July 2023 – The Wknd Travel

N9 in Europe: MILAN – 4 Beautiful Days Around the Italian Business, Shopping & Fashion Capital

After going around Paris, Rome and Florence for almost 2 weeks, we headed to the capital of Italy’s Lombardy Region – Milan! We took Flixbus from Florence Villa Constanza Bus Station to Milan San Donato Station and only paid €8.99 per person. We found the travel experience to be comfortable, quick and affordable. We stayed in Milan for 4 full days, enjoyed the city and even took a day trip out to the nearby Lake Como and Lake Lugano. Know more about our adventures in today’s post about the beautiful city of Milan.

Before exploring Milan, we’ve been to other European cities such as Paris, Rome and Florence. Check out our itineraries in these 2 beautiful cities – Paris Part 1, Paris Part 2, Versailles, Rome Part 1, Rome Part 2, Rome Part 3, Florence & Tuscany Region!

Milan

Milan (Italian: Milano) is the capital of the Lombardy Region in the northern part of the country. It is the country’s financial, business and fashion capital. It is the home of the country’s stock exchange – Borsa Italiana. The city is also the home of many headquarters and offices of both national and international companies. The city is one of the world’s fashion capitals with many luxurious brands headquartered in the Italian metropolis; it also hosts the world-famous semi-annual Milan Fashion Week.

Milan is an important Italian city – it is the center of business, trade, finance, fashion and all other aspects.

Accommodation

Milan, like Florence and Rome, is a popular tourist destination to local and international visitors. The city’s profile and popularity led to surging accommodation costs anywhere in the city. The city’s accommodation options are far more expensive than Rome and Florence’s options.

My friend and I were travelling on a budget. We decided to go for a hostel and booked 4 nights at YellowSquare Milan. We stayed in a 4-bedroom mixed dormitory and paid €109.24 each (charged ₱6,644.92 by our local credit card) – the most we paid in an accommodation during our trip to Italy. We had a great stay with YellowSquare.

I recently wrote about YellowSquare Milan and our hostel experience for 4 nights; I hope you can check out YellowSquare Milan’s Hostel of the Day feature here.

Going Around Milan

Going around Milan is easy. The main and important parts of the city are connected by an extensive metro and bus network. The city’s main train stations are Milano Centrale and Milan Porta Garibaldi. The city’s main bus stations for intercity travel are Milan Lampugnano Bus Station in the north and Milan San Donato Bus Station in the south.

My friend and I purchased 10 single-journey tickets (carnet) each and used these tickets during our 4-day in Milan. These tickets are sold from €18 to €20 per 10 tickets, depending on the price the tabaccheria has.

Citywalkers Milan Free Tour

You might have noticed that I am a fan of free (tip-based) city walking tours. I consider this as the best way to learn about a city while not spending too much on private guides and tours. During our visit to Milan, my friend and I joined the 10:00am Citywalkers Milan Free Tour in English.

Our tour guide, Marco, shared the history of the city, its landmarks and the stories behind them for almost 3 hours. He literally walked us through the University of Milan, the Duomo Cathedral, the Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery, the Theatre and Square Alla Scala, the Merchant’s Square and the Business Square.

Lugano & Lake Como Day Tour

My friend and I took advantage of our stay in Milan and decided to go on a day tour to Lugano and Lake Como. We joined Citywonders’ 10.5-hour day tour that explored Lugano (in Switzerland), Bellagio and Como (in Italy) and traversed Lake Como by ferry and local boat. We paid €108.30 (November 2022 rate) each for the guided tour and all modes of transportation – lunch and snacks not included.

I wrote about this day trip in one of my recent posts; I hope you can check out our Lugano and Lake Como Day Tour Photoblog here.

Places Visited in Milan

Like any other city, Milan has a long list of places to visit and check out while in the city. However, my friend and I decided to relax during this leg of the trip and just went to the usual ones. We spent a considerable amount of time shopping and looking for stuff to bring home since Milan was the last stop of my friend’s trip. We still visited a few notable places within the city.

