Lampredotto and steak in Florence: where to eat and how much it costs

Tourists in Florence eat pizza by the Duomo and leave.

Meanwhile, the city's signature dish is sold at a kiosk around the corner. Locals line up for it and grab a glass of wine at the counter. Lampredotto and Florentine steak are two sides of the same cuisine: cheap street food and bone-in meat priced by the kilogram.

Il Cernacchio on Via della Condotta is open seven days a week (as of 09/2026, official website).

Below: what lampredotto is, how to order the steak, and when to go without waiting in line.

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What Florentine street food is

💡 In short:

• Lampredotto is made from beef abomasum and served in a crusty rosetta roll.
• Lunch at the Il Cernacchio counter costs dozens of times less than the steak (as of 09/2026, menu and prices).
• Florentine steak is ordered for two and priced by the weight of the cut.
• Prices and hours: 09/2026, verified on the official Il Cernacchio website.

© User:Giaccai · CC BY-SAPhoto: User:Giaccai, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

Florentine street food grew out of cucina povera, the cuisine of the poor. It used whatever was cheapest at the market: offal, stale bread, vegetables, wine. In Palermo, the same logic produced Stigghiola, a skewer of lamb innards. In Florence, lampredotto became the city's main street dish.

Italy responded to the expansion of fast food with the Slow Food movement, which began as a protest against the first McDonald's in central Rome. For a visitor, the difference is simple: a chain gives you the same taste in every country, while a tripe kiosk does not. Look for a counter by three signs: a line of locals, fresh bread, and sauce made on the spot. Ask the vendor what the broth is made with, and ask for bread dipped in it.

Tourist Florence ends at Piazza del Duomo. Beyond it begins a city where people eat standing up, not in a restaurant with a view. If you want to understand that difference, start with a sandwich.

Lampredotto: the fourth stomach in broth

The name lampredotto is linked to lampreda, the Florentine word for lamprey. Tripe that resembled it came to be called by the same name. It refers to the abomasum, the fourth compartment of a cow's stomach and the most tender part of the offal.

© Lamacchiacosta · CC BY-SAPhoto: Lamacchiacosta, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

The meat is cooked for several hours in broth with tomatoes, onion, and parsley. The fat layer gives it a sweetish flavor, and the meat itself becomes soft and juicy. It is served in a rosetta, a crusty bun the size of your palm. On top goes salsa verde made from parsley, capers, anchovies, and vinegar. You ask for the spicy sauce with a single word: piccante.

You can ask for the bread dipped in broth, which makes the flavor milder. Eat the first bite without any toppings to understand the base flavor. Compare it with a sandwich from a chain: it tastes the same in any country and has no story. Lampredotto exists only in Florence, and that is its value. Standing at the counter, you are not eating a delicacy but the history of a city that began at the market.

In gastronomic terms, this is street food, not restaurant cuisine. It does not need fancy presentation. What it does need is fresh bread, hot broth, and a spot where the vendor works fast.

Where to eat lampredotto: Il Cernacchio

Il Cernacchio Food & Wine occupies a tiny space at Via della Condotta 38R, a couple of minutes from Piazza della Signoria. According to the venue's website, Joe Bastianich named its lampredotto the best in Florence on the Foodish show on Amazon Prime Video. The venue's Google Maps rating is 4.6 out of 5 from more than 1,800 reviews (as of 09/2026, venue website).

There are few seats at the counter, but the deli and wine by the glass are available. A stuffed schiacciata costs 7.50 EUR, an extra topping 0.50 EUR, and the cover charge (coperto) is 1 EUR (as of 09/2026, venue price list). You order at the counter, get a number, and wait for it to be called out. At lunch this takes a few minutes; on a Friday evening it takes longer.

In reviews, guests most often mention peposo and ribollita here, stewed dishes of Tuscan cuisine. If you do not like tripe at all, go with those: same counter, same kitchen. The venue's phone number is 055 294119 (as of 09/2026, Il Cernacchio contacts).

Take your food to go and walk to Piazza della Signoria. That way you will try the dish the way locals eat it on their lunch break.

Bistecca fiorentina: meat on the bone

Florentine steak is cut from the loin, on a T-shaped bone. On one side of the bone is the tenderloin, on the other the strip loin. A portion is meant for two, so the cut is weighed whole. The bill depends on the weight, so you confirm the grams and the price per kilogram before cooking.

© Stefano Travasci · CC BYPhoto: Stefano Travasci, CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

The breed is listed on the menu: the classic is Chianina, a large white breed from the Val di Chiana. The meat is grilled over charcoal: the outside gets a crust, while the inside stays rare. This doneness is called al sangue, and in Tuscany it is considered the only correct way.

