
Modern lines and a minimalist-inclined decor contrast with the flagstone streets and centuries-old architecture on the doorstep of the Gallery Hotel Art in Florence.
Florence's Hotel Savoy is elegantly styled by Olga Polizzi in her trademark neutrals and is also super-central, with the Ponte Vecchio, the Uffizi and the Duomo all within easy reach.
In JK Place in the heart of Florence, painted ceilings, panelled walls, antique fireplaces and extremely well-edited modern pieces sit comfortably alongside every audiovisual requirement.
A brief meander from the arty heart of Florence, Riva Lofts is an architect-owned boutique bed and breakfast is smart and modern in design, yet reassuringly unpretentious in attitude.
Planes, trains, automobiles, or maybe even helicopter – we tell you the best way to go.
Florence hosts five major international fashion events yearly. May–June Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, at the Teatro Comunale, is one of Europe’s oldest music fests (www.maggiofiorentino.com). 11–24 June The Festival of San Giovanni; highlights include the regatta, near Ponte Vecchio, and fireworks in Piazzale Michelangelo. 7 September Rificolona festival, when children carry lanterns in a grand procession, and there are street performances and parties.
Overlooking Michelangelo’s statue of David in Piazza della Signoria since 1872, this café is a Florentine institution and is the perfect place for people-watching, cappuccino in hand.
Piazza della Signoria, angolo Via Vacchereccia
Wonderful café by day; truffle-toting restaurant and cocktail bar by night. Kick off with truffle bruschetta, move on to ravioli stuffed with cream cheese and truffles, and finish up with chocolate truffles. Mmm.
9 Piazza Pitti, Florence
The Roberto Cavalli-owned café, linked to his shop on Via della Spada, is a busy, fashiony place for breakfast, lunch, coffee and post-shopping cocktails.
10 Via della Spada, Florence
Great location on the corner of Piazza Santa Croce. Though British-owned, this restaurant's informal atmosphere, fresh salads, wood-oven pizzas and home-made desserts are 100 per cent Italian. Try the Ribollita – a Florentine delicacy that's much tastier than its main ingredient (cow's stomach) sounds.
22 Via San Giuseppe (Piazza Santa Croce), Florence
For delicious Italian ice-creams, head to this excellent gelateria, located behind the Palazzo Vecchio. It's open till midnight, so you could even pop in for dessert on your after-dinner stroll. Flavours change according to what's in season; they even make soy ice-cream.
20–22 Via dei Neri, 50122 Florence, Tuscany
This ancient cellar restaurant close to Santa Croce is ideal for dinner à deux; head there for their great value two-course lunch, or book private dining for two for a little extra romance (as if Florence wasn't romantic enough). The menu features typical Tuscan dishes, cooked with flair (www.cantinabarbagianni.it).
13 Via Sant’Egidio, Florence, Tuscany
This may be the most famous trattoria in all Italy; it’s formal and glamorous.
Via de’ Macci
This traditional trattoria on Via Panicale is a quaint setting for lunch or an informal but unforgettable dinner.
Via Panicale, 43/r
This Michelin-starred restaurant is set in a Renaissance palace, where Giorgio Pinchiorri himself helps you choose from his 150,000-bottle cellar; a jacket and tie are required.
Via Ghibellina, 87
A delicatessen and restaurant on Via Santo Spirito that is well worth a visit.
Via Santo Spirito, 4
This place can be hit or miss – but get there on a good night (ie: not full to the gills with tourists) and it’s great fun. The kitchen decides what you’ll be eating – you just name the colour of wine you prefer, and whether you want fish or meat.
Via Palchetti
At the Hotel Lungarno, between the Ponte Vecchio and Ponte Santa Trinita, this restaurant cooks up several fish dishes from the Adriatic coast. The location is superb right on the river. A huge arched window offers views of the Arno and there are four tables on the terrace overlooking the Ponte Vecchio.
Borgo San Jacopo 14
Located near the Duomo,this restaurant is a charming and intimate place; its salads and pastas are popular with ladies who lunch.
Via delle Oche
For a family-run treat, try a place that serves succulent Florentine steaks in its enclosed garden.
Via del Leone
It's well worth checking in to here to sample the delights of this fantastic hotel restaurant. About half an hour from Florence, Villa Bordoni draws visitors for its accomplished Tuscan cuisine, cookery lessons and 11th-century wine cellar. Mr & Mrs Smith members who book a room online will get a complimentary bottle of Chianti Classico and a tasting platter of wild-boar salami when they show their Smith card, too.
31–32 Via San Cresci, Loc Mezzuola, I-50022 Greve in Chianti, Tuscany
This charming place is perfect for pre-dinner mojitos.
Lungarno Corsini,12/14r
A sister to JK Place – one of Mr & Mrs Smith's favourite Florence boutique hotels – this lounge bar and restaurant is as chic and sexy as the hotel, with white leather armchairs and framed architectural drawings. Go for brunch or Modern Italian dining; or take cocktails on the clubby terrace bar and nibble on the excellent 'gastro tapas' menu from 6.30–11pm (www.thelounge.it).
9–10 Piazza Santa Maria Novella, 50123 Florence
Frescoes adorn the domed ceiling of this medieval building, now a restaurant and bar; white muslin drapes, mood lighting and modern furniture give it 21st-century appeal. Early on, tourists slurp fruity cocktails and pick at bar snacks; Florence’s hipsters appear later.
29–31 Via del Proconsolo, Florence, Tuscany
If you have to dance and want no more than a good ol’ fashioned discotheque, try this fantastically over-the-top night club. Imagine where Derek Zoolander would go if he was in Florence. Good fun (www.yab.it).
5 Via Sassetti, Florence,
Moroccan-tinged wine bar and café with a great lunch menu and a good selection of Italian wines, including an extensive list of Super Tuscans.
18 Via San Giuseppe (Piazza Santa Croce), Florence
©2009 Mr & Mrs Smith
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