Tons of books here and staff that answers all of your questions about finding the right book. It's…read morea bit cramped in here, but bearable. They have a restroom that has a code--you can use it if you buy something.

I know that I'm going to sound like an uncultured American saying this, but La Feltrinelli Express…read moreat the Santa Maria Novella train station is my favorite place in Florence to sit down, drink a cappuccino, and eat a pastry. Whenever we have to take the train somewhere we first head over to La Feltrinelli and my husband and I will each get a cappuccino and we all each order a sweet pastry. I'm sure some other place makes the pastries and delivers them daily, but wherever this place is, it makes some of our favorite donuts, croissants, and other treats. My daughter and I especially rave over the chocolate-filled donut--perfectly light and yeasty dough and very chocolately. If we still have a few minutes before our train leaves we'll browse the books and gifts. They have a great selection of books, some of which are in English. I took one star off because the workers can be very brusque and with what little Italian I know I've heard them bemoan and complain about the tourists to each other. I even caught one criticizing my Italian to another worker in front of me--I figured out she was mocking me and explained I'm trying to learn the language. But otherwise, I really like La Feltrinelli in the SMN train station. I think part of the appeal of La Feltrinelli is it's the closest thing to Barnes & Noble that we have in Florence. And to be able to relax and get something to eat and drink in a nice, clean, well-lit shop before a hectic day of traveling is very appreciated.

it was terrible. The staff is rude. I was treated with poor customer service. its over priced and…read moremuggy. it even smells like mildew by the wooden "coffee" section.

I love this place!!! Over my past semester studying abroad Todo Modo has been my go to study spot…read more It is the perfect place to go to do school work, read a book, or catch up with friends. You can order coffee, drinks, or snacks while studying for a good refreshment. It's also a really cute book store that sells both Italian and English books. The aesthetic is very calming and one of my favorite places in Florence! Definitely a must place to check out!

Great source for English language books. Despite the name, they do stock hardcover as well as new…read morebooks. The store is clean and well-maintained, books well-organized on the shelves. Impressive quantity of books in stock. I was looking for a copy of of McCarthy's Stones of Florence and of course they had it. Also, a good place to check for the odd, unusual item that makes such a good souvenir - a book on the architecture of the Duomo, or an index of sites in Florence that are referenced in Dante's Inferno. The day I was in the shop, there were some US expats set up at a table providing guidance on absentee ballots etc. to US voters who would be overseas on midterm election days in the fall. How cool is that? Staff is very friendly and helpful, too.

I was thrilled to be in this shop filled with books in English language…read more I love bookstores. And here was a shop with new and used books. English speaking staff help out. Students studying in Firenze come to the shop to get books for their classes. Beautiful art, history, visual displays...tutti belli cosi!

Stopped in for lunch after reading good reviews about this vegetarian cafe/shop. We both ordered…read morefrom the lunch special which allowed you to get a pasta, a side and a special. The food was good but a little on the salty side. Still nice to have a vegetarian restaurant option!

Brac is strong in concept but middling in execution. The idea of building your own plate (a 3 item…read morebespoke sampler) is appealing but doesn't overcome the lacking flavor of the individual dishes. The green lasagna and chickpea tempeh were both surprisingly bland despite enticing descriptions. The big winner was the beet salad which I could have eaten three times that night. The service was friendly but the approach to the meal is overly theatric when they should just double down on great food. Right now they're style over substance. But major props for all vegetarian food in Italy!

