I love cupcakes & cake (but I don't bake) and I have to say I'm fairly picky. These cupcakes are…read moreworth the detour from any tour group. They were moist & not too sweet, creamy and beautiful. Loved the ladies at Dolce Lab & I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of each other (see note about the fact that I don't bake, ha!). The shop is adorable with plenty of seating to enjoy a cupcake or slice of cake (they have other treats too) with tea. They have a large table to seat at least 8, a cozy couch, bar along the wall up front & tables along the wall walking toward the back. So, bring your friends and enjoy this place. Maybe I'll see you there ;)

Let me be the weird girl here that did not like this place. I really am unhappy to be disappointed…read moreby a place I have been trying for more than one year to go to. Let's face it, my first criticism would be that they have unusual schedule here. My expectations have only been growing as I was failing to get in. But, finally, on a bright and particularly lucky Sunday, by a magical concordance of universal forces, I was able to enter for a brunch (last time i tried a brunch, it was open but no brunch was served that specific Sunday..). But then... I really ended up very disappointed by the food served. The 12€ brunch plate was composed of: first, an over cooked eggs with some tiny pieces of not very good quality smoked salmon (why not at least ask how people like the eggs to be cooked? anyway very few person would choose this over cooked version of an omelet). Second, a half cold very very bad croque monsieur, honestly closed to one you could buy on a highway stop: the bread was not toasted enough, the bechamel was not very good to say the least and again, half cold like this is not good! No. Then, the pancakes were ok, nothing special, nothing bad. But the jam was so common, I mean for a bakery you would expect a bit more taste. And overall, I found the portion a bit small. After this quite mediocre plate (not bad really, just not good at all), i decided to try the cupacke for which they are famous for. Well, it was an ok cupcake but nothing very good and special either. I even found it a bit dry. Last comment, there was absolutely no flexibility in changing the plate composition. You have to choose between 1- eggs, 2- pancakes (sweet or salted) and 3- "specialty of the day" which this particular day was the croque monsieur and a kind of flaky pastry filled with pesto (that is it, some flaky pastry + pesto - not anything more, that is it). So if you do not like eggs and wish to change this amazing omelet with this pesto dough, you are to be charged more, and not the brunch plate. I would understand if it were meat or fish or something elaborated, but dough ? and pesto ?? The difference was like 1€ so ok, who cares? Well it is not very important financially for sure but shows a lack of flexibility and niceness that I do not like a lot.

From the owner: Pasticceria, caffetteria, hamburgerread more

Cute bakery with excellent pastries, small plates, and a lovely courtyard out back to sit with your…read morefood and coffee. Add to that reasonable prices, prompt service (courtesy of the friendly staff,) and you end up with this little gem of a spot you won't want to miss. All the stars.

During a 5 week stay in Italy, I stopped here to purchase some yummy desserts for a dinner party at…read moremy Italian friend's home. I selected this bakery because it had good reviews and was only a couple blocks from my apartment. When I arrived at my friend's with an armload of Mama's goodies they said, "Oh, you went to the American bakery!" Me : Huh? I did? Of course I (an American) had somehow stumbled into probably the only American bakery in Florence. (To be fair, they may bake a lot of American style treats, but it is staffed and frequented by mostly locals. The cashier graciously went and found the one staff member who spoke English to help me. Very kind.) I had ordered about a dozen different items - cookies, brownies, pies - and we all had a great time sampling them after dinner. Every single one was absolutely delicious! B O T T O M L I N E : Go! Cozy spot, lots of seating, great food, and friendly staff!

Stopped by here for some morning coffee to go with our food. Ditta Artigianale is a popular cafe in…read moreFlorence, so it's quite busy. They have an outdoor window for coffee orders so we opted to order there. I decided to try one of their signature coffees and went with the Persian Love. This drink includes pistachio, latte, espresso, rose and hibiscus syrup. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it satisfied the coffee cravings!

Such a cute spot. We loved starting our mornings with delicious cappuccinos from the takeout…read morewindow. This place has oat milk for those who can't partake in dairy! Fun experience waiting in the quaint street for your hot coffee, I imagine it gets very busy in tourist season. We didn't eat here but coffee was all we needed. Baristas are very friendly and speak good english, clearly well prepared for the American filling the streets here.

