Last updated on June 28th, 2024
Are you traveling in Florence and mid-meltdown with your kids? Traveling with kids is fun but in a place like Florence that is so culturally and visually stimulating (and overwhelming!)… hunger strikes fast.
I am a mom of four living in Florence and I can’t tell you how many times I have found myself in a crisis with kids. The root of any meltdown is usually being tired and hungry.
But eating out isn’t always an instant solution for when kids are melting down. In this article, I will share with you six of my favorite spots to get food fast in central Florence with kids.
Keep my quick guide and map bookmarked and keep these recommendations handy for post-museum visits, exhausting walking tours or mid-day snack options and avoiding waiting for a table and then your food at crowded restaurants.
Have More Time? Read about the city’s best kid-friendly restaurants in Where to Eat with Kids in Florence.
Travelling with Your Bambino? Be sure to read
What Do Babies Eat in Italy?
Italian Baby Food – A Traveler’s Guide
Jump to Section
Map Of Where To Get A Quick Bite With Kids In Florence
Where To Get A Quick Bite With Kids In Florence Quick Guide
| Name | Address (Neighborhood) | Best For | What We Like To Order |
| Trattoria Da Rocco | Piazza Lorenzo Ghiberti (Sant’Ambrogio) | Traditional Tuscan food & takeout to buy and keep for later or eat as a street food in Piazza dei Ciompi | Polpette (meatballs) and amatriciana pasta |
| Serre Torrigiani in Piazzetta | Piazza dei Tre Re, 1 (Historic District) | Pizza by the slice & simple street food options with outdoor seating | Pizza by the slice, caprese salad and prosciutto e melone (when in season) |
| Mercato Centrale | Piazza del Mercato Centrale, Via dell’Ariento (San Lorenzo) | A wide selection / picky eaters | Crostini from the crostini bar or Italian cheese and charcuterie plates to share |
| Ditta Artigianale | Scattered throughout city center with locations in Via dei Neri, 30/32 R, Via dello Sprone, 5/R, Lungarno Benvenuto Cellini, 1r, Via Giosuè Carducci, 2/4r, and Lungarno Soderini, 7R | Familiar food items such as American brunch foods and coffee for parents | Pancakes & avocado toast |
| Piazza Santo Spirito | Piazza Santo Spirito (Santo Spirito) | Eating in a car-free zone with several options | Pizza, sandwiches & gelato |
| Amblé | Piazzetta dei Del Bene, 7/A (Historic District) | Healthy options + aperitivo drinks for mom and dad | Small tea sandwiches (tramezzini) and freshly squeezed juice |
Eating in Italy Basics: If you are curious to know more about navigating dining in Italy, you may be interested in
How To Order Food In Italian
Tipping In Italy – When & How Much From A Local
What Is A Coperto? All About Italy’s Cover Charge
A Visitor’s Guide To Eating In Italy
How To Order Food In Italian
Trattoria Da Rocco
Piazza Lorenzo Ghiberti
Best For: Tuscan food
Located within the Sant’Ambrogio Market (one of the best food markets in Italy), Trattoria Da Rocco is one of the best places to pick up traditional Tuscan food and eat it in Piazza dei Ciompi just around the corner with hungry kids.
If you can grab a table, that’s great but it’s very popular so not always easy. To solve this problem, they offer an easy takeout formula with what is being served in the restaurant, making it easy to take their delicious food street-side.
They will give you napkins, forks and drinks, making it the best for a Tuscan picnic.
Don’t Miss: The small playground in Parco Giochi D’Azeglio, just a couple of blocks from the market. It’s small but there is a decent climbing structure, several benches, two swing sets and a gated soccer field.
Serre Torrigiani in Piazzetta
Piazza dei Tre Re, 1
Best For: Snacks, small plates and street food with outdoor seating
Le Serre Torrigiano in Piazzetta is one of the best kept secrets in the Historic District in Florence for really any kind of need or desire. Located in a hidden outdoor courtyard right between Piazza della Repubblica and Via Calzaiuoli, this shaded bar/cafe is perfect for picking up snacks or recharging with a cool beverage.
Not only will your kids be happy but you will be too! Choose from items like pizza by the slice, sandwiches, small plates, street food, non-alcoholic drinks and cocktails, wine and coffee for mom and dad.
Mercato Centrale
Piazza del Mercato Centrale, Via dell’Ariento
Best For: A wide selection and picky eaters
The upper level of the Mercato Centrale offers a unique formula allowing each individual to order at a different food stand and then sit together at large communal tables. If you want pizza but your kid wants a gelato (or handmade pasta, Southern Italian treats, a steak, chinese, cheese platters), this is where you want to be.
Keep in mind that the Mercato Centrale does get extremely busy BUT the reason I recommend it for good food fast in Florence is because there are so many options, allowing you to choose a food stand based on the line.
Some foods are less popular than others but this is only because they aren’t the ‘classic’ items that most tourists come here to try. For example, the crostini stand usually doesn’t have many people but the selection is huge so you’re sure to find something your kids eat.
Dig Deeper: To learn more about the central market and Florence’s best markets for cibo, read Food Markets in Florence.