Milan Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Milano) – Duomo di Milano is a cathedral in the center of Milan dedicated to the Nativity of St. Mary. It is also the seat of the Archbishop of Milan. The cathedral took 6 centuries to finish and has witnessed different rulers and leaders throughout the period.

Today, this Duomo is the most famous landmark in Milan. Millions of people visit the cathedral every year. The cathedral can be accessed for a fee from its interiors to the rooftop. My friend and I decided not to go inside the Duomo but basically went to the place everyday during our stay in the city.

Cathedral Square (Italian: Piazza del Duomo) – The cathedral square is the largest public square in Milan bounded by the Milan Cathedral and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. It is also the famous meeting spot / area in Milan.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II – Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is the oldest shopping arcade and gallery in all of Italy. Named after Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of the Kingdom of Italy, the galleria opened in 1877 and is shaped like a cross covered by glass dome and roofing. The shopping arcade also houses luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci and the likes.

Quadrilatero d’Oro – Dubbed as the Golden Rectangle of Fashion in Milan, Quadrilatero d’Oro is Milan’s main shopping district. Think of a worldwide fashion brand and you will certainly find it here. My friend and I walked around the shopping district for days and we still have not been to all shops. Milan is the place to go for shopping.

The Last Supper Museum (Italian: Museo del Cenacolo Vinciano) – One of the most interesting places we went to in Milan is the Last Supper Museum. The museum houses the Last Supper Mural painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the last 15^th century.

People go inside the museum and the mural area by groups. Each group is given around 30 minutes to look at the mural. Tickets to the museum cost €15 per person and are pre-booked online. Tickets usually sell out fast; it is best to book tickets months before your intended visit.

The Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie – Right beside the Last Supper Museum is the Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie. The Last Supper Mural is part of the heritage-listed church complex since the 1400s.

Merchant’s Square (Italian: Piazza Meranti) – The Merchant’s Square is an important hub of commerce and politics in Milan since the Middle Ages. It is the place for trade and business for most locals during that time.

Serravalle Designer Outlet Day Trip

While in Milan, my friend and I decided to check out one of the biggest designer outlets in the country – Serravalle Designer Outlet. Located a little over an hour away from Milan in the commune of Serravalle Scrivia, this village-type outlet has over 180 specialty stores offering designer-branded items at big discounts.

We took the timed Autostradale Viaggi shuttle bus from Milan to the outlet and back for €20 (November 2022 price) per person. We only went to selected stores and did not have the chance to go around everything. We managed to find some good stuff for ourselves and our families back here in the Philippines. It was a successful day at the outlet village.

Missed Places

As mentioned in the start of this blog, we took our time going around the city and focused more on getting stuff to bring back to the Philippines. We had to miss some notable places to visit like Sforzesco Castle, Teatro alla Scala (from the inside), Pinacoteca Di Brera, Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest), Cimitero Monumentale (Monumental Cemetery) and Navigli Lombardi. These places are already enough to lure us back to Milan in the future.

Milan may not be everyone’s favorite city but it surely has its own charm. Yes, it is the best shopping destination in Italy but it offers more beyond that image. The city has interesting museums and landmarks that are unique in the world.

Have you been to Milan? How did you find the city? Which places were your favorites and which places did you regret going to? Feel free to share your Milan adventures and experiences in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about Milan or anything mentioned above? You may also send it via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I will try to answer them as soon as possible.

Thank you for joining me in today’s run-through of our time in Milan last year. Milan was my friend Leng’s final European city on this trip. We spent most of our time just enjoying the city’s vibe and the cold weather, going around supermarkets for food finds and shopping for our friends and loved ones back home. We will surely go back to Milan to explore more.

In case you missed it, we have also been to Paris, Versailles, Rome, Vatican City, Florence, Pisa, San Gimignano, Siena, Lugano and Lake Como on this trip. You can find all itineraries and posts about these cities and this trip under the N9 in Europe category. Please look forward to the next one because I am taking you to my last destination on this trip – Barcelona, Spain!

