The capital of Tuscany has no shortage of excellent restaurants, which can make deciding where to go difficult. To narrow the choices, I gave myself a fun challenge: Discover centrally located wine bars where the food lives up to the wine list. I sought something more exciting than the standard charcuterie board but that didn’t veer into fancy fusion (Florentine cuisine is usually best when it’s unfussy). I skipped the touristy establishments listed in every guidebook in favor of new or lesser-known spots.

La Tenda Rossa

My traveling companion and I were admiring one of the most beautiful squares in the city, Piazza della Signoria, when we stumbled across La Tenda Rossa. Feeling peckish and intrigued by the restaurant’s contemporary Tuscan menu, we stepped in and found a sky-blue ceiling painted with a heavenly scene of winged gods, cherubs and angels. A welcoming staff member led us to the bar of Baccarossa, the restaurant’s wine shop, to wait for a table. A boisterous, entirely Italian crowd populated the baroque-style main dining room, a narrow space with stone arches, massive pillars and a vaulted frescoed ceiling. The sommelier expertly guided me to a bright Vermentino from Tuscany to pair with my artichoke flan. The silky flan set atop a pecorino cream contrasted well with the salty crunch of crispy pancetta. Just as memorable was the chamomile-smoked duck with caramelized oranges, served alongside a bold Super Tuscan red blend.

» Go for: the contemporary Tuscan fare and baroque décor.