Bar Piazzetta is a short walk up the main street after entering the walls of San Gimignano. Right…read morein the middle of the tourist shopping area with an amazingly big patio and inside dining area. You can sit and relax outside while watching people shop, walk, and talk. Where as the outside patio offers heaters in the winter time, we picked inside. With a friendly atmosphere, it made it easier to sit quickly and get served. Many Italian dishes to choose from. As we had been traveling abroad for 2 weeks, we were ready for a menu change. Bar Piazzetta gave us just that! So many choices to pick, and with such interesting descriptions of the food, we went with a burger and chicken dish. The burger showed up smothered with cheese, onions, mushrooms, and bread with "salad" on the side. The thin bread helped to maintain the original flavor by not overwhelming it with a "bread" taste. The chicken dish was stewed in tomatoes, garlic, onions, pepper; and came with a salad on the side. This dish was superb! The chicken was so tender, the garlic was tasty, and the veggies had a slight crisp to them; everything married well together and was top notch! Service was friendly, place was clean and even when busy, we were attended to very quickly. San Gimignano is a SMALL cute little walled medieval village and this place was exactly what we were looking for. If you ever have the opportunity to visit here...you will not be disappointed!

Nice little trattoria just a little way inside one of the main "gates" leading into San Gimignano…read more There's a lovely, large outdoor seating area where you can relax and people watch if you need a little break after making the uphill trek into town, as we did. On an especially humid, warm day, the shaded patio was just what we needed. We decided to stay for dinner after having drinks, and the food was fairly good. Between four of us, we ordered some caprese salads (very good!), two pizzas (prosciutto and margherita, both good), lasagna, which was cold in the middle and not what Americans might expect (it was mostly cheese and noodles with very little red sauce), and traditional spaghetti with a red sauce with pork and beef that was amazing! Service was fine. Nothing bad, nothing insanely great. I'd come back; the prices were reasonable, the location is tops, and the handmade pasta is really great.

This place is fantastic. It is just is in a special location - in the square with a phenomenal view…read moreof the valley below. The people that own and run the cafe are special, too. Friendly and welcoming. The food was amazing. Pizza, salad, cheeses. Oh - the hot chocolate was very delicious! Hope I get to go back and visit someday!

This place is great!! I am studying abroad and this is a nice place to hangout or do homework. The…read morefood is awesome, but the company is better! Everyone who works here is sweet and fun! Cute and clean place, too! My recommendation is the traditional bruschetta and la guerra di piero salad! So light and refreshing!

We came here every night to enjoy Aperitivo and our nightly spritz. The servers and the owner…read moreMichele were great. The piazza is lively and a great place to every night. I highly recommend this caffe/bar when your in Lucca!!!

From the owner: A pochi passi dalla Basilica di S. Frediano, il 21 gennaio 2017 è decollato il progetto portato…read moreavanti da Michele Tambellini, uno dei più noti imprenditori lucchesi nel settore della ristorazione: al civico 4 di Piazza S. Frediano è stato aperto il bar-caffè-biscotteria "Santa Zita". Forte delle sue idee innovative, anche questa volta Tambellini sembra aver fatto centro portando avanti un nuovo concetto di bar, al servizio della più variopinta clientela che il personale (giovane ma qualificato) si troverà a servire. Ha unito la biscotteria a quello che può essere considerato il bar-pasticceria tradizionale, unitamente alle numerose proposte di thè e cioccolato, con i clienti che saranno accolti nella sala in stile vittoriano con mobili costruiti ad hoc da falegnami della zona. L'idea della biscotteria, decisamente innovativa (almeno per il centro storico di Lucca), serve a far convergere le varie eccellenze lucchesi in un luogo in cui vuole essere mantenuto alto l'interesse verso il te

I give these guys a solid 5 stars. Now that I have moved back to this neighborhood, my morning…read morecoffee stop is without a doubt Piansa - which is a fairly new shop. I call it "coffee with the newsies". Always greeted with a smile from either a groovy pair of glasses or a couple friendly guys with newsboy caps. It's definitely hipster and the decor reminds me of a cosy brooklyn coffee shop. My kinda place. I have become a regular and I might add that the coffee is quite good as I take my espresso senza zucchero (without sugar) so I really experience the taste of every coffee i drink and this coffee is smooth! They also have a lovely selection of morning pastries. Yesterday I finally stopped with a friend for aperativo. Good move. We had some nice apero spritz and they brought us a charcuterie tray. We had some fun conversation with the newsies and were asked to sign their espresso machine. Christened as regulars!! Great way to start out our night. Of course I have already been back today for my morning coffee.

