Florence, Italy. The renaissance city may be famed for its bistecca alla fiorentina (thick cuts of beef steak), yet plant-based eating has quietly flourished here in recent years. 🌱

Indeed, the Florence vegan food scene is growing, giving us delightful vegans more options.

Last summer, my partner and I spent three days in Florence (or Firenze), and actually experienced some excellent vegan dishes, which included a trip to an entirely vegan restaurant.

So, read on for a brief guide to enjoying Florence’s plant-based scene, whether you’re a tourist or native.

1. A background to vegan food in Florence
2. Where to look for vegan food in Florence
   1. Nirvana Veg Restaurant
   2. Il Vegano
   3. Tripperia Vegana
   4. #RAW
   5. Giumella
3. What’s the best vegan restaurant in Florence?
4. The final word on Florence’s vegan food

A background to vegan food in Florence

Vegan food in Florence is nothing new.

Like the majority of Italy, Tuscan cuisine leans on the tradition of la cucina povera – a humble style of plant-based cooking that emphasises vegetables, legumes and grains (and some animal products).

Essentially, Florence already had the bones of a vegan-friendly cuisine long before veganism became so well known.

Dishes like ribollita (a hearty bread and vegetable soup) and pappa al pomodoro (a tomato and bread stew) are naturally plant-based and deeply satisfying.

Fortunately for us vegans, more people are seeking healthier and more ethical ways of eating, and vegan restaurants in Florence are arriving.

The city’s vegan scene may still be niche compared to its carnivorous roots, yet slowly but surely it’s beginning to blossom.

Note that in addition to the restaurants listed below, most establishments in Florence will serve something vegan. Even if it’s a simple penne in marinara sauce or a pizza sensa formaggio (without cheese), you’ll find something.

Fortunately, there are also plenty of dedicated vegan choices too for when you want a little choice.

Where to look for vegan food in Florence

Whether you’re a resident or travelling as a vegan, there are plenty of places to eat good vegetarian and vegan food in Florence.

Below, I’m listing a few, with links where appropriate.

Of course, in the current economic landscape, businesses come and go, but at the time of writing (July 2025), the following restaurants were open and thriving.

I’ll do my best to keep this list updated. If you eat anywhere good, please let me know and I’ll include it in an upcoming update!

Nirvana Veg Restaurant

Nirvana Veg Restaurant is a family run all-vegan restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, located just north of the river.

You can expect classic Italian dishes, including pasta, pizza, gnocchi, plant-based meat dishes, and desserts.

Not forgetting plenty of Tuscan wine. 🍷

We enjoyed an early evening meal here in July last year, so you can read my full review on this below. 👇

Il Vegano

This is one highly rated vegan restaurant that I wish I had visited, although it’s further north than we ventured (around 10 minutes north of the cathedral).

Il Vegano serves wholesome Italian comfort food, including dishes like lasagne al ragu di seitan and melanzane alla parmigiana. This is the quintessential Italian food you want to experience during a city break. 👌

The restaurant looks quite basic, but relaxed, and most reviews mention welcoming service. A bonus is that the prices seem surprisingly good too.

Here’s the Il Vegano website.

Tripperia Vegana

Next, a really novel vegan restaurant in Florence… because the chef delivers sandwiches via a basket from a balcony!

The small menu includes the classic panino con il lampredotto. This is traditionally made with tripe (i.e., cow’s stomach… urgh), but this vegan version is made using shredded mushroom. Much better.

Tripperia Vegana is open for both lunch and dinner. However, there’s no shop front, so you have to use their website to book your meal.

Then simply turn up at the balcony and enjoy food delivered from above. 👌

#RAW

Here’s another place I really wanted to try, but just didn’t have time.

As the name suggests, #RAW is a raw vegan cafe in the energetic Santo Spirito district, just south of the river Arno.

Vibrant dishes include pizza, sandwiches, smoothie bowls and even vegan tiramisù, while they also offer juices and wellness shots. Because we all need a few extra vitamins to compensate for all that wine.

Probably worth a visit if you need a little health boost on your holiday. You’ll find more info on their website.

Giumella

Giumella is a very casual vegan restaurant serving local dishes, breads, pastries and cakes.

Expect paper plates and napkins more than fine dining. But this makes it great for grab and go.

Aside from the slightly higher prices, the only downside is they appear to be closed at weekends during the summer months. It’s around 30 minutes walk from the cathedral.

Here’s the Giumella website.

What’s the best vegan restaurant in Florence?

It’s difficult to say, as I didn’t manage to visit many dedicated vegan eateries. I found out about them when I got home… 🤦‍♂️

However, as mentioned above, I did try Nirvana Veg Restaurant and it surely stakes a claim as the best.

It’s located on Via Il Prato, on the north side of the river, around five minutes walk from Florence’s train station.

As mentioned above, this is a fully vegan restaurant serving a huge menu of typical Italian dishes.

To start, I was thrilled to see vegan bresaola! When I was a meat eater, I used to love this simple dish (thinly sliced salted beef), but hadn’t had it for years.

When it arrived, it was exactly as I wanted – served with some rocket, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese. Perfetto. 👌

For my main dish, I went ‘meaty’ again, and opted for the seitan cooked in red wine. Again, perfect flavours and satisfying texture – just what I needed after a long day of sightseeing.

It arrived with a lovely plate of grilled vegetables, which hit the spot too (I think I ordered these as a separate dish). Again, a good nutrient boost before an evening of red wine.

Sitting outside was nice enough and tables are sheltered from a relatively mediocre part of Florence. Still, given the opportunity, I would sit inside next time.

Overall, this was the best vegan food in Florence that we encountered and I’d highly recommend a visit.

The final word on Florence’s vegan food

Finding good vegan and vegetarian food in this romantic city is pretty easy, both in omnivorous restaurants and dedicated plant-based establishments.

It just takes a little planning ahead. But, like finding vegan food in Las Vegas or Milan, that’s the case with most cities.

If you have eaten anywhere good in Florence and want me to include it in an upcoming update of this page, please get in touch!