Where to Eat When You Come
For a time, I also wrote restaurant reviews, as my travels around Italy do require eating out often. I have stopped because I rarely go to the same place twice, and reviews do have to be confirmed from year to year. But I have decided to leave the reviews I did up, because they will at least provide hints of places to go. This page has reviews and restaurant suggestions for Florence & vicinity.
La Cantinetta Antinori (Florence, Piazza Antinori)
Dai Ricchi (Cercina, near Florence)
L'Enoteca Fuori Porta (Florence, Porta San Niccolo)
L'Antico Ristoro di Cambi (Florence, San Frediano)
More restaurant suggestions, from Cosa Bolle in Pentola.
Not going to Florence?
Restaurants in the rest of Tuscany.
Restaurants in other parts of Italy.
Haven't found anything you can use? Ask Me, or post your questions on the BBS -- if I can't answer them someone else will probably be able to.
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La Cantinetta Antinori
Palazzo Antinori 3 Tel. (055) 292-234, closed Saturdays & Sundays (you'll want to make reservations in the summer).
In days of old, those fortunate enough to own land in the country would open cantinette to sell the produce from their estates to the city folk -- not a bad idea, if you think about it. Though Antinori is primarily known for its wines, about 20 years ago they decided to revive this custom -- not with a cellar store, but with a restaurant in Palazzo Antinori. It's one of the most comfortable and welcoming places in Florence, and one of the few that's split-level.
I recently had a business lunch, which began with a flute of spumante (dry) to accompany the toasted bread and liver paté we nibbled on while browsing the menu. We settled on sharing a pair of appetizers. One was insalata di lenticchie, a delightful and extremely interesting lentil salad seasoned with curry, fennel and lemon -- a combination that wouldn't have occurred to me but was quite good. The second, bruschetta con il cavolo nero, bruschetta with kale, was less interesting but not less good. Standard Tuscan fare, but perfectly prepared, with a thick bed of kale atop the slices of bread, and just the right amount of good oil. The kale was a little bit salty, to compensate for a lack of sharpness attributable to unseasonably warm weather, and the whole was quite nice. The second course was arista in crosta, roast loin of pork en crust, though crust is something of a misnomer here as the wrap was moist and herby. And quite good, as was the meat, which was extremely tender. There was also creamed spinach, which was simple and tasty. The wine? Cantinetta Antinori features all of Antinori's wines, and is thus an excellent place to taste by the glass. We had Guado al Tasso, a Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon blend produced at Bolgheri, which was quite nice, rich and enticing of bouquet, and full, round and with nice fruit on the palate.
For dessert, a simple crostata di mele, a delicately made, tasty apple pastry that went very well with a glass of Muffato della Sala, the botrytized dessert wine Antinori makes in Umbria. It's similar to Sauternes, though this vintage had more pronounced fruit and less evident botrytis than the French wines I've tasted. Quite good, however, the sort of wine you could easily spend an afternoon enjoying sip by sip.
The cost? Depending upon what you eat, expect to spend between 35 and 80,000 lire per person (or more if you order a rare vintage). Given the atmosphere, this is more than reasonable. Highly recommended.
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Dai Ricchi
Florence, Via Della Docciola 14. Tel: 055/402024 Closed Tuesdays.
Though it has undergone a serious facelift since I first went in 1985, I Ricchi remains a well kept secret. To reach it you really have to drive - there is the number 45 bus (ask the driver when to get off ), but it stops running at 8. Take the Via Bolognese up past Trespiano, the city cemetery, and turn left onto the road for Cercina (right after the turnoff for the cemetery parking lot). The road winds for several kilometers, passing through a couple of hamlets and up a steep hill (turn left at the top of it), and the restaurant is on the left at a spot overlooking the valley, with the cemetary bleow. There is unfortunately no sign, but there is a terraced trellis out front which should help you recognize it.
Once you get there, you're in for a treat: Hearty Tuscan fare, with rich pasta sauces and traditional thick soups such as ribollita to start you off (after the appetizers), as well as lighter dishes such as tagliolini con limone, tagliolini in a delicate creamy lemon sauce. The second courses are excellent; the restaurant is famous for its mixed fried meats, which are dipped in a batter that becomes wonderfully crunchy. Accompany them with mixed fried vegetables and you've got a meal fit for a bishop, especially with the house wine, a young zesty Chianti whose acidity nicely counterbalances the fritto. The desserts are the damnation of the dieter: Massive portions, and so delicious you'll want more. The meringato, interlayered meringues and chilled cream liberally sprinkled with bits of chocolate, is heavenly on a summer day.