Travelling with Your Bambino? Be sure to read
What Do Babies Eat in Italy?
Italian Baby Food – A Traveler’s Guide
Ditta Artigianale
Scattered throughout city center with locations in Via dei Neri, 30/32 R, Via dello Sprone, 5/R, Lungarno Benvenuto Cellini, 1r, Via Giosuè Carducci, 2/4r, and Lungarno Soderini, 7R
Best For: A taste of home
La Ditta Artigianale is my top pick if you are looking for a taste of home, which is sometimes the most helpful for kids when on the road.
You can come and eat anytime from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm (defying all rules of Italian meal schedules!) and order items like pancakes, bagels, sandwiches, salads, avocado toast, scrambled eggs, and green curry.
Note that la Ditta can get quite busy (especially on weekends) so it’s not always a sure bet for food fast. You can, however, just pick up good quality coffee and breakfast pastry and other snacks from the counter without a wait.
The cafe has 5 locations in Florence, all of which have a different amount of indoor/outdoor seating (Piazza Ferrucci location has enormous gated outdoor seating while Via dei Neri location has indoor seating only).
Good To Know: La Ditta Artigianale is also one of the best places in Florence for coffee and cocktails, both of which you can read more about in The Coolest Places to Drink in Florence.
Piazza Santo Spirito
Piazza Santo Spirito (Oltarno)
Best For: Eating in a car-free zone with several options
Piazza Santo Spirito is actually an open square in a residential neighborhood Oltarno, not a specific eatery or restaurant. I recommend this location as one of the best spots to eat a quick bite with kids because there are so many take-out options in or around that square that you can grab and snack on while kids play freely in the piazza.
The piazza is a car-free zone (limited to only police, emergency vehicles and trash collection), making it safe for kids. There are trees for shade, public benches and a large fountain.
Choose from pastry and baked goods from S.forno (a great place to get pastries in Florence), gelato from Sbrino (one of Florence’s best gelaterie), schiacciata and pizza by the slice from Le Botteghe de Il Forno (one of Florence’s best bakeries) and sandwiches from Gusta Panino (one of my favorite sandwich shops in Florence).
Good To Know: Piazza Santo Spirito is home to many open air markets, many of which take place on Sundays. I don’t recommend hanging out here when markets are in session because it’s a zoo.
Amblé
Piazzetta dei Del Bene, 7/A
Best For: Healthy options + aperitivo drinks for mom and dad
Amblé is one of my favorite places in general to go to in the Historic District for aperitivo, sandwiches, snacks and kids meals, all made with healthy and wholesome ingredients.
Amblé is located right off Ponte Vecchio on a side street away from all the crowds. It’s small but does have a terrace with tables spilling onto the tiny square with enough space to park strollers.
Amblé has an amazing selection of sandwiches, open faced crostini, salads, healthy one meal bowls, carpaccio and tartare and even a kid’s menu! Order kid-sized and kid-friendly items like turkey sandwiches and ham and cheese without the price tag.
Amblé also has an amazing Spritz menu with over 15 variations, innovative cocktails and centrifughe or fresh squeezed juices.
Fun Fact: All the pieces of furniture (made by sustainable companies and artists) you see in the cafe are for sale as well!
Kids in Italy: Curious to read more about eating with kids in Italy? Check out
Best Squares To Eat And Drink With Kids In Venice
8+ Kid Friendly Restaurants In Venice – From A Mom Of Four Living In Italy
Where To Get A Quick Bite With Kids In Florence (Without Going Out Of Your Way!)
Where To Eat With Kids In Florence
School Lunches In Italy – What An Italian School Lunch Menu Looks Like
Kid-Friendly Foods to Order at Restaurants in Italy
Dining Out With Kids In Italy – What To Expect + Tips
Italy’s Best Supermarket Snacks for Kids
School Lunches in Italy
Spending Time in Florence? Make the most of your time eating and drinking in bella Firenze!:
Best Pizza in Florence
Best Gelato In Florence
Best Coffee In Florence
10 Foods You Must Try On Your First Visit To Florence
The Best Cheap Eats in Tuscany
Eating Vegan and Vegetarian in Florence
Best Rooftop Bars in Florence
Where to Have Aperitivo on a Budget in Florence
Where to Eat on Your First Visit to Florence
My Favorite Places to Eat Bistecca Fiorentina in Florence
Where to Have Brunch in Florence
Coolest Bars in Florence
International Restaurants in Florence
My Favorite Wine Bars (Enoteche) in Florence
Wines to Try in Tuscany
Where to Find Florence’s Best Schiacciata
Florence’s Best Panini
Food Markets in Florence
Where to Find Florence’s Best Pastries
Best Bakeries in Florence
Eating Gluten-Free in Florence
Where to Have Apericena in Florence
Where to Get Takeout in Florence
Where Locals Eat in Florence
Florentine Food Souvenirs
Where to Buy Specialty Food Items and Gifts in Florence
Where to Eat with Kids in Florence
Where to Get a Quick Bite with Kids in Florence
Traditional Tuscan Food
