A coffee and cake crawl through Florence

Six independent Florence stops running from Ognissanti through the historic centre and Sant'Ambrogio to the Arno and across into Oltrarno, each open about the roaster and machine behind the bar.

This is a coffee and cake crawl through Florence, beginning near Ognissanti in the west and working east through the historic centre to Sant'Ambrogio, then south to the Arno and across the river into San Frediano in Oltrarno. Six independent stops, with the roaster and machine noted at each one where it is publicly known.

1. Amble

Start at Piazzetta dei Del Bene 7a, a short walk from the Ognissanti church. The courtyard entrance is easy to walk past; look for the sign on the street and turn in. Amble pulls espresso on a Slayer machine with rotating single-origin filter on the side, and the brunch kitchen makes it a practical first stop. Open Tuesday to Sunday.

2. Todomodo

A few minutes east along Via dei Fossi brings you to Todomodo at number 15r, an independent bookshop where the coffee programme is managed by Andrea Batacchi, Italian Brewers Cup Champion in 2025 and a top-five finisher at the World Brewers Cup. The books lean toward art, design and literature; the bar covers espresso, filter and AeroPress.

3. SimBIOsi

Head northeast through the historic centre toward San Lorenzo and continue to Via de' Ginori 64r. SimBIOsi is an organic specialty cafe and wine bar run by Donato and Sofia, who also operate the organic restaurant next door. The espresso is pulled on a hand-lever machine with D612 beans, and from early evening the aperitivo hour draws on the neighbouring kitchen.

4. Coffee Mantra

From San Lorenzo cut southeast through the Duomo quarter toward Santa Croce and on to Borgo la Croce 71r in Sant'Ambrogio. Giovanni Benini and his wife Laura opened Coffee Mantra here around 2018. The bar pours Gearbox Coffee, roasted by fourth-generation roaster Tommaso Bongini north of the city; the single-origin lot changes daily. V60 and AeroPress alongside espresso.

5. Melaleuca

Head south to the Arno and walk east along the north bank to Lungarno delle Grazie 18. Melaleuca is an Australian-owned bakery and cafe open for breakfast and brunch, pouring D612 beans and baking daily. The menu runs to French toast, avocado toast and egg dishes. The kitchen closes in the mid-afternoon.

6. D612 Coffee Roasters

Cross the Arno at Ponte alle Grazie and walk west into Oltrarno to Via Cittadella 2R/B in San Frediano. D612 Coffee Roasters is run by Lucian Trapanese and Lorenzo Caldarelli, who source exclusively from traceable small farms and roast light, modern profiles. Their beans supply SimBIOsi and Melaleuca back along this route. The room is minimal and retail bags are available to take home. Roasts its own coffee.

All six stops are within Florence's compact historic and near-historic footprint. The walk from Ognissanti to D612 in San Frediano takes around fifty minutes if you move steadily; you probably will not, which is the point.

Common questions

Which Florence cafes roast their own coffee?

D612 Coffee Roasters in San Frediano roasts in-house, sourcing from traceable small farms and roasting light profiles. Caffetteria Piansa, a family roastery in Bagno a Ripoli just outside the city, has been roasting since the 1980s and serves the results at its Via Gioberti bar.

Where can I find good cake with my coffee in Florence?

Melaleuca at Lungarno delle Grazie 18 bakes daily and runs a full brunch menu with sweet and savoury options. Amble near Ognissanti runs a brunch and aperitivo kitchen. Both are on this crawl.

Is this Florence coffee crawl walkable?

Yes. The six stops run from Ognissanti in the west, north to San Lorenzo, east to Sant'Ambrogio, south to Lungarno delle Grazie on the Arno and then across into San Frediano in Oltrarno. The whole route is comfortable in an afternoon; no two consecutive stops are more than twenty minutes on foot.

Which Florence cafe is best for single-origin filter?

Coffee Mantra on Borgo la Croce 71r rotates its single-origin lot daily using Gearbox Coffee, making it the most filter-focused stop on the crawl. Todomodo on Via dei Fossi, where Italian Brewers Cup Champion Andrea Batacchi manages the programme, is the other strong option for filter and AeroPress.