STORY TIME! Well before I go too wild, this bookstore is gargantuan and beautiful and if you're in…read moreFlorence you should absolutely visit. Have a small-ish section for English titles as well. If you stop reading here that's fine I still love you: I'm big on omens and firmly believe that when you're living right, one thing just leads to another. The other day, I was walking out of the Uffizi (read that review if you dare) and was just flooded with inspiration for how talented those artists were and how much they got done. In the gift shop on the way out, the book "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius was looking at me so crazy. I remembered a friend, and to be honest I can't even remember which one, recommended it to me saying it was a fantastic read. I picked it up and thumbed through it. "Hm, maybe this is an omen" I thought to myself. I turned it around and saw the 25 euro price tag and was like damn. My pockets are on featherweight. After spending about 5 minutes debating if I should buy it, I opted not to as I had just spent 60 euro on the tour and had dinners and other tours looming over my Chase account with a scythe. Big mistake. Over the next 24 hours, I could not stop thinking about that book. I looked into the back story of it more and he wrote it to himself with absolutely 0 intention of ever publishing it. It was like his personal journal on philosophy. I allegedly downloaded a PDF copy from a dark corner of the internet, and read a bit. Once I read the quote "often injustice lies in what you aren't doing, not only in what you are doing" I was sold. I now needed the physical book in hand. But how? I'm not going to pay 30 euro to get back into the Uffizi just to pay 25 euro to buy it. I can't imagine bookstores here have a large English selection. I looked up bookstores in the area and saw this place, setting off on a hero's journey. After weaving in and out of large tourist groups like a prime Reggie Bush, I set foot in here. This place is HUGE! A vast selection that just seemingly has corridor after corridor. After talking a full lap, I didn't see one book in English. As I was heading for the exit, I saw one little section for English books. HOPE! After thoroughly scanning for about 20 minutes, I didn't see anything even closely related to "Meditations." Much to my social anxiety's chagrin, it was time to ask for help. Yeah I could have asked for help earlier, but asking for help in an Italian Bookstore for a book written in English, while not speaking a lick of Italian had my hands sweating. I'm really shy hehe. Anyways, I pull up a picture of the book and ask if they have it in English. He walks me to the section I was just in for 20 minutes, and scans for a bit and looks at me and shakes his head. Defeat. I lick my wounds by looking at other titles, as I do want to read something since I have another week out here. I scan for another 5-10 minutes, and don't really see much that gets me out of bed. I pull "A Room of One's Own" by Virginia Woolf off the shelf, and flip it to the back. There is a list of Penguin's Recommended books, and sure enough "Meditations" is #2 of 20. The universe is just teasing me now. I put the book back and look down at my feet in one last half-court heave of hope before heading out, and there it is. Hiding in plain site this whole time. The only copy left. BABY WE DONE IT! I ended up buying both books, as I wouldn't be here without my girl Virginia Woolf.

Do not buy from them. I ordered 3 books, several dvd's and a…read moreMoleskine planner. I received everything except the planner. I contacted them asking to send me another planner and they answered that it was impossible because the code was different. What??? They reimbursed the money for the planner and told me that I had to place a new order and pay the shipping cost again. UNBELIVABLE. Why should I pay for their mistake? I will not buy from them anymore.

This cafe is an extraordinary gem in San Frediano. It has excellent food, a great wine selection…read moreand the staff is warm and lovely. There is no pressure to leave quickly, an international, diverse crowd and terrific music. Thank you to the queen Bee Hostess for her kindness!!!

My wife and I walked to the south of the Arnot for this delightful coffee shop. It had all the…read morelocal feels. Most of the people looked like they were younger locals, with computers up and typing away. It is exactly what I like to have in a comfortable coffee shop... a lot of eclectic decorations, comfortable furniture and variety of places to sit. It has a lot of windows for sunlight and a second floor for those who like to enjoy a loft-like experience. My wife and I had cappuccino's and pastries, both were great. It was so relaxing to sit there and watch the world go by in this comfortable setting.

Libreria My Accademia is a nice respite from the heat and crowds. You can get wine, water, and…read morelicorice at this place.

My husband and I bought last minute tickets here when we didn't want to stand in line at Galleria…read moredell'Accademia for statue of David tickets. The earliest time slot for a reservation ticket was for 45 minutes later, which would have been the same amount of time it would have taken to wait in line, only we could freely explore the area for 45 min instead. No brainer. Thanks to Rick Steves the travel expert for this piece of advice!

I loved this store and was so happy to find it when I googled Firenze esoterica... better yet they…read morewere open on Sunday! We bought a couple decks of Italian tarot cards, some crystals and a couple sticks of Palo Santo. Mauro & Elena were lovely and helpful. What a delight to be in the store.