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Breakfast with coffee and a pastry in the sunshine in one of Florence's many squares -- we like to people-watch at Cavalli's Giacosa (Via della Spada, 10) or Caffè Rivoire (Piazza della Signoria).

After a morning spent sight-seeing, join the locals for lunch at the Mercato Sant' Ambrogio on via Pietrapiana. East of the Duomo and less pricey than Mercato Centrale, you can work up an appetite by wandering around the fresh produce, then dine on great-value pasta for just a few euros: wash it down with a cold beer. When you're replete, work off those carbs with a stroll around the market stalls outside.

Sold from food carts and market stalls, Lampredotto is a local delicacy. Made from the final part of a cow's stomach, this tripe-like substance can be an acquired taste, but locals devour it with passion. Eat as a sandwich (Panino con il Lampredotto) with the bread dipped in the stew's broth; slather it with chili sauce. Read full article »