Tourist restaurants circling the Duomo cathedral serve microwaved garbage at triple authentic prices. Real Tuscan cuisine lives in neighborhood trattorias where locals actually eat — Simple ingredients executed with proper technique, zero English menus plastered outside like bait.

Essential Florentine dishes: Bistecca alla fiorentina (proper dry-aged T-bone, €40-60 serves two), ribollita (bread-thickened vegetable soup, peak season October-March), lampredotto from street carts (€3-4 tripe sandwich, don't knock it). Hunt down budini di riso — Traditional rice pudding tarts locals grab from neighborhood bakeries, not touristy dessert menus.

Where locals eat: Trattoria Mario near Mercato Centrale market uses identical recipes since the 1950s. Lunch only, no reservations, arrive by 12:30 or watch them sell out. For dirt-cheap authentic meals, trek to Trattoria Sabatino past Porta San Frediano gate — Massive traditional portions under €15, zero tourist English heard at tables.

Quality checkpoint: Any bistecca fiorentina under €35 isn't the proper Chianina beef cut. Trust neighborhood joints where you overhear Italian conversations, not establishments displaying photo menus like fast food chains. Proper technique takes time and costs accordingly.