Before you go, I hope you can like and follow my social media pages – Facebook page and Instagram. These 2 accounts are the best way to stay up-to-date with the new posts in this site. Thank you; I hope to see you in the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

N9 in Europe: LUGANO & LAKE COMO DAY TRIP FROM MILAN Photoblog – Exploring 3 Places in 2 Countries in 1 Day

After spending 4 beautiful days around Florence, my friend and I moved to our last destination in Italy for this trip – Milan. To be honest, we did not find a lot of things to do around the city so we decided to visit the countryside. We wanted to spend a day each in Lugano, Switzerland and Lake Como but we also had to allot a day to check out Serravalle Designer Outlet for some good finds.

To make use of the limited time we have in Milan and to satisfy our wants in visiting the countryside, we decided to join a guided day tour to Lugano and around Lake Como. We booked with our day tour with City Wonders. Join me as I share with you where we went and what happened on this guided day tour to 3 places in 2 countries – Italy and Switzerland.

Before exploring Florence, we’ve been to other European cities such as Paris, Rome and Florence. Check out our itineraries in these beautiful places – Paris Part 1, Paris Part 2, Versailles, Rome Part 1, Rome Part 2, Rome Part 3, Florence & Tuscany.

Tour Cost & Inclusions

My friend and I booked this 10.5-hour day tour with City Wonders on their website and paid €108.30 (November 2022 rate) each. We were charged by our bank ₱6,393.94 each including foreign currency conversion fees.

This tour fee included a comfortable air-conditioned bus ride to Lugano, Lake Como and back to Milan. It also included all non-coach (ferry and boat) transfers to Bellagio and Como, an English-speaking guide and individual tour headsets. The fee did not include meals. Tour guests were responsible for paying their own food expenses during the tour.

The day tour fee was a little bit expensive but reasonable considering the guests only had to worry about their lunch and snacks. Everything else was provided including information about the places visited during the day.

Check-In & Departure

We arrived at Milan Porta Garibaldi Station before 8:00am and went to the meeting place outside the station. Our tour guide arrived a few minutes after, confirmed our bookings and distributed our individual headsets to be used during the day.

At exactly 8:30am, we walked to where our tour bus was parked, boarded the bus and left Milan for Lugano.

Lugano

Lugano is an Italian-speaking city in the southern part of Switzerland. It lies along the beautiful Lake Lugano and is a famous day-trip destination of people coming to Milan, Italy. The lakeside city provides visitors a glimpse of Switzerland during these day trips and gives tourists a chance to take home Swiss Chocolates back to Milan. It is also a famous shopping destination for both Swiss and Italians. The city accepts both Euro and Swiss Franc as monetary payments.

We first went to Lugano from Milan. We were given an hour to explore the small city, to check out the shops and to spend some time by the lake.

Bellagio

Bellagio is a picturesque town located along Lake Como. Known as the “Pearl of Lake Como,” this town is famous for its cobblestone alleys, photogenic streets, artisan shops and local restaurants offering a spectacular view of Lake Como. This town is at its full charm every summer. It is also a good place to visit during cold season but expect it to be quiet with most shops and restaurants closed.

We stopped by Bellagio for lunch. After lunch, we took the boat ride to Como and saw the villas where Star Wars and James Bond movies were filmed. We also saw George Clooney’s private villa.

Como

Como is a city in the Italian-Swiss border. It is in the southern tip of Lake Como and is famous for its Gothic Cathedral. It also offers beautiful views of the lake with the green and untouched hills on the sides. It was our last stop on this trip.

We were given 30-ish minutes to walk around the city, to visit their beautiful cathedral and to check out their Christmas market.

Drop Off

From Como, we all hopped on the bus and took an hour trip back to Milan. We were dropped just outside Milan Porta Garibaldi Station at the same place where we rode the bus in the morning.

This wraps up our day tour around Lugano, Bellagio and Como. It was great experience visiting these lakeside cities and towns offering stunning views of Lake Lugano and Lake Como. We would love to go back and spend more time in all these places and perhaps visit them during the warm months.

