The BEST Coffee in Florence
My daily cappuccino
I’ve always been coffee obsessed even back in NYC and that obsession grew stronger now that I’m in Florence. My friends will tell you I won't go to just any café, and once I’ve had a bad coffee at any place, I’ll never go back.
At home I have a Moka pot, a Nespresso and an espresso machine. I always start my day with a cappuccino at home, and typically step out for my second cappuccino at a café before or after heading to the farmer’s market for my almost daily shopping.
In Italy, there are a few main go-to coffee drinks: espresso, macchiato and cappuccino. An espresso is just that: a single shot of espresso. A macchiato is a single shot of espresso with a dollop of foamed milk that stains the coffee hence the name. A cappuccino is a single shot espresso, one part steamed and one part foamed milk that is artisanally mixed to yield a nice creamy layer of milk. In general, by local standards, you would start your day with a cappuccino, and any other coffee in the afternoon would only be an espresso or macchiato. I’ve never been one for rules so I do have cappuccinos throughout the day but rarely after I eat. I’m a late lunch type of gal, and each day is different so oftentimes I’m planning menus, shopping for ingredients, hosting classes or finalizing tours so I very often have a cappuccino at the typical lunch time as a snack and then eat a couple hours after.
If you’re visiting Florence and equally obsessed with coffee, these are my 3 favorite coffee bars. You’ll see an obvious place missing because I find their coffee too bitter.
Coffee Mantra
Coffee Mantra is a tiny spot in my neighborhood in Florence, Sant’Ambrogio. It is a corner cafe, with almost no seating aside from two stools and two benches outside. Through the pandemic years, the city keeps going back and forth with the sidewalk cafe rules. I hope they get the seating back as it had a nice urban seating set up that you could enjoy yourself at a bit longer. They get their coffee from an artisanal micro-roaster in Florence called Gearbox. The standard coffees are made with the beans they selected for their house blend, and you can also select to try one of the single origin blends. I’m a coffee purist, not into flavors and so are they. They make classic coffees, no decaf, no ginseng and use premium quality organic milk. It’s always a good cappuccino, and they effortlessly swirl heart flowers onto the silky top of their cappuccinos
Details:
Corner of Via della Mattonaia & Borgo la Croce 71/R
Melaleuca
Before I lived in Sant’Ambrogio I was living at the corner of Lungarno delle Grazie and Via de Benci in the tiniest studio. I used to spend all my freetime at this cafe owned by two brothers which was the predecessor to Melaleuca. I was so sad when the cafe closed and they told me this Australian-Italian couple bought the place. After renovations Melaleuca had opened, and it’s a nice addition to Florence. They have a serious award winning barista, and use D612 Coffee, another micro-roaster in Florence. They also serve non-Italian pastries and sweets which is a refreshing change. Yes, while you visit Florence, do as the Florentines do but when you live in Florence it’s nice to have options, and maybe get a cinnamon roll on a random rainy day. They also have other menu items for brunch but if I come here it’s definitely for a good cappuccino with a view of the river.
Details:
Lungarno delle Grazie 18
SimBIOsi
SimBIOsi holds a special place in my heart. They have a couple locations that serve different purposes on the corner of Via Ginori and Via Guelfa. While I was in culinary school not far from this area, I used to visit the SimBIOsi Pizzeria which is REALLY good. Over the years they have now opened this café that serves brunch food, and wine later in the evening. The place is quite charming with cute mismatched tables and great natural lighting that is very Instagram friendly. I felt like goldilocks wanting to take a picture of my cappuccino at every single table. The coffee was so good, and to no surprise I had to ask while on the way out what brand of coffee they serve, they replied it was D612. While I’ve only been there once, they definitely made a lasting coffee impression on me so I’ll definitely be back.
Details:
Via de Ginori 64
