I was introduced to Ditta Artigianale the first week that I lived in Italy as it was so close to where I was studying and working, not to mention the fact that it is the coolest café/restaurant in Florence. There are three locations, one on the famous via dei Neri, one in Oltrarno and one close to la Galleria dell'Accademia. I have only been to the first two however they never fail to impress. Think of great coffee at reasonable prices, the best brunch in Florence as well as yummy food for lunch and dinner. It is not a traditionally Italian café or restaurant, however it perfectly incorporates tradition with modernity and globalisation.

The owner Francesco Sanapo has been a barista for the last 15 years and has won a number of awards including wining the Italian Barista Championship in 2010, 2011 and 2013 as well as coming 6th at the World Championships in Australia in 2013. After winning all of these prizes he decided to dedicate himself to the diffusion of high quality coffee culture in Italy. He now owns the three Ditta Artigianale coffee bars, all of which are in Florence's historical centre. He provides quality, single origin coffee and has a personal relationship with the manufacturers that they use, something which I think is very important.

Ditta Artigianale translates to "the artisan company" in English and the quality of their coffee definitely warrants its name. They have so many different types of coffee from all over the world: Ethiopia, Guatemala and Honduras just to name a few and they use super modern technologies in order to create the perfect coffee for their customers. The coffee is so good that the company has noticed less and less people adding sugar to their coffee - the rich flavours are enough on their own, just like at Colonna & Smalls in Bath, England.




Although they are famous for their coffee (and rightly so!) it is actually my favourite brunch spot in the whole of Florence, and I love my brunch. They have a massive range of things to choose from: pancakes, croissants, french toast, yogurt, bacon and scrambled eggs... they have something for everyone! Paired with their amazing coffee or one of their yummy fresh juices, it's the perfect place. The food isn't traditionally Italian, however you can see the roots coming through in some of their dishes, for example in this pumpkin stuffed pasta with truffle cream above which was simply divine.

In many places in Italy it would be frowned upon to sit at a table for an extended amount of time, working away on your laptop whilst only having bought a coffee. Coffee culture is very different in Italy - it is normally consumed standing up (in order not to pay more) and lasts a few seconds. What I love about Ditta Artigianale is that it has more of a cosy feel, a place that you can go to to meet friends and catch up over a few cappuccinos or plug in your computer and work or study whilst enjoying their free WiFi. They also have different varieties of plant based milk such as almond, coconut and soy which is great for those who are dairy-free.





The above pictures of the restaurant are all from the Oltrarno branch (I will leave a list of the locations and opening times below), which is much bigger and over two floors so there is plenty of space for you to work away, have a coffee, brunch, lunch, an afternoon snack, dinner, or cocktails after work! Coffee starts at €1.50 and the menu changes seasonally which means that you always get the freshest ingredients, but also means that you may not be able to order some of the food pictured above - worry not, everything is always yummy.

The other location that I have been to is the one in via dei Neri (pictured below) which is smaller, however equally, if not more, cosy. It is much closer to la Piazza della Signoria for example, so I generally go here just out of convenience. The staff are always lovely (in either location) and the service is quick. The owners have definitely been smart here in incorporating the great things from traditional Italian food with modern aspects which make the places so popular.


Ditta Artigianale's locations & opening times:

via dei Neri 32/R
Open daily from 8:00 - 22:00 (8:00 - 24:00 on Friday and 9:30 - 24:00 on Saturday)

via dello Sprone 3/5/R (Oltrarno)
Open daily from 8:00 - 24:00 (9:00 - 24:00 Friday & Saturday)

via Cavour 50/R (located in the new casa del cinema della Toscana)
Open daily from 8:00 - 24:00

If you're living in Florence or just visiting then definitely try the coffee in this place - it's so good and you won't have to pay if you want to sit down. Enjoy!

Alexandra x


*Please note that photos 2, 3, 4, 5, 11 and 12 are credited to Ditta Artigianale.*