kakalena

I'm looking for some new restaurants to try in Florence. Has anyone been to any of the following and did you like them?

Al Antico Ristoro di Cambi
Trattoria Baldovino
Enoteca le Barrique
Osteria de'Benci
Boccadama
Borgo Antico
Osteria Caffe Italiano
Cibereino (Trattoria Cibreo)
Il Guscio
Il Latini
Perseus
Quattro Leoni
Tre Merli
I 13 Gobbi
Vecchia Bettola

Thanks!

kakalena

mamc

We just returned from Florence where we had dinner one night at Osteria de Benci. It is very informal and the food is good and reasonable. It is located near Santa Croce, which was a good location for us. I recommend it.
Last time in Florence we ate at Baldovino and liked it as well.

beanweb24

I've been to Baldovino (both the enoteca and the trattoria). At the enoteca, the sundried tomatoes on the salad were literally the best I have ever tasted. At the trattoria, I especially enjoyed the pizza (although their pizza offerings are in the minority). The crust in particular was very memorable. I kept offering a taste to my husband and he finally agreed to try it so that I would stop bothering him -- and he ended up asking for more. The trattoria serves a chocolate cake that is quite tasty.

I went to Baldovino on a recommendation of a friend -- and was glad that we had listened to her suggestion!

bookchick

I was at 13 Gobbi last year, and really enjoyed it.

BC

elaine

An address for Baldovino would be appreciated, thanks

tuscanlifeedit

Vecchia Bettola is also very good. The same family that owns and runs Nerbone in the Mercato Centrale owns this place. Great lamb, good tiramisu and their special pasta in a tomato-vodka sauce is good. Weirdly, the chairs are stools, and not comfortable. Prices are good and service is good.

I like Osteria da'Benci and have eaten there several times. Last winter, I thought the service was off. Prices are high-moderate, but we always have bistecca there, which may be the reason for the higher bill. The bistecca is excellent and the rest of the cooking is fresh and a little inventive, which I like. Loads of tourists at da'Benci, but Italians, too. Very few tourists at Vecchia Bettola.

I was disappointed at Trattoria Baldovino.

111op

I ate at Cibreo Trattoria. I liked it and recommend it.

This was what I had to say about it:

"10:30 pm: Dinner at Cibreo trattoria. The menu was all in Italian, so I had the first three main courses translated (chicken neck, veal meatloaf, chicken meat balls). I started with a very creamy polenta and opted for the recommended meat balls. I had a glass of white wine (3 euros) and water (1 euro). Dinner was 22 or 23 euros. Not cheap as the portions were small, but this was very nice."

hazel1

We ate at Quattro Leoni our first night in Florence last month and not only was it one of the best meals we had on our entire trip, the price was incredibly reasonable. The two of us had a shared antipasto, two pastas, two secondi (entrees), a vegetable, shared dessert, two coffees, a litre of water and a litre of house wine for 66 Euro - and they brought us complimentary Limoncellos to boot. The service was excellent too.

Borgo Antico was another favorite - the food is terrific - very generous portions (their salads are huge!), very tasty and very reasonably priced as well.

elaine

111op
your review of the Cibreo trattoria made me smile. Same dishes that are on the main restaurant's menu.
I've seen that chicken neck (our plate came 'decorated' with the chicken's head), and had those meatballs and the veal meat loaf. I don't think anything on the menu required having teeth.
I didn't like the place, after two tries.

beanweb24

Trattoria Baldovino (Santa Croce area)

tel 055 24 17 73, Via di San Giuseppe 22r, open 11pm-3pm & 7pm-1am Tuesday to Sunday

They used to have a website but I'm having a problem finding it now.

elaine

thank you

111op

That's interseting, elaine -- a lot of guidebooks say this (that the food is basically the same, but cheaper -- which of course was why I went), but I guess now I know.

But the portions are small. I remember *two* chicken meat balls, or something. I made sure that I took my time with them.

But I went to Vivoli for gelato afterwards, so at least I wasn't starving.

"I didn't like the place, after two tries."

Why was that? Not enough variety? I thought that it was nice for 22-23 euros. A little pricey, but it was also unique. I liked it.

I've certainly eaten worse and paid more.

Byrd

Borgo Antico, Piazza S. Spirito--We had more fun here than at any other restaurant on a trip that included Venice, Lucca, and Florence.

Seating was at shared long tables, and there was plenty of wine and music. A band came in the door, played for a while to the delight of the Italian-speaking group.

My notes say "Really fun, recommended by Paolo (I think he owned the shop where some of our bunch bought leather jackets), lots of food and wine."

We also ate at Cibreo restaurant. Notes say "I had Tuscan sausage and white beans, John had beef rolls. Really good desserts."

Sorry I didn't go into more detail!

Byrd

OpusX

Quattro Leone = buonissimo!

ekscrunchy

Cambi is good for steak; very friendly place, too, in the Oltrarno.

elaine

111op, it was the main restaurant Cibreo that I've tried twice and didn't like.
I thought the food was downright odd, and not worth the high prices (for meatballs and chicken necks and lambs' brains)
I have a minority opinion, Cibreo is always touted.

111op

Some think that Cibreo is the best in Florence, but I can see that this stuff wouldn't be good value in the main restaurant.

Maybe if you had paid the prices at the Trattoria, you would have been happier, elaine.

These days I think a lot about getting value for my money.

Anyway, I really don't know Florence well. Everyone is still incredulous that I went to five Italian cities in four days.

ekscrunchy

Kaklena, I forgot to say that I had dinner at Il Latini, which is touted in many guides as a great, "authentic" Tuscan trattoria. It was fun for me on my first night in the city; as a single diner you are seated with others at a long table, but I do not think there was one local diner in the place. Food was pretty good but you might prefer to be in a place not so overrun with tourists. I am curious about others' experiences and opinions of this place. As far as I recall, most of us ordered a set meal; price was moderate.

mjs

We ate at Il Latini a few years ago and enjoyed it. Food was good and moderate in price. Touristy crowd but mostly Italian when we were there. However, I find most restaurants in central Florence see many tourists so I am not sure this says much about the restaurant. Go early as quite a line forms later.

Eloise

I've never eaten at Il Latini, but one Sunday wandering around the back streets of Florence, I was asked by four Italians (presumably not Florentines...) if I knew where it was. I had just passed by it, so I sent them off in the right direction. And yes, there had been a long line at the door.