Going to be in Florence the first week of February. Any recommendations on smaller boutique style hotels would be appreciated as well as restaurant recommendations. Currently have a booking at Hotel Lungarno. Planning on dinner one night at La Giostra. Has anyone been there recently? Also considering Il Retrovo.

Our favorite hotel is Tornabuoni Beacci on, naturally, Via Tornabuoni, a major shopping street in Florence. We did not go to La Giostra our last time in Florence, although we have been there a couple of times.

Two of our favorite places are Al Tranvai @Piazza Torquato Tasso 14 and Il Guscio @Via dell'Orto 19. Both are across the Arno (from the historic center) and are really good and non-tourist. As a matter of fact, little English is spoken at Al Tranvai but with even a little bit of "menu Italian" you will be fine. Another place we like for lunch is Trattoria Mario @Via Rosina, 2r | Corner of Piazza del Mercato Centrale (near the Mercado Centrale.) Communal tables and lots of energy. You will not be disappointed.

The Lungarno is a really nice hotel. Think of it as a small Italian Ritz. We liked the Lungarno suites across the river for more room with kitchen

We recently stayed at Hotel Scoti, also on Via Tornabuoni(Via De' Tornabuoni 7).

The location was brilliant, in a magnificent old building and very reasonable prices.

http://www.hotelscoti.com/

http://www.hhflorence.com/ing/. My daughter and her husband have just booked this hotel for April. It looms lovely and not expensive.

They will be happy to have restaurant recommendations so I'll share this thread with them. Susan I hope you love Florence, I think it's amazing. It will be cold but make sure you get out for a walk in the early evening which is when Florence is at its best.

Thanks a ton! We haven't been to Florence in 9 years and want to make the best of the 3+ days we are there with our son who will be abroad for the semester. We will be staying at Hotel Lungarno... Restaurants?

susan,

while you are in Florence do have a wander over to the santa croce area and the market just north of there - you can have a terrific meal of typical local specialities for not very much in the market restaurant and browse round the market stalls too.

also lots of little local shops to look at - the chair-repairers, the bicycle shop, a very nice cheap gelateria - and a small theatre. you would need to look for the area south of the junction of the via della mattonaia and Borgo la croce.

We went to GREAT restuarant in Florence and its one of the few open on a Sunday, be sure to book though. It's called il santo bevitore ( I will double check and get back to you if it isn't) wonderful food and fab buzzy atmosphere for dinner.

I also like the Hotel Lungarno. We've also stayed at the Hilton Florence Metropole (quite "modern") but found it to be too far out of town. If you've booked the Lungarno, hopefully you've booked through a Virtuoso agent as you would get these Virtuoso amenities for no extra charge:

- Upgrade to the next room category on arrival, subject to availability
- Daily Continental breakfast for up to two in-room guests, served in breakfast room
- A Lungarno Details cosmetic product
- Lungarno Details Shop gift certificate of 50 EUR with a minimum purchase of 100 EUR or more
- 12 Noon early check-in/4PM late check-out, subject to availability
- With a minimum 4 night stay, guests also receive: Complimentary dinner for two (excluding beverages)

Hopefully you're getting these benefits!
We like the La Giostra, Trattoria Mario, and Trattoria Sostanza for restaurants... You'll have a wonderful time in Florence and you certainly will enjoy the Hotel Lungarno!

We are staying at the Hotel L Orologio. I am hoping it will be nice and in a good location. If any here have stayed there or seen it, please let me know!

Meant to say we will be staying there in late May.

I have stayed at L'Orologio. ( last Easter) it's really great and in a super location ( do NOT get their car service though from the train station you can walk in about 5 minutes) rooms are smallish but lovely, breakfast was great and they had a nice bar. We would stay there again for sure. It's opposite the Santa Maria Novella church. I think its a good choice in a crowded expensive Florence hotel market. The concierge were great too.

@rineurope...I did book through American Express Platinum and recieved the same benefits and 4th night free. Thank you for the heads up on Virtuoso though.

Restaurant and/or day trip recommedations for Florence?

susan,

a very nice 1/2 day trip can be had by taking the bus up to Fiesole - views across the valley to Florence, a very interesting walk up to the monastery of San Francesco, the roman amphitheatre and museum, the cathedral, a nice restaurant in the square to have lunch...

buses also run to San Gimignano, Volterra and Siena.

Sounds like your hotel choice is a keeper. To answer your question about day-trips and restaurants, here are my notes from 2006:

"The afternoon we arrived, my daughter took me to a rooftop café, which overlooks the Duomo. It is on the top of a nice little ‘department’ store. I think it’s called Ristorante Ottorino, via delle Oche, 12-16r. We enjoyed wine and salads, on the sunny afternoon, with a close-up view of the Duomo. A very nice introduction to Florence for me"

". . .my daughter recommended one of her favorite restaurants, 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."

"We also took the bus up to the San Miniato church, to visit it and enjoy the sweeping views over Florence. It’s pretty to see the Duomo and all the rooftops of Florence from that perspective. Walking down the hill a bit, we found a little café with a nice outdoor terrace, which actually looked across the hills at the college’s villa. It was a nice place to take a break, again with caprese salads and wine."

"Our second day, we took a train and then a bus to San Gimignano, for a day-trip. We had beautiful blue-sky weather, about 75 degrees. It was a perfect day to wander the little town. We had wine and salads at a wine bar, overlooking the hills. It was called Enoteca di Vinorum, Pza Cisterna 30."

"We returned to our hotel, to get ready for dinner, again at one of my daughter’s favorite restaurants, 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."

Enjoy Florence!

Thanks Smeagol!

No problem , let me know what you think of it when you get back.