Fig and Peach Gelato from Perche No!
Italians love their food, and so do tourists visiting Italy. If Florence wasn’t totally jam packed with beautiful outdoor sculptures, buzzing piazzas (squares), river views, famous museums and churches, we would have probably eaten the city out of ice cream and pizza. Despite the welcomed distractions, we managed to make a good dent. Our Couch Surfing host was vegan, and had a real sweet tooth. As soon as we arrived in the city, she directed us to her favourite ice cream parlor, Perche No!. I’m known for choosing soy milk gelato, for the creaminess, but on this rare occasion opted for a scoop of fruity fig and peach, because you just don’t see these flavours everyday. They were fresh, light and oh so satisfying.
Vegan Gelato from Perche No! in Florence, Italy
Vanilla and Chocolate Soy Milk Ice Cream from Perche No!
John decided to try the two soy milk flavours and got a scoop of vanilla and chocolate. The chocolate was super dark and rich, and the vanilla nice and creamy.
Soy Options
Vegan Fruit Options
Perche No! has two large, glass cases filled with options. The front case (pictured above), which you see as you come in the door, contains fruit flavours made without dairy or eggs. The soy milk options are in the other case, and clearly labeled. They also offer a vegan cone, you just have to ask.
Preche No!
According to the Frommer’s guide, Preche No! was the first ice cream parlor to open in the city’s center back in 1946. They are credited with introducing the novelty glass display case, which is now a standard around Italy, and the world. One last crazy fact: During World War II, the power grid was specially reconnected to Perche No! so they could continue making gelato for the people of Florence. How amazing!
Perche No!
www.percheno.firenze.it/
Via dei Tavolini 19r, off Via del Calzaiuoli
Firenze, Italy
Tel. 055-239-8969
Vegan Pizza in Florence, Italy
Marinara Pizza from Gusto Leo
In typical Italian style, we had a pizza a day while in Florence. Except, unlike the locals, we shared each pizza. It absolutely amazes me to watch locals eat a full pizza all by themselves. We ordered this pizza marinara, with tomato sauce, garlic, and oregano, for €5.40 Euros ($7.35 USD) from Gusto Leo. We considered eating inside the restaurant but ended up taking it to the park after we noticed the note on the menu about a €1.50 Euro ($2.04 USD) fee for splitting a pizza. I guess that’s how they can tell the locals from the tourists. Locals eat it all.
Gusto Leo
www.gustoleo.com
Via del Proconsolo, 8-red
Firenze, Italy
Tel: 055 285217
Vegetable Pizza, No Sauce from Birrificio Mostodolce
Pizzas can make for a very affordable meal, especially if you’re sharing, but it’s kind of annoying that the difference in price between a marinara, with just sauce and spices, and a pizza with some vegetables is about €3.00 or €4.00 Euros ($4.08-5.44 USD). I wouldn’t mind the additional fee if it got us more than a few paper thin slices of vegetables. This pizza from Birrificio Mostodolce, which cost about €9.00 Euros ($12.25 USD), came with a decent amount of veg (we’ve had a lot less), but was lacking in the sauce department. I guess we confused the staff with our request for no cheese. Oops! The lack of sauce left the pizza quite dry but we ate it up anyway.
Birrificio Mostodolce
www.mostodolce.it/
Via Frà Bartolomeo, 211
Firenze, Italy
Tel. +39 0574 57.70.30
Il Vegetariano, Florence, Italy
Il Vegetariano by flickr: Jed Baxter
Seitan, Rice and Salad from Il Vegetariano by flickr: dave_diblasio
With all of the vegetarian restaurants closed for August, we were left to eat pizza and ice cream while in Florence. How awful, right? I’m sure your heart is breaking for us. Okay but in all seriousness, if you make it to Florence in the spring or summer, you should have no problem finding vegetarian fare at restaurants like Il Vegetariano.
Il Vegetariano
Via delle Ruote, 30 r
Firenze, Italy
Tel: +39-055-475030
La Raccolta, Florence, Italy
flickr: valeriedoucette
There’s also La Raccolta restaurant and health food store, which a very good friend of mine, Valerie, ate at when she visited Florence in 2008. She enjoyed some tofu and asparagus ravioli with pesto, pine nuts and garlic.
flickr: valeriedoucette
And, like any good vegan, she didn’t pass up the chance to try some cappuccino and vanilla gelato, with chocolate sauce, for dessert.
La Raccolta by flickr: valeriedoucette
La Raccolta
www.laraccolta.it/
Via Giacomo Leopardi, 2r
Firenze, Italy (50121)
Tel: +39-055-2479068
Festival del Gelato, Florence, Italy
By flickr: Aquaturquoise
By flickr: Aquaturquoise
Can you handle one more scoop? Yea? OK good. Festival del Gelato, which is located in the center of Florence and easily spotted by its neon signs, has a selection of rice milk gelato, with flavours like frutti di bosco (forest fruit or mixed berries), hazelnut and cappuccino. If you have any appetite left, check them out.
Festival del Gelato
Via del Corso 75r
Firenze, Italy
Tel:+39 055 239 4386
13 Comments »
Good to know about the pizza, anyway, even if the other restaurants were closed. And of course there must be ice cream in August! I’ll be in Italy in December and I’ve been noting your posts… can’t wait to see what I find.
Wow this looks wonderful! Makes me want to return to Florence on Thursday, so I think I will! So much more to see and do. I just loved it. Loved it! Loved it! Loved it!
I was very disappointed that the marinara pizzas were about 2 or 3 euros more than in Bologna and Naples. They don’t even have marinara on the menu here in Roma!
On the Vegan Fruit Options photo from Perche No! there is an ice cream flavour called Ricotta? Is that the cheesy kind? And it’s vegan? AND in Ice Cream form?? All of it looks sooo good, thanks for sharing everything!
I check out all the updates on your site :)
@Jessica – You’re in for a real treat! Italy is amazing.
@Feather – Florence is definitely a special city. Have fun on your return visit :)
@Michelle – I think the ricotta is the odd one out and not a vegan option. Maybe they ran out of space in the other case?? Not sure.
Looks fun and fantastic! I love virtual traveling through your blog.
Um, heaven!!! I am a pizza fanatic. I tried gelato for the first time this summer. Love the idea of a soy gelato. I know that won’t be found here sadly. Hmmmm, recipe perhaps?
Hey, I could EASILY put away a whole pizza by myself, no problem. :-) But, it would have to have sauce on it. Pizza without sauce is just wrong! (Do you think maybe there was cheese in the sauce and that’s why they left it off?)
I love the inside of La Raccolta!
I’ve gotten a bit behind on reading your Italy posts, and I must remedy that. My grandfather was from near Pisa and I have always, always wanted to go to Italy, Tuscany especially, and haven’t made it yet. So I’ll enjoy it vicariously through your blog, like I get to enjoy so many places! Thanks for the wonderful virtual vegan travels you provide (with no radiation scans or frisking required!)
Haven’t been to Florence since I was a little girl, but this stuff looks fantastic!!
I miss it.
Grazie mille for these awesome recos!! Was just in Firenze and these were a HUGE help =)
[...] Vegan Florence – This blog post contains some specific places in Florence that serve vegetarian and vegan foods, including a couple of gelato shops with soy or rice milk gelato and one with a vegan ice cream cone. [...]
pesto is vegan? it’s made using parmesan. parmesan containd rennet/
Another great little place in Florence is BVeg in Via Orti Oricellai, near the station. They have an amazing selection of artisanal beers, excellent vegetarian and vegan food. The staff is very friendly, the atmosphere laid back and warm and prices very reasonable.
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