Have you been to Lugano, Bellagio or Como in the past? How was your visit? Feel free to share your experiences and visit details in the comments section below. Do you have any question about the day tour above? You may also send those via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thank you for checking this day trip post. In case you missed, we have been to Paris, Versailles, Rome, Florence and Tuscany before we visited Milan. You can find all itineraries and posts about these cities and this trip under the N9 in Europe category. Please look forward to the next one!

Before you go, I hope you can visit, like and follow my social media pages – Facebook page and Instagram. These 2 accounts are the best way to stay up-to-date with the new posts in this site. Thank you; I hope to see you in the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Hostel of the Day: YELLOWSQUARE MILAN – Hidden Hostel Gem in Milan’s Porta Romana District

After spending 4 full days in the beautiful city of Florence, my friend and I moved to another famous Italian city in the north – Milan. We stayed and explored the city for another 4 days and decided to stay with YellowSquare Milan.

This hostel is a sister of YellowSquare Florence – the hostel we stayed with in Florence. This hostel will be featured in today’s hostel of the day. Join me as I share with you details of this hidden hostel gem in Milan’s Porta Romana District.

YellowSquare Milan

YellowSquare Milan is a sister hostel of YellowSquare Florence; it is one of the 3 YellowSquare properties in Italy. According to the property’s website, the hostel started in 1999 when the founders decided to buy a small apartment and rent out a few beds. 20 years later, the hostel now has 3 high-rated branches in Rome, Milan (this property) and the latest addition to the chain, Florence.

This branch is in the quiet Porta Romana neighborhood in Milan. It has 2 buildings – 6 storey front building and a rear 2 storey building with an open area piazza in the between. Both buildings stand above a common basement level. The hostel caters to hundreds of guests at the same time.

Location & Access

YellowSquare Milan is located at Via Serviliano Lattuada, 14, 20135 Milan MI, Italy. It is located near the old city gate of Milan – Porta Romana. The hostel is a little over 2 kilometers away from the famous Duomo di Milano. It is 350 meters away from Porta Romana Station of Milan Metro Line 3 (Red Line) – 3 stops away from Duomo Station on the same line.

As mentioned above, the hostel is nestled in a quiet neighborhood. It is near to numerous restaurants, shops and supermarkets. It is 10 minutes away by subway (Line 3) to Flixbus’ San Donato pick-up and drop-off points, also 10 minutes away by subway (Line 3) to Milan Central Station, around 15 to 18 minutes by subway (Lines 2 and 3) to Porta Garibaldi Station and about 40 minutes by subway (Lines 1 and 3) to Milan Lampugnano Bus Terminal.

The hostel is 1 hour and 10 to 15 minutes away by train (Line 3 and Malpensa Express) to Milan Malpensa International Airport (MXP) and about the same time by subway (Line 3) and bus to Orio al Serio International Airport (BGY) – also known as Milan Bergamo Airport.

Room Options

Like YellowSquare Florence, YellowSquare Milan also has dormitory rooms and private rooms.

The hostel’s dormitory room configurations are limited to as follows: 8-bed mixed dormitory room, 8-bed female dormitory room, 4-bed mixed dormitory room and 4-bed female dormitory room. All these dormitory rooms feature in-room shower and ensuite, air conditioning and heating systems, a table and chair (per room), lockers, daily housekeeping and free Wi-Fi connection. All dormitory beds have a pillow, blanket, individual lights and personal security locker. Towels are not included and are available for rent from reception.

The private rooms have the following configurations: single private room, double private room, quadruple private room with 2 bunk beds and sextuple private room with 3 bunk beds. These private rooms have the same features as that of the dormitory rooms except for towels which are already included in these rooms. Rates per nights of these rooms depend on where you are booking your stay. From experience, booking directly with YellowSquare provides the most affordable nightly rates.