Seasoning is minimal: coarse salt, chopped herbs, and a couple of drops of olive oil. Sage and rosemary add aroma, parsley adds freshness. No sauce is served with the meat; it would overpower the flavor. If one guest wants a more well-done piece, ask to split the cut: your half will be finished on the grill.

An important detail for splitting: the tenderloin and strip loin cook differently. The tenderloin is softer and drier, the strip loin more flavorful and fattier. That is why a cut for two is best divided along the bone.

Where to eat the steak: I'Tuscani

Bisteccheria I'Tuscani San Pancrazio stands across from the Church of San Pancrazio. You can walk there from Santa Maria Novella station and from Ponte Vecchio. According to the official website, the venue is open on Monday from 12:00 to 14:30 and from 18:00 to 23:00. It is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday (as of 09/2026, schedule on the I'Tuscani website). Older publications list Monday as the closed day, so check the schedule before your trip.

Ordering works like this: the waiter brings a raw cut to the table, states the weight, and takes it to the grill. The bill is calculated by weight, so you learn the price before cooking. Book a table for dinner in advance: phone and WhatsApp +39 055 213842 (as of 09/2026, I'Tuscani contacts).

Keep the sides simple: white beans, spinach, or roasted potatoes. Heavy sauces and cheese do not go with a fiorentina.

How much lunch costs in Florence

Prices at Il Cernacchio and at the bisteccheria differ by tens of times, and it is not just about the meat. At a restaurant you pay for the counter, service and time; at Il Cernacchio you pay almost only for the food. If your budget is tight, split the dishes by time: lampredotto for lunch, steak for dinner. House Tuscan wine at Il Cernacchio is cheaper than at a restaurant, so get a glass there.

Practical tips: when to go and what to order

The best time for Il Cernacchio: 11:30 and after 15:00. During the lunch break office workers come to the counter and the line grows. On Friday evening there are almost no free spots at the counter, so get your food to go. Order briefly: un panino con lampredotto, bagnato. If you want it spicier, add piccante. Coffee is drunk standing at the bar, and a table in the center comes with coperto.

Before ordering a steak, ask them to show you the cut and tell you the weight. A good place does this without being reminded, and you see the bill in advance. Schedules change, so check the opening hours on the day of your visit.

In central Florence almost everything is within walking distance. From Il Cernacchio on Via della Condotta to I'Tuscani by the church of San Pancrazio is about a 10-15 minute walk. Split the route: leave Il Cernacchio for lunch, I'Tuscani for dinner.

Between lunch and dinner Italian kitchens close for a break, so you cannot fit both dishes into one hour. Plan two visits.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

What is lampredotto?

Lampredotto is made from beef abomasum, the fourth chamber of the stomach. The meat is braised for several hours in broth with tomatoes, onion, and parsley, then placed in a bun and topped with green sauce. The flavor is milder than regular tripe, so it is worth trying at least once.

How much does a lunch of a sandwich and wine cost?

At Il Cernacchio, schiacciata costs 7.50 €, an extra topping is 0.50 €, and the seating fee is 1 € (as of 09/2026, Il Cernacchio price list). With a glass of wine, lunch remains cheap even by fast food chain standards. Coffee after the meal costs a couple of euros.

Can you order a steak for one?

Florentine steak is meant for two: the cut is weighed whole, and it will not get any smaller. It is easier to get one piece of meat for two and add a side dish. If you are dining alone, order a steak from the same loin section at a smaller weight.

Do you need to reserve a table at I'Tuscani?

For dinner, it is better to call ahead by phone or through the restaurant's WhatsApp (as of 09/2026, I'Tuscani San Pancrazio website). The restaurant is open five days a week, and on Friday evening free tables are not guaranteed. During the day on weekdays, it is easier to walk in.

Are lampredotto kiosks open on Monday?

Il Cernacchio is open every day from 10:30 to 22:00, and until 23:00 on Friday and Saturday (as of 09/2026, Il Cernacchio hours). Restaurants have different schedules: I'Tuscani is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, and Monday is a working day there. So Monday is a good day to leave for a sandwich.

In short: what to book

If you are in town for one day, start with Il Cernacchio. Lampredotto and a glass of wine cost less than any tour, and the taste of the city comes through more strongly in them. Save dinner for two for a steak at I'Tuscani and check the opening hours in advance.

A matrix for choosing. Want something quick and cheap: Il Cernacchio. Want meat and wine at a table: I'Tuscani San Pancrazio. Want both in one day: a sandwich for lunch, a steak in the evening.

For tours and food experiences in Florence, see GetYourGuide.