Restaurants in Florence...
 

I noticed on Franco's thread that he only posted restaurants for Rome/Venice. I love his ideas on where to eat.
Does anyone have recommendations for restaurants in Florence. We have 3 nights to enjoy some great food. My husband,myself and our 4 adult kids are leaving in 2 weeks.
I am very excited.

My DH & I were in Florence for our HM last summer & stumbled upon this excellent restaurant: http://www.ristorantelagiostra.com/

It's down an alley off a main piazza (ask for directions); romantic atmosphere & the best food we had in Florence - truly amazing! The owner is 'supposedly' a descendent of the Hapsburgs; quite eccentric; & runs the place with his sons. My mouth is watering just thinking of this place.

Angela S, The restaurant looks delightful. Can you give a ball park on prices for dinner? Thank you.

We went all out & had an appetizer (an amazing fish carpaccio), both ordered a first course pasta dish, second course meat dish (I had lamb chop w/ truffles in a cream sauce - heavenly!) and both got dessert & I had a glass of wine. I think it was about $120 for all that. A little pricey, but I think you get what you pay for - & the atmosphere is wonderful.

Osteria de Pazzi:

Via dei lavatoi 3R (angolo Via Verdi)
tel. 055 - 2344880

This resturant is located next to Santa Croce and the name means "inn of the insane".

If your standing in front of Sante Croce walk down the street to your right and it's straight ahead on your left.

Their Florentina steak is unbelievable, heavenly....divine. The cook, of course cuts it to order.

Their regular steaks (with arugula and parmesan) is beyond description and their prices are very reasonable for the quality and quantity of food.

The staff are friendly, speak a little English, are a little crazy, and the owner Paulo is a giant teddy bear who roams the tables and chats up customers. Between my broken Italian and his broken English we had a fabulous time chatting.

You should definitely make reservations for dinner for Friday and Saturday nights.

Enjoy!

bookmarking -- grazie

Angela S, Thanks, you guys sound like our kind of people, except the glass of wine will probably be a bottle. We are traveling to Italy for the first time in September and I'm sooooooooo excited about all the food and wine we get to try. We only have 15 days there and the list keeps growing!

soundnesss - try not to get too overwhelmed!! I did a little bit too much searching last year.. You will surely stumble upon some great food - just ask the locals! September is a wonderful time to go - the weather will be perfect & the tourists will be back at school. =)

thanks to both AngelaS and camelbak...these restaurants look divine!

We've eaten at Tratorria Sostanza three times -- it is amazing!

Here's are all my Florence restaurant notes. We go next week.

*** La Giostra: highly recommended many times on fodors http://www.ristorantelagiostra.com/frameset.html
Borgo Pinti, 12/R, 50121 Firenze (FI), Italy NO SIGN IN FRONT no outdoor seating
055 241341

Osteria dell'Olio. 2 blocks from the Duomo at Piazza dell'Olio phone: 39 055 211466 We loved this place so much we went back the next day and were treated like family! (www.osteriadellolio.com) We noticed many local business people eating here. We ordered off the daily specials menu, and the food was fabulous. (out door seating)
open daily lunch 11-3 dinner 7-11:30

Il Ghibelli***: The best way to get to Il Ghibellini is to walk along the south side of the Duomo toward the east. Via Proconsolo goes south, off to your right. Follow that down to Borgo degli Albizi and turn left onto that. Follow that to the junction of Via M. Palmieri and Il Ghibellini is right there on the corner. The address is Piazza S.P. Maggiore 8/9/10 and the phone number is 055.21.4424 They are closed on Wednesdays. The restaurant is in a 14th century building and it has outside seating (we always try to eat outside while in Italy) They server over 50 types of pizza, salads, calzone’s, and pastas. The Calzone Bruneleschi was WONDERFUL; I’ve attached a picture. A friend of mine is over there right now and he is a chef from Seattle.

Cantinetta Antinori, 3 Via degli Antinori Palazzo Antinori, at the top of Via Tornabuoni, Near Piazza Santa Trínita Mon-Fri 12:30-3pm and 6:30-10:30pm 055-292-234
Great ambience, perfect service, excellent wines, VG+ food. About 125E with wine. Pasta in sauce of zucchini blossoms, pine nuts and cream was particularly interesting (Ira). MC/Visa: closed weekends, opens at 12:30PM


TRATTORIA 4 LEONI 
via Vellutini, 1/r 
Oltrarno 
Firenze 
Tel: 055 218562 
www.4leoni.com/Our walking tour guide told us that it is where she takes her friends. It was wonderful, reasonably priced and very convenient once we found it (cross the Ponte Trinita and take the first angled road to the left. At a tiny piazza you'll see the restaurant. Don't miss the dish with the pasta that has pears and asparagus in it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED MANY TIMES ON FODORS..A MUST MAKE RESERVATIONS… We loved the 4 Leoni restaurant, across the Arno, in Florence (outdoor seating!) some say quite touristy and not so special. maybe good for lunch?

