How to Eat in Florence on the Cheap

Florence is a great city for food ' so great, in fact, that you may blow your budget. It is possible to eat well on a shoestring, though, especially if you enjoy picnics and have slightly adventurous tastes.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Italian Dictionaries
• Maps
• Restaurant Journals
• Travel Guides
• Travelers' Checks
• Italy Travel Video/DVD
• Maps

1. Have your morning espresso and pastry (or afternoon snack) standing up at the bar, which is cheaper than sitting down in a cafe. Remember that sitting at outdoor tables can cost even more.

2. Shop at the San Lorenzo central market, or another local market, and picnic as much as possible on wonderful fresh produce, meats, cheeses and many other Italian delicacies. You will save a lot of money; just be careful with perishable foods, especially if you don't have a refrigerator in your room.

3. Eat lunch in a wine bar, rather than a trattoria or restaurant. Many wine bars offer a selection of sandwiches, cold cuts or appetizer-type plates that will fill you up without emptying your wallet.

4. Get a quick slice of pizza at one of Florence's many pizzerie; pizza by the slice makes an inexpensive lunch or dinner.

5. Stay away from American-style fast food. A hamburger and fries won't be the budget choice that it might be at home and will almost certainly be much less interesting than the local food that you could be sampling.

6. Try a serving of tripe, if you dare. Tripe sandwiches are a typically Florentine food, and there are a number of carts around town that sell them. It's an affordable meal or snack, and it might be better than you expect!

7. Make lunch your main meal of the day. You will often find that the lunch menu at a restaurant is somewhat cheaper than the dinner menu, even if it includes essentially the same foods.

8. Snack on gelato between meals. This delicious, affordable Italian ice cream comes in an almost endless array of flavors; consult locals or your guidebook for the best gelaterie in town.

Tips & Warnings

• Get a good budget guidebook for extensive listings of affordable restaurants and cafés. Consider reading different guidebooks at your local library, and just photocopying the pages you really need. Leave the heavy books at home.
• Always look for 'tourist menus,' which are usually posted outside restaurants. You may find that you can get a three- or four-course meal much cheaper than if you ordered 'a la carte.' While the choices may be limited, the savings are usually worthwhile.
• Remember that most restaurants in Italy include a cover charge in the bill ' this usually appears on the menu or bill as 'pane e coperto.'
• Keep in mind that a service charge is automatically added to your bill in most European restaurants ' tipping above the included service charge is optional, though it is usually customary to leave some small change on the table.