Boutique hotel Ottantotto is on the left bank of the Arno, in one of Florence’s coolest quarters, Oltrarno, which is packed full of artists’ studios, boutique shops and trendy bars, just a 10-minute stroll to the city’s Renaissance smash-hits.
Planes
Florence’s Peretola Airport is around 25 minutes away by car. The hotel can arrange transfers (with minimum three days notice) for two people at €80 each way.
Trains
Santa Maria Novella train station is a 15- to 20-minute walk away, or 10 minutes by car. From here, high-speed rail services connect Florence with other dolce vita destinations like Milan, Rome and Naples. One-way transfers to the hotel cost €70.
Automobiles
Florence’s scenic centro storico is very walkable, so wheels aren’t a necessity. If you plan on exploring Tuscany’s green belt, however, guests of the hotel can park up at Parcheggio Porta Romana (800 metres away) for free.
Worth getting out of bed for
Guests of Ottantotto Firenze are perfectly placed for ambling around Oltrarno, Florence’s coolest neighbourhood, where the crowds thin out but the artisanal boutiques, trendy restaurants and picturesque people-watching spots are plentiful. It’s quite a hike up to Piazzale Michelangelo, which is perched atop a steep hill, but panoramas of the Renaissance city down below are more than worth it. Reward yourself with a glass of Chianti in the small bar tucked away in the square’s northwest corner, before making your way back down to marvel at Brunelleschi’s masterpiece Santo Spirito, an ornate church dating back to 1481 with a crucifix by Michelangelo and frescoes by Filippino Lippi. There’s an antiques market in the church’s namesake piazza on the second Sunday of every month. North of the river you’ll find some of Florence’s more recognisable landmarks like the 13,000 square-metre home of Renaissance art, the Uffizi, which houses masterworks by the likes of Botticelli, Caravaggio, Titian and Giotto. Skip the lengthy queue by reserving tickets in advance. See Michelangelo's David in all his glory at the Galleria dell’Accademia, pop into the Mercato Centrale for your fill of Tuscany’s finest edible bounty or get snapped outside Basilica of Santa Croce’s green-and-white façade.
Local restaurants
Those seeking an old-fashioned slice of la dolce vita should track down Trattoria del Carmine in Piazza della Chiesa del Carmine, a classic eatery where you’ll dine alongside frescoes by Masaccio to a historical menu that's stayed the same for decades. Il Santo Bevitore is as creative as eateries come with dishes like egg yolk tartare, all the while spotlighting seasonal produce and traditionally Tuscan recipes like black-cabbage flan with cannellini beans, and sausage or wild duck with Jerusalem artichokes and grapes. At Michelin-starred Borgo San Jacopo, it’s not just the food which is a feast for the eyes: Ponte Vecchio views will keep you entertained between artfully arranged courses.
Local cafés
The coffee is bitter and the ice-cream is full of flavour, the grapefruit is sour and the melon is fresh, and there’s the nuttiest pistachio around at Gelateria della Passera. Or, a 10minute walk away, just south of Porta Romana, Pasticceria Gualtieri is a beloved-by-locals brunch spot serving god-tier ‘bongos’, Firenze’s creamy, chocolate-slathered answer to the humble profiterole.
Local bars
Set in a former convent, Il Conventino now functions as up-styled artists’ studios, with a café and bar, perfect for a spritz among the cloisters. La Terrazza, a rooftop bar perched atop of the mediaeval Consorti tower is the place to be for sundowners with a view of the Arno. Oenophiles should make a beeline for Enoteca Bellini, a female-run wine bar a stone’s throw from Palazzo Strozzi with a cellar-strong collection of contemporary and classic wines that span the breadth of the boot. Or, dial up the romance at Serre Torrigiani in the heart of the city, hidden within the walls of Europe's largest historic urban garden. Here, you'll find a lengthy wine list and elegant cocktails including the likes of the ‘Pesca’, made with whiskey, Bitter del Ciclista, lemon, peach, and pink grapefruit soda.