My friend and I booked our stay directly with YellowSquare Milan and got 2 beds in a 4-bed mixed dormitory room. We paid €101.24 each for 4 nights. On top of this, we also paid €2 per person per night (rate back in November 2022) for the city tax. In total, we paid €109.24 each during check-in. We were charged by our bank ₱6,644.92 including foreign currency transaction conversion fee – roughly ₱1,661.23 per night. It is still not bad for an expensive city like Milan!

We were assigned the 2 lower bunk beds at Room A505 on the 5^th floor of the main building. We got a smaller room compared to the room we got at the Florence property; we also got a room with a nice bathroom and toilet layout. We enjoyed the views of Milan from this upper room.

Guest Facilities & Amenities

YellowSquare Milan has a long list of facilities and amenities that hostel guests can enjoy.

Free Wi-Fi Access – All guests have an access to a stable and fast open Wi-Fi connection.

In-House Bar & Restaurant – The hostel has an in-house bar and restaurant called The Baretto. They serve breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks. Breakfast is available from 8:00am to 11:00am. Lunch is served from 12:00 noon to 2:00pm. Dinner options are available from 6:00pm to 11:00pm. The bar is open every day from 8:00am to 2:00am.

Free Beer Upon Check-In – Hostel guests get a beer voucher upon check-in. This free beer can be redeemed anytime during the guest’s stay.

Events Place – YellowSquare Milan has an in-house events place called Salone14. This events place hosts both internal and external events. It is also available for rent / outsider use. Please reach out to the hostel team to know more about the rates.

In-House Club – La Chapel, the hostel’s in-house club, is in the basement level of the hostel building.

Outdoor Courtyard – The hostel has an outdoor courtyard named The Piazzetta. This courtyard is found between the front and rear buildings. It is where some of the hostel activities are held.

Hair Salon – The hostel has a hair salon, named Contesta Rock Hair, in the basement level. Guests can come here for a haircut or a hair treatment at the guest’s expense.

Co-Working Space – Need to work while in Milan? No need to worry. YellowSquare Milan has a co-working space called SmartSquare Milan. A part of the co-working space, The Fixed Spot, is complimentary to hostel guests with prior request at reception. The other areas are open to the public subject to daily or monthly rates.

In-Room Shower & Toilet – Each hostel room (private or dormitory) has an in-room shower and toilet.

Communal Areas – The hostel has communal areas where guests can just sit down, chill and meet with other travelers / guests.

Shared Kitchen & Dining Area – Guests have access to a shared kitchen and dining area at the rear building. The kitchen has complete cooking materials which guests can use to cook food.

Daily Hostel Activities – Just like YellowSquare Florence, this Milan property also hosts daily activities for guests to join and enjoy. These activities can range from walking tours, cooking classes to karaoke sessions, art classes and comedy shows. Please look for the updated schedule near the reception.

Schedule of Hostel Activities back in November 2022

Games Room – The hostel has a dedicated games room where guests can play or have fun with other people. The games room is in the basement level.

Communal Toilets & Changing Rooms – The hostel has available communal toilets and changing rooms near the common areas. Guests do not need to go back to their respective rooms to just use the toilet.

Laundromat Service – Running out of clean clothes to wear? The hostel has a laundromat service which guests can avail for a fee.

Luggage Storage – The property offers luggage storage services for guests who arrived hours before check-in and for guests who are leaving the city in the afternoon or evening after check-out. Please reach out to reception if you want to leave your stuff before check-in or after check-out.

24-Hour Reception – Arriving past midnight or leaving before sunrise? No need to worry about getting in / out. Reception is manned every single time. It is open 24 hours a day for 7 days a week.

Multi-Lingual & Friendly Staff – YellowSquare Milan’s staff speak different languages. They are also friendly and hospitable.

Secured Room Access – Rooms can only be accessed using the key cards provided during check-in.

Lift Access – Travelling with a big luggage? No need to carry it up using the stairs. The hostel has a lift which can be used by all guests. Please note that the lift only works with a hostel key card.

Secured Hostel Premises – The hostel premises are equipped with 24/7 surveillance system. Also, entry to the room areas require an access / key card. It cannot not open to visitors and outsiders.