Really cute cafe just a little ways from the amazing bakery up the street. The baristas are well…read moremannered and snappy and the espresso very clean, creamy and light. My espresso was out in a minute after ordering, and I shot mine down with some Italians from the neighborhood. There isn't quite enough room at the bar to drink, but if you sit down you'll be charged a fee, so the cafe is best if you're looking for a quick espresso, unless you plan on staying there long term and sitting down to eat, read, relax. It was fairly quiet in the cafe, so it'd make for a good place to work or catch up with a friend.

We've been in San Vincenzo a couple of times. But somehow never checked up on this place. Well,…read morewhat a mistake. Because they got wonderful products. This time we went in though. Lots of bread, nice pastries and....cookies. We got some vanilla-cream filled pastries and lots of different cookies. The jam-filled (topped) ones were really good, but the best ones are for us the soft Amaretti (the white ones in my pic). Really good stuff. Products here are homemade, tasty and served with a smile. Came back every day and brought a good load of cookies back home when we had to leave. Definitely will be back.

Delicious pastries and wonderful barista / owner. We have…read morevisited twice now and have not had a disappointing pastry. They weigh what you pick out from the pastry counter. So feel free to grab one of this and one of that. The prosciutto croissant sandwich is the perfect offset to the sweets. Grab a doppio or cappuccino and manga!

I absolutely LOVE this market. They had everything you could want and all of the food was…read moredelicious. We tried the famous Lampredotto and loved it so much. We also stopped at the truffle counter and had some apps. There is something for everyone and its wonderful that its open late.

Located in the San Lorenzo district, just a few minutes' walk from the main train station of Santa…read moreMaria Novella), Mercato Centrale is a vibrant food hall experience housed in a historic market building (very similar to the Time Out Market franchise across Europe). From the outside, it looks like a grand, iron-and-glass structure typical of European markets; inside, it opens into a bustling, multi-level space filled with food vendors, communal tables, and constant movement. The vibe is energetic, social, and slightly chaotic in a fun way - perfect for grazing, group dining, or trying multiple cuisines in one visit (from Italian to American to Mexican!). We stopped in for a quick lunch at around 2pm on a Wednesday; there was plenty of seating at high-top tables, and QR codes on paper menus make it easy to explore all the different food vendor options. It's also a fun activity to peruse the market, taking in different sights, smells, and flavors. All of us ended up opting for Schiacciatas (large Italian sandwiches that are a staple in Florence) from Massimiliano Parri, which all ended up ranging from €10-12, depending on toppings - yes, it's more expensive than what you'd get from a traditional schiacciateria, but you're also paying for the market's location and convenience. We appreciated the fact that they shave the meat right in front of you! My schiacciata came with freshly shaved ham atop crusty white bread, slathered with burrata cheese, and sprinkled with arugula and figs (I opted for no additional olive oil, since I found the ham quite rich already). I loved the contrast of textures and flavors, though I will say that the bread ended up cutting the roof of my mouth! All in all, Mercato Centrale is a bit touristy, but still miles better (and cheaper) than most "Italian" sandwich places you'd find in the US (pro tip: save your receipt for free use of their bathrooms). The variety can't be beaten, prices are reasonable for a central market, and it's steps from some of Florence's most iconic spots.

From the owner: Vendita libri usati e nuovi, libri rari fuori catalogo. Caffetteria con the in foglia e infusi di…read morefrutta, cioccolate di origine. Atmosfera tranquilla dove trascorrere un pomeriggio

Really great wood fired pizzas and calzones (any many other dishes). We picked up and the staff was…read morefriendly

I got pizza to go here, lots of people were there doing the same thing. The pizza margherita was…read morevery good!