Here's a guide to my favorite wine bars and trattorias in the neighborhoods of major cultural attractions in Florence. Look for my decal in the window. And tell them Divina Cucina sent you!

Oltrarno--Beyond the Arno Palazzo Pitti, Galleria Palatina, Giardino di Boboli, San Miniato al Monte, Santa Maria del Carmine, Santo Spirito, San Frediano, San Nicolò Trattoria La Casalinga Via dei Michelozzi, 9R Tel:055-218-624 Closed Sunday. Located on a small street that leads into Piazza Santo Spirito, this is one of the most traditional trattoria's in Florence. Open for lunch and dinner, this is the Mario's of San Frediano! It's one of the few places where you can still find lasagna on the menu. Real home cooking! Popular with locals and foreign students in the know--great food at incredibly low prices. Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco Borgo San Jacopo, 43R Tel: 055-215.706 Closed Wednesday dinner. This lovely family run restaurant set in a medieval tower specializes in wild boar, but also offers a large menu of traditional Tuscan dishes. Lovely ambience, helpful waiters, and a nice mix of locals and tourists. One of my favorites. Reservations a must! Al Tranvai (trattoria) Piazza Torquato Tasso, 14R San Frediano Tel: 055-225.197 A true treasure! A family-run tiny trattoria just inside the walls of the city. Piazza Tasso is the heart of San Frediano and Al Tranvia is the heart of Piazza Tasso. It's one of the few places where you can still eat inexpensivly and well. They have a nice small crostini plate, lots of vegetarian meals, as well as a great selection of cooked vegetables. Tradition rules here! Ribollita, tripe, a melted pecorino fondue, pecorino sfuso, and sedano rifatto, or small celery "meatballs" breaded and lightly fried, served in a tomato sauce. Save room here for Yolanda's fabulous desserts-she has a torta dei fichi (fig walnut and fennel cake), and one of the best crème caramels in Florence. On my last visit I skipped the pasta and had a fried Taleggio cheese followed by a spinach "meatball" seasoned with Parmesan and truffles! Il Cantinone Via San Spirito, 6R Tel:055-225-955 Closed Monday. A classic for traditional Tuscan fare. Here wine is the feature (there is no house wine), because Cantinone is really more of an enoteca, or wine cantina with great food to show off the wine. Crostini, soups, fresh pasta...it's all here. Steep stairs take you downstairs past the wine cellar into the underground cantina restaurant. One of the first places I ate in Florence and still fun to return to! Trattoria Sabatino Via Pisana, 2R Tel:055-218-898 Closed Monday. When my husband first took me to Sabatino, I felt like I was stepping back in time. Pale green walls, single gentlemen eating at tables, low prices-a soup was 3,350 lire! That was over 17 years ago. Things have changed some. They have moved down the street and modernized, but great simple food, and some of the same clients, have not changed! This is where you eat if your mother isn't home! It is right at the Porta di San Frediano as you are leaving the downtown. Quite easy to find. All'Antico Ristoro di'Cambi Via San Onorfrio, 1R Tel: 055-217-134 Closed on Sunday. Reservations suggested. In San Frediano, this trattoria is an institution. This is where my husband's father would go for a glass of wine and a light snack. Needless to say, Andrea loves the place. Open for both lunch and dinner, Cambi is now run by the sons of the original owners. And, they're running it in the same manner that their fathers did! Simple good food! The glass showcase at the front, filled with the season's specialties, will get your appetite going. Look for artichokes in the spring and porcini in fall. Their steak (bistecca fiorentina) is great ! This is one of the places I love to do the full cucina toscana meal starting with the chicken liver crostini, followed by pasta, then a shared steak, and finishing the meal off with dessert! It offers a wonderful evening in a family atmosphere, filled with locals and tourists alike. Cavolo Nero Via dell'Ardiglione, 22R Tel: 055-29-47-44 Closed Sunday and 2 weeks in August. Located just off of Via de'Serragli near Piazza del Carmine, this is a hidden treasure. Traditional Tuscan food revisited...with a twist. When you want something nicer that a little funky trattoria, this is the place for you. Simple,elegant, and very popular with the Florentines. Great wine list too! In nice weather they have dining in the back garden. Pitti Gola e Cantina (wine bar) Piazza Pitti, 16 Tel: 055-21-27-04 A great place for a snack or light meal with a glass of wine. Sabina, Giancarlo, and their son offer wonderful grilled vegetables, terrines, salamis, and Italian cheeses to enjoy with a nice selection of wines by the glass. Le volpi e l'uva (wine bar) Piazza dei Rossi, 1R Tel: 055-23-98-132 Closed Sunday. A hidden treasure just over the Ponte Vecchio, hidden off to the left past a piazza and under the arch. They offer an incredible number of wines by the glass, small tasting plates of cheeses from Italy and France, salamis, small sandwiches, pates, and sweets. This is also a wonderful place to buy wines; they specialize in wines that have a great ratio of quality to price. Say "Ciao!" to Emilio, the enologist, and Riccardo, the sommelier. Hemingway Piazza Piattellina,9R Tel: 055-284-781 Open from 6 p.m.-2 a.m. and for Sunday brunch. Now open all year! This is a chocolate lover's paradise. My friend Monica is one of the most creative and innovative Italian women I know. Hemingway is the center of all her passions, with over 300 teas, ice cream, chocolates, and chocolate desserts from the best of the Tuscany's artisans. It is also possible to have a cocktail, glass of wine, smoked salmon, Stilton cheese, a great salad, or a cappuccino. There's something for everyone. Sunday brunch is international. Click on the sight below that you plan to visit and I'll recommend the best place nearby to stop for a bite to eat. Galleria dell'Accademia Cappelle Medicee Museo del Bargello Palazzo Vecchio Mercato di San Lorenzo Mercato di San Ambrogio Santa Croce The Duomo Santa Maria Novella Oltrarno Fuori Porta (Outskirts)