Hostel Experience

Our stay at YellowSquare Milan was almost the same as our stay at YellowSquare Florence. We may be out most of the day but we managed to stay longer in the hostel this time.

We liked the following about the hostel. First, YellowSquare Milan had the best rates for an expensive city like Milan. On top of these value rates, the hostel also offered a flexible cancellation policy where guests can cancel for free up to 24 hours before the intended stay. Second, the hostel was in a quiet Porta Romana neighborhood away from the busy streets of the city.

Third, the free beer coupon was an added perk. The hostel did not just provide a small beer glass but a big one. Fourth, the hostel had a long list of activities which guests can join. We did not have the time to join these activities but we hope we can in our next stay. Fifth, the YellowSquare Milan staff were nice, friendly and hospitable. They were more welcoming than those from the Florence property. Lastly, we noticed the consistency in the service and product provided by the YellowSquare hostel brand.

The hostel also had some drawbacks. First, I mentioned above that I liked the hostel being in a quiet neighborhood. At the same time, this quiet neighborhood meant that the hostel is located a bit far from the city center. Guests need to take the metro or tram to go and visit the Duomo area.

Second, we got a smaller 4-bed mixed dormitory room in Milan compared to the room we had in Florence. We think the room size was alright but we also cannot help but compare. Third and lastly, we hope the hostel can expand the free drink coupon options to include water, juices and sodas to cater to those who do not drink beer. My friend gave up her free beer and gave it to me simply because she does not drink beer.

These drawbacks did not really affect our stay at YellowSquare Milan. My friend and I enjoyed our time at the hostel. We will surely book our stay again with them in our next trip to Milan.

YellowSquare Milan’s Outdoor Courtyard – The Piazzetta

Do you have questions about YellowSquare Milan? If yes, you may reach out to them on the following platforms:

YellowSquare Milan
Address: Via Serviliano Lattuada,1420135 Milano MI, Italy
Phone Number: +39 028 239 6603
E-mail address: questions@yellowsquare.it / lattuada@bc-hospitality.com
Website: www.yellowsquare.it
Facebook: www.facebook.com/yellowsquaremilan
Instagram: www.instagram.com/yellowsquarehostel

Have you stayed with YellowSquare Milan in the past? Care to share your hostel experience in the comments section below? Do you have any questions about the hostel or my experience? Feel free comment down below. You may also send these questions via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thanks for joining me in today’s Hostel of the Day feature. Please also take time to check out my previous HOTD features by clicking this. You’ll find my other hostel reviews about Le Village Montmartre in Paris, The Bed KLCC in Kuala Lumpur, The RomeHello in Rome & Z Hostel here in the Philippines.

Before you go, can you visit my social media pages –Facebook & Instagram – and like or follow them? Thank you & see you in the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

P’s List: 7 Food Places to Check Out in Florence

Hello and welcome to another P’s List! It has been a while since I shared a travel-related list. In case you missed it in the past, I shared with you some of my favorites: 5 must-try Belgian treats, 6 budget-friendly and personal favorite to-do’s when in Japan, 6 Dutch delis I enjoyed, 4 Czech food I enjoyed, 12 Taiwanese treats worth lining-up for and 7 Danish delicacies not to miss.

You will notice that most of them are about food. Yes – I love to eat and explore the local cuisine while traveling! Today’s list is not an exception. My friend and I explored the beautiful Italian city of Florence back in November 2022 and we want to recommend the following food places.

Pizza Napoli 1955

Pizza Napoli 1955 is an authentic Neapolitan pizza restaurant in the center of Florence. The pizza parlor is located along the famous Via del Neri and is open from 12 noon to around 10:30 in the evening. It serves great pizza for an affordable price.

I got a Margherita Pizza for myself and only paid less than €10. Please note that they only accepted cash during our visit in November 2022.