***Leo’s (Via Torta 7R – www.florencerestaurant.com open for lunch and dinner – closed Mondays – phone 055 210829). I am so very thankful that I read Sammyc’s reply to Sweet Polly’s post on Florence restaurants. We are about to experience the best meal we will have in Italy. This restaurant is a MUST and I beg of you, if you eat anywhere in Florence, this is not to be missed. Our first engagement was 53 Euros (vino, primi, and secondi) Second visit just a titch more due to dessert.

***We had two excellent dinners at Il Guscio Via dell' Orto, 49. phone: 055-224421 (EKscrunchy) 0039- 055224421
in the Oltrarno. It is on the south side of the Arno in a neighborhood a little off the beaten path. Open only for dinner, though. Closed Mondays.(great for bistecca) I had reserved a table in advance and we enjoyed the place so much that we returned a second time two days later. Dishes we particularly liked here included the ricotta-stuffed ravioli with a sauce of guinea hen (faraone); matagliati (hand-torn pasta) with sauce of shrimp and zucchini flowers; grilled baby lamb chops; grilled veal chop; peposo (Tuscan beef stew-like preparation); and the house special antipasti that included a vegetable mousse and a packet of robiola cheese baked in filo dough. In looking at the bill for one of our dinners here, I see that a meal of one house appetizer; two primi; two secondi; half-liter of house wine and water cost E. 65. Reservations are essential here.

**Sostanza, Via dei Porcellana, 25 not far from the train station.The place most often touted as being the best for bistecca. Saveur magazine did a spread on them not too long ago. Eating is at communal tables and there are two seatings a night at 7:30 and 9pm; reservations are essential. They are also famous for a chicken dish and for an artichoke dish. Bistecca is always cooked rare in Florence and to cook it medium would ruin this cut from this particular breed of cow. If you are a true fanatic, you want to make sure the menu specifies that the meat is from Chianina cattle; the breed known for producing the best bistecca. These days many places will serve imported meat which is not the "real thing." If it is from Chianina cattle it should say so on the menu. (ekscrunchy rec)

Osteria Cinghiale Bianco, near Ponte S. Trinita and Ponte Vecchio (Lungarno). 43 Borgo San Jacapo 0039 055 215706 Friendly, welcoming, delicious Tuscan specialities as well as homestyle cooking (loved the ribollita). Excellent local wine suggestions from our server. A healthy mix of Italians and tourists. Call and reserve, though I have to admit they very graciously squeezed us in (on two separate occasions) without a reservation. Lots of animated conversation and even a bit crowded, but in a good way -- people enjoying good food and each other! MV/VISA
http://www.cinghialebianco.it/index.htm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 18.30 - 22.30 some say good, but not outstanding

Rivoire is an elegant bar patisserie across from Palazzo Vecchio on Piazza Signoria. It serves the best hot chocolate in Florence. Great place for sitting outside and watching the people in the Piazza.Favorite Dish: Hot ChocolateAddress: Piazza Signoria

Above the hills of Florence with views of Tuscan hills, great food, taxi up, walk back down: Ristorante Omero
Via Pian Dei Giullari
Arcetri (Firenze)
055.220.053
http://www.ristoranteomero.it/

BEST GELATO places hands down are VIVOLI and GROM Via del Campanile
angolo via delle Oche
50012 Firenze I also like I Medici on Viale Statuto within walking distance from the train station. It is a local hang out where you wont find tourists. The people there are the nicest in town always with a big smile on their faces.

I loved our dinner here: (from my trip report)

"That evening, 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. After dessert, we started talking with the couple at the table next to us, and they insisted we join in and share their grappa-- now that's an after dinner drink you'd better keep your eye on! "
:)>-

We enjoyed Bordino in Florence. Wonderful steaks, fresh vegetables and the desserts were to die for. DH, sons and their wives still talk about this meal four years later. It is across the Ponte Vechio turn right and then it is in a little courtyard on the left. I am sorry but I don't remember the address but all of the locals know it so you should be able to ask for directions easily.

bookmarking

bk

I think it's not so much the specific name of the place, but to discover the special thing about the place you discover. And try a variety of things! On my last trip to Italy I ordered something new and different each day and when I could, I just would ask the Maitre D or waiter for their recommendation and not even open the menu. Enjoy!

We've enjoyed some great meals outside at ZaZa's near the Mercato Centrale - http://www.trattoriazaza.it/. We always head there for a meal or two when we visit Florence - Bistecca ZaZa is incredible!

We've eaten at Cinghiale Bianco in 2003 and 2005 - the latter experience was average and nothing to rave about. We've had better service and meals elsewhere for much less.

bookmarking

bookmarking - me, too! grazie!

bm