Shopping at the best delicatessens in Florence

It's one of Florence's most elegant delicatessens; founded in 1860, Florentines have come and go here to stock their larder with some of the most sought-after delicacies. "The management has changed since 2025," director Gianfranco Andriolo tells us, "but for our customers, nothing has changed. What guides us, always, is the absolute quality of the products we offer." At Pegna, you'll find an endless assortment of Italian and foreign cheeses ("on Parmesan, we have vertical tastings from 24 to 100 months"), excellent cured meats, raw cured meats from 24 to 36 months, and then there's a wide selection of salmon, including wild salmon, of which there's a wide selection. "We also have an impressive cellar," Andriolo adds, "and a wide selection of sweet and savory products." In September, Pegna also offers some fresh delicacies, such as porcini mushrooms and white and black truffles. If you're not passing through town, no problem: "We also have a small online shop that we're expanding," he concludes.

Fabio Picchi, the legendary founder of the Cibrèo restaurant in Florence, also ran a small grocery store for a while. Those same gastronomic delights can now be found in some of the brand's restaurants, particularly at the Teatro del Sale on Via dei Macci, a venue that is a theater, cultural center, meeting place, and restaurant all in one. The products are mostly Cibrèo-branded and follow Picchi's original recipes: for example, ultra-organic pickled vegetables like Brussels sprouts, squash, and unripe green tomatoes, a true anti-waste recipe. Then there's Cibrèo's pomarola, made naturally according to the founder's dictates, and his ikkecciappe, a sauce that nods to American ketchup, but made with red peppers instead of tomatoes. Other delicacies include Pian dei Giullari oil, produced in the Florentine area, rare preserves such as Quintosapore garlic pesto, and, at Christmas, Filippi panettone, made only with extra virgin olive oil.

The perfect experience at Procacci 1885 on Via de' Tornabuoni is this: first an aperitivo, drinking excellent sparkling wine and eating gourmet sandwiches, often with truffles, and then shopping, taking home small delicacies that make the return to September life a little less burdensome. Procacci has been around since 1885, as the sign says (today the wines are all from Marchesi Antinori, who acquired the brand), and the sandwiches have always been one more delicious than the next. "The most popular are the one with truffle, butter, and anchovies and the one with brie and onion jam," Lauro Zazzara, the manager, tells us. We also really like the ones with salmon and chives or the prosciutto and truffled artichoke cream. To take away, there are all the truffle-based products, creams, condiments, Gragnano pasta, Morgan's Giardiniera, Cantabrian anchovies, caviar, honey, jams, and gianduiotti. And then, of course, the bottles. "For example, a Franciacorta Blanc de Blancs Marchese Antinori," recommends Zazzara.

Despite its name, this isn't just a well-stocked wine shop, it's also a highly respected delicatessen. We're located on Via delle Oche, next to the Duomo. "We've been here since 1952," explains the charming director, Antonella Tarchi. "Enoteca Alessi, still owned by the same family, started out as a confectionery shop. Then, in the 1970s, we added wines and spirits, which we supply to the city's five-star hotels." As for delicatessens, you're spoiled for choice. "We have a huge selection of pecorino cheeses from both Pienza and Montepulciano, and then many cured meats, all from small producers like those in Roccastrada or Mercatale," Tarchi concludes. "Every now and then, we give Tuscany a twist: with some Sardinian pecorino cheeses, and some good Piedmontese cheeses, for example. But no French ones; in Italy, we have an endless selection of cheeses." The jams are also excellent ("we have two shelves full of them"), as are the biscuits, sweets, chocolates, and then there is a good selection of teas, coffees, herbal teas and pickles, this time from Puglia.

Here at Gastronomia Boschetti in Borgno Ognissanti (a beautiful place where everything is perfectly organized, like a boutique), there are also tables where you can enjoy the delicacies on display, but without service. Some are very famous. "Like our roast beef," says Paolo, one of the owners, "or the pork loin or chicken breast." The shop also boasts renowned vegetable-based dishes: the side dishes are excellent, whether you eat in or take away. "We also have cold cuts like finocchiona, pancetta, or truffle salami," Paolo adds, "and then lots of Tuscan cheeses, like pecorino, one of the most delicious of which is the truffle one." In September, since it's not yet cold, mozzarella is a big hit: "We sell a lot of it," he concludes.

Salumificio Anzuini is run by the third generation: founded by Pietro in 1929, it is now run by his grandchildren Enrica and Jacopo. "Our main location is on Via Faentina, where the production laboratory and direct sales shop are located," explains Enrica, "but the location on Via de Neri is the historic one, where the business began." Their bestsellers are generally Tuscan salami, sbriciolona, ​​soppressata, and porchetta; and then there's the butcher shop with steaks, pork, sausages, and poultry from Montespertoli farms. The selection of cheeses is also good: "For example, we have semi-aged and aged Pienza pecorino, pecorino flavored with truffle, pear, wine, chili pepper, or aged under walnut or olive leaves or hay," adds Enrica. The extra specialty? At the Via De' Neri location, next to the butcher shop, there is also a grill and a small kitchen where they prepare sandwiches, schiacciata, platters, and some typical dishes such as lampredotto, peposo, and tripe.