This coffee shop/bakery is located on a small, hidden side street off one of the main pedestrian…read morestreets in the center of Empoli. What a surprise it was for me to find, in this small Italian city, a quaint little place like this that serves American desserts! I was there on a Saturday afternoon and there were brownies, a carrot cake, cupcakes, fudge bars and chocolate chunk cookies among other things (there were a couple of sandwiches, Italian-style cookies, macaroons and chocolate lollipops). There are four or five tables and you can order coffee, cappuccinos and other drinks together with your desserts. The ambience and decor are simple but contemporary and the nice thing about this cafe' is that they chose to not fill it up with tables so there is plenty of space for its guests. I inquired and they occasionally hold some cake design courses too (consultable online on their website). The only disappointing thing was that the display seemed a bit empty for a Saturday afternoon. There was a bit of everything but somehow I got the feeling as if we had arrived late and there was little left. The chocolate chunk cookie we had was delicious, perfectly American. Next time I will go back to try the brownies and cupcakes! Lovely atmosphere, WIFI available also, excellent place to rest and snack.

Cupcakes, brownies, cookies, macarons, carrot cake, cheese cake, apple pie, pecan pie, AND MUCH…read moreMORE!

Housed in a former palace along the Amo Gelateria Santa Trinita opened in 2008, a focus on pure…read moreflavors made properly plus some social media savvy quickly moving them towards the top of Florence's competitive Gelato scene. Adjacent Santa Trinita Bridge, with an Emporio next door focused on Artisan goods, it is withing the Gelateria that guests will fin everything from Cakes to forty flavors such as Straccialetta and Pistachio featuring nuts from Bronte to pure Crema, Black Sesame and airy "Buontalenti Al Mascarpone" that likens frozen Creme Chantilly.

Literally have no notes. This is the best gelato I've had in Florence. We went back every day of…read moreour stay back in January. Yes, January. Worth the frozen hands. I got chocolate/pistachio and pistachio/black sesame combos. The pistachio and black sesame are absolutely superior and one of the greatest things I've ever had in my life. This place can get busy but the workers are super quick. Love that this is by the river. The perfect place to sit and people watch while you enjoy your gelato!

Really cute ambiance outdoors playing music from the 2000's. Vast menu for drinks, coffee, etc,…read morewith great pastries. Apparently they do a coffee school or you can book out a barista for 90 mins for 70 Euros for a 2 person session, so it would be a great experience for coffee lovers. Got the matcha latte which is made with ceremonial matcha and also got an iced lemon tea. Both were 10/10 and absolutely would get again. Plus, they have really nice bathrooms equipped with a baby changing table!

The strawberry matcha is delightful! I wasn't a fan of the club sandwich but the sweet potato fries…read morewere fresh and perfectly crispy. The eggs Benedict looked so cute and round. The waiters were so friendly and apologetic for a short delay in our food arriving. We loved the indoor outdoor vibe of the covered patio at the piazza ferrucci location - perfect temperature on a fall day. I'll be back!

Surprisingly disappointing. There is a lot of really good…read moregelato to choose from in Bologna. Like, a *lot*. This, surprisingly, is not one of them. Or, to be a bit more precise, sample all the gelato, and if you find one with the right texture/flavor, go for it. But be sure to sample, because quite frequently the gelato is older and/or crystalline, which is basically a waste of your money. (Then again, the good stuff *is* good, so if you can't be bothered to walk to the next good gelateria...)

Giancarlo (owner) is the Italian nonno I wish I had. He speaks a little bit of English, but we both…read morespeak gelato fluently so it worked out. We stayed in Bologna for two nights, and we went here both nights. We've been fortunate enough to make this our fourth trip to Italy, so let's just say my husband and I have eaten our fair share of gelato. The shop is clean, bright, and modern while his prices are reasonable. I think it was 2.50 euros for a small and you can get two flavors. My favorite thing about this gelateria though is that he doesn't just do gelato. There are two fridges worth of delicious gelato ice cream sandwiches, cakes, gelato bars, etc. I actually go to gelaterias for the gelato made treats rather than gelato itself. I liked everything I got, but I was especially wowed by the orange cake. I'm not a big citrus-flavored-dessert person, but this had me wanting more. It was light and reminded me of a creamsicle--yum! If you're lucky, you will get to meet Giancarlo who has a welcoming smile that makes you feel better to be supporting his gelateria.

From the owner: Il miglior yogurt gelato con frutta fresca di stagione da personalizzare a piacimento. Scegli la…read morefrutta le creme e le tantissime granelle a disposizione Deliziose crepes ripiene con frutta e 9 tipi diverse di creme! The best frozen yogurt with fresh fruits in Bologna! Delicious sweet pancakes filled with fruits and 9 different cremes