Vegan and vegetarian cafés in Florence

What is not vegan on the counter

Most local pastries are off the list. Schiacciata alla fiorentina is made with whole milk and eggs, and with butter or lard.¹ The budino di riso is rice cooked in milk and mixed with pastry cream, in a buttery shortcrust case.² The Tuscan bombolone is made without eggs, but it is a filled, fried dough, so ask about the dough and the filling.³

Plant milks and vegan cakes

Pasticceria Gualtieri, on Via Senese near Porta Romana, offers vegan and gluten-free pastries and three plant milks, oat, almond and soy.⁴ Coffee Mantra, on Borgo la Croce, keeps plant-based milks for its single origins.⁵ Carduccio, at Sdrucciolo de' Pitti 10r near Palazzo Pitti, serves organic vegetarian food with gluten-free and vegan cakes.⁵

Ben Caffè, on Via Santa Margherita, includes vegan dishes in its breakfast menu.⁵ SimBIOsi, on Via de' Ginori, has a menu of cakes, homemade cookies and croissants alongside organic coffees from around the world, and runs from breakfast to aperitivo.⁴

Brunch with plant-based dishes

Le Vespe Cafe, at Via Ghibellina 76r, has added more and more plant-based dishes to its North American-style brunch.⁵ SimBIOsi, open daily 08:00–20:00, ran a nine-item coffee list from cappuccino to cold brew on a 2021 visit.⁶

In Santa Croce, Le Murate Caffè Letterario has vegan options and opens daily from 09:00 to 01:00, with tables outside, and Rivarno on Lungarno delle Grazie opens from noon, until 20:00 from Friday to Sunday. Caffe Le Torri, on Borgo San Iacopo, has both vegan options and Wi-Fi.

Outside the center

Near the sights, Gran Caffè San Marco on Piazza San Marco and Caffè Scudieri on Piazza di San Giovanni both have vegan options, and Amblé, in Piazzetta dei Del Bene, opens from noon Thursday to Sunday and from 17:30 midweek. Across the river, Caffè Pontevecchio, at Ponte Vecchio 57r, opens Monday to Saturday from 07:30 to 23:30, Popcafé is at Piazza Santo Spirito 18, and Bar Pitti, opposite the palace, also does takeaway.

In Rifredi, Caffè Giulia is on Viale Corsica. Bar pasticceria Silvano e Valentino, which opens at 05:15, has vegan items next to its pastries. In Campo di Marte, Caffe Le Riffe is on Via del Ponte alle Riffe, and Caffè del '900 is on Lungarno Amerigo Vespucci, toward the Cascine.