Osteria e Vinaino Cicalone

My friend randomly came across Osteria e Vinaino Cicalone in our search for a nice place to have lunch. We just arrived from Rome; we were so hungry and we decided to eat at the first restaurant we find appealing.

Little did we know that this small, cozy and authentic restaurant served one of the best local dishes we had during our time in Florence. I ordered Peposo – a local red wine beef stew and a glass of house wine for drink. We also had tiramisu for dessert and oh boy, we had one of the best tiramisus of our trip.

The beef stew, glass of house red wine, tiramisu (shared) cost around €25 including the table charge. The food prices are usual – not affordable and not too expensive. The restaurant is worth a try!

Trattoria dall’Oste

A trip to Florence is incomplete without trying the world-famous Florentine steak. We had our first Florentine steak experience at a popular steak place – Trattoria Osteria dall’Oste Santa Maria Novella Branch.

We met with our friends for dinner and we ordered the grilled Florentine T-Bone steak (Italian: Bistecca alla Fiorentina “scottona”), Homemade pappardelle pasta with wild boar sauce (Italian: Pappardelle al sugo di cinghiale), Pasta with sausage, burrata cheese and fresh truffle (Italian: Pasta salsiccia, burrata e tartufo) and a bottle of red wine. We paid a little over €120 for all dishes including table charge for 4 people.

It was not a cheap dinner but it was good for the experience. The restaurants under this group can get busy at times. Be sure to arrive early for dinner to immediately get a seat.

La Fettunta

La Fettunta was hands-down the best Tuscan restaurant we have been to in this trip. This authentic and rustic restaurant was recommended to us by our walking tour guide. It served the best Florentine steak for an affordable price. Located along Via del Neri, the restaurant also served other Italian dishes and traditional Tuscan food.

My friend and I ordered 1.2-kilograms of rare Florentine steak and a bottle of in-house wine and paid only €70; we paid €35 each. Affordable, isn’t it?

La Strega Nocciola Gelateria Artigianale

After having dinner at Pizza Napoli 1955, my friend and I walked to La Strega Nocciola Gelateria Artigianale between Duomo & Accademia for our gelato fix. We ordered their signature flavors and enjoyed the gelato’s rich taste.

Gelateria Edoardo il Gelato Biologico

After our steak lunch at La Fettunta, we walked to Gelateria Edoardo il Gelato Biologico for dessert. We ordered their signature organic flavors (sorry – I totally forgot the specifics) and enjoyed the fresh and creamy taste.

This gelateria is located near Duomo di Firenze and has beautiful views of the duomo as the background. They also serve vegan gelato.

All’Antico Vinaio

I refused to fall in line for this panini shop but I thought I will include this in the list for you to check out.

All’Antico Vinaio is famous for their paninis served using traditional Tuscan flat bread schiacciata. The shop has a few branches along Via del Neri. Do not forget to bring a lot of patience because lines can get crazy long for all these branches.

One more thing – please do not forget to spoil yourself with Tuscan wines while in Florence. The region is known for producing Sangiovese-based dry red wines. The usual recommendations include Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

In my opinion, La Fettunta is one that should not be missed from the list above. The Florentine steak they served was one of the best steaks I have had in my entire life. I would not hesitate to visit Florence again and dine at La Fettunta!

The list above may only be a handful compared to thousands of restaurants and food options in Florence but I hope you can check out those listed above. I checked the ratings of all these restaurants and shops and I can tell you that all of them are rated between 4.4 to 5 stars with thousands of reviews each from Google Reviews and TripAdvisor. I can guarantee you will enjoy the quality of food served in these restaurants and shops.

Have you been to one of these restaurants and shops? How was your experience and how did you find the food? Which one is your favorite? Share your experiences below in the comments section. Do you have any questions about anything above? You may also send your questions via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thank you for joining me in today’s P’s List. Please watch out for more lists and recommendations in the future. You can check out other Europe-related content under the N9 in Europe category.

Before you go, I hope you can like and follow my social media pages – Facebook and Instagram. This will help me increase my reach; it will also keep you up-to-date with the latest blog posts. Thank you!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.