ASully

What are the top "foodie" restaurants in Florence?

ira

Hi A,

From my trip report:

Cantinetta Antinori, 3 Via degli Antinori
Great ambience, perfect service, excellent wines, VG+ food. About 125E with wine. Pasta in a sauce of zucchini blossoms, pine nuts and cream was particularly interesting.

Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco, 43 Borgo San Jacapo
Very pleasant atmosphere. Good, but not outstanding, food. Interesting local wines.

Osteria Dell Agnolo, Borgo San Lorenzo 24r
Stopped in for a pizza and a bottle of wine. Looks like a nice place for lunch or dinner. 25 kinds of pasta. Pizza made in house in a wood-fired oven.

Salaam Bombay, Via F. Rosselli 45r
Where the locals go if they want something exotic. A good, inexpensive Indian restaurant. Excellent nan.

DAX

Don't forget to reserve Enoteca Pinchiorri in advance.
www.enotecapinchiorri.com

Eloise

Cibreo (expensive) or Cibreo Trattoria (less expensive).

Girlspytravel

1. Trattoria della Belledonne
(Santa Maria Novella)

Unfortunately, tourists have found this place since its write-up in Bon Appetit mag. There are no menus here, only a blackboard, every night (and it's only open during the week, closed Sat., Sun. and August). The chef will explain each day's menu to you. Just off Via Tornabuoni

2. Enotecha Pinchiorri-(Santa Croce) full tasting menu with all wines-will run you-get this: 200-500E's PER PERSON-on the list of world's best restaurants

3. La Casalinga (Oltrarno) hugely popular, Tuscan home-cooking

4. Buca Lapi-(SMN) known for its "bistecca alla Fiorentina"

5. Il Latini (SMN)

MaureenB

From my Florence trip report:

"...the Trattoria Garga on Via del Moro 48/R, phone 055 2398898. We had an amazing meal there, probably my best in Italy. My dish was veal with avocado, which sounds odd (most really good dishes do, I think), and was mouth-watering. Our waiter was a riot-- singing and joking all over the restaurant. It was a friendly, lively, bustling atmosphere with excellent food. We paid 81EUR for two, with a half-liter of house wine.

...Acqua Al 2 (pronounced 'aqua al duo'), Via della Vigna Vecchia, 40/R, phone 055 284170. They are known for their perfect steak with balsamic. I had it and was impressed. (They are now opening a restaurant in San Diego, believe it or not.) This restaurant is known throughout Florence, and is very popular, so it gets loud and crowded, but very worth it, even though the service was a tad spotty. We split a half-liter of house red wine, and we paid 50.70EUR for two dining."

gracie04

Trattoria 4 Leoni
Via de Vellutini, 1R
Very friendly staff, wonderful food.

I also agree with Ira's suggestion of Cinghiale Bianco.

Johanna

bardo1

<b>Ristorante Ricchi</b>

From my trip report:

<i>...we wandered to the Piazza de Santo Spirito, a magnificently plain church designed by Brunelleschi. In the square, we found a well-known upscale restaurant, <b>Ristorante Ricchi</b>. We had the fixe-price “degustazione”, a six-course meal for two to remember for a lifetime. Dinner went for more than two leisurely hours. Here is what we had:
Wine – Sardinian white called Capichera, vintage 2004, Vingra N’ghena
Soup – green bean emulsion with squid, served cold
1st appetizer – tuna carpaccio with tomato sorbet
2nd appetizer – fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with ricotta and calamari
1st pasta – ravioli stuffed with yellow squash and mussel sauce
2nd pasta – pappardelle with mengele clams
Main course – seared tuna with sesame and anise, tomato coulis
Espresso for me and espresso with fresh whipped cream for DW.

Our best meal in Florence. Highly recommended! </i>



http://www.ristorantericchi.com/index.asp

samsmom1127

bkm

ASully

Thanks everyone. Very helpful. We are also visiting Tuscany on our trip next week. Any restaurant suggestions there? (price is no object)

ira

Hi A,

Since price is no object, dinner on the terrace of the Villa San Michele in Fiesole.

Statia

La Giostra is another foodie fave.

jkstrouse

Bookmarking.

TRSW

bkm

tuscanlifeedit

Although I think a good meal is to be had at nearly every single restaurant listed here, and although I am not at all sure of what foodie means (I thought it was a pleasant name for a food lover, but have read other opinions on this forum), I am not sure that I would recommend every single restuarant here to someone who is particular about what they eat.

Casalinga is ok, not bad, but not great. Acqua al 2 is jammed with tourists and I find that the management and kitchen aren't living up to the demands of such popularity.

Too many great places to eat in Florence to eat anywhere that isn't on top of the game, IMO.

ASully

tuscanlifeedit - what is your favorite?

ekscrunchy

I agree with Tuscanlifeedit's take on most of the places that have been mentioned on this thread. I also agree with Bardo1 about Ricci..a very good place with excellent seafood that is much less touristy than many of the others mentioned on this list. (ie, Latini, Cinghiale Bianco, etc) One not-too--touristy place I like, among many, is Alla Vecchia Bettola (inexpensive; cash only, in the Oltrarno).

tuscanlifeedit

ASully... I'm afraid that my favorites are not at the top price range along with some of the others listed here. It isn't that I don't want to eat at them; it's just that we try hard to eat well at low prices. I also have to say that I don't like Buca Lapi very much, and feel that I was scammed on the bill there, once.

Vecchia Bettola is certainly a favorite. Da Sergio, only open at lunch, is my total favorite. Incredible food.

I've always thought Osteria Santo Spirito was good. Used to like Osteria da Benci, but I was disappointed at my last meal there. I'll try it again, though. Both these places have slightly inventive dishes.

Pallotino, near Santa Croce is another favorite of ours. We have eaten there repeatedly when staying in the neighborhood. Inexpensive and casual. Pappa al pomodoro is my favorite.

I also like the undervisited La Maremma. Very good tagliata.