Price? Surprisingly reasonable, about 40,000 lire per person. One major quibble: there's no printed menu, and as one person who visited pointed out, this makes it hard on those who don't speak Italian. And a minor quibble: the house wine is now Antinori's Santa Cristina, which seems a little much. Something by the flask would be nice to see.
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L'Enoteca Fuori Porta
Via Del Monte alle Croci 10/r (Florence, just outside Porta San Niccoló, on the road up to San Miniato). Tel 055 2342483, closed Sundays
It's a little bit out of the way, but well worth the walk, especially on a pleasant spring afternoon when you can sit outside. What will you find? Nice people, good foods, especially cold cuts, cheeses, sandwiches, and simple first course dishes (though how simple taglierini with a liberal sprinkling of white truffles are is open to debate), and Florence's best wine list -- All the producers in Tuscany make sure the Enoteca has their wines, and you can sample some spectacularly rare vintages -- say a 1971 Tignanello or Monsanto, for example. Nor is it just the Tuscans; the Enoteca has a wide selection of wines from other regions and from abroad.
Perfect for lunch but better for dinner, when you want to spend a quiet hour eating good food, watching the world go by, and talking with friends. Highly recommended. The cost? Variable; if you don't want a whole bottle, or want to sample a number of different wines, you will be delighted by the variety of the 40 wines sold by the glass. If you want a bottle, on the other hand, you'll have hundreds to choose from. Depending upon what you order, figure from 20,000 lire per person on up.
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L'Antico Ristoro di Cambi
Piazza del Tiratoio, just off from Ponte Vespucci in the Oltrarno (near the chuch of San Frediano); Closed Sundays
In the past every Florentine neighborhood had a fiaschetteria, a place where people would gather for a quick lunch, and where a segment of the population would pass the afternoons drinking wine by the flask. San Frediano was a poor neighborhood and had several, all hole-in-the-wall type joints whose clientele began to age inexorably in the 70s, as the younger generation adopted other pastimes. The one on the corner of Piazza del Tiratoio boarded up its doors about 10 years ago while the owners unleashed the stonemasons, and emerged about a month later as the Antico Ristoro di Cambi, an elegant eatery catering primarily to the lunch crowd. They still sell wine, of course, but now it's accompanied by a wide variety of salads, first courses, and entrées, things to be eaten by people on the go who don't want to slow down after lunch. I had pappa al pomodoro, a delicious dish made with fresh tomatoes, basil, and day-old bread that was spiced just right, followed by a "springtime salad," which was actually a platter with tomatoes, radicchio, mozzarella, thin slices of pecorino and some bresaola (cured beef drizzled with oil and lemon juice). Tasty, and since the items were distinct the flavors didn't run together.
Elisabetta, on the other hand, had had a heaping bowl of fresh salad and tripe salad, tripe served with thinly sliced fresh tomato and seasoned with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Both quite good. You can, if you want, order a steak -- the guy behind us did and appeared to be enjoying it, and in the winter the menu changes to reflect the cooler temperatures, with more rib-sticking entrées such as beans and sausage.
The cost? Betty and I spent 39,000, but didn't drink any wine (too hot). If you want something simple, quick and quite Florentine, you should try this.
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More Restaurant suggestions,
from Cosa Bolle In Pentola
Melissa Mulliken recently asked if Florence's Enoteca Pinchiorri is still as good as its reputation -- to which I replied that I cannot say since I have never eaten there. However, it was ranked 3rd in the annual restaurant roundup printed in Civilta' del Bere, Italy's leading wine magazine (they considered the ratings of this year's editions of the major restaurant guides, among other things). This is up from 4th last year, so she will be in excellent hands.
She also wondered where else I would dine in Florence, if I wanted to enjoy a memorable meal. I haven't been everywhere, but the people doing the restaurant guides presumably have. Firenze Spettacolo recently went through them and drew up a top ten list:
- 1 Enoteca Pinchiorri (traditional and innovative cuisine, perfectly prepared, with an incredible wine cellar) 055 242777; closed Sun-Mon-Tue lunch
- 2 La Tenda Rossa, in Cerbaia (ten miles outside Florence, near San Casciano) 055 826132 (4 star, innovative); closed Wed-Thurs.
- 3 Cibreo (traditional Florentine recipes in a modern key), with a cheaper first-come-first-served room round back 055 2341100; closed Sun-Mon
- 4 Don Chisciotte (especially fish) 055 475430; closed Sun-Mon
- 5 Oliviero (innovative presentation of traditional dishes) 055 212421; closed Sun
- 6 Il Salotto del Chianti (in Mercatale, about ten miles out of town)
- 7 Il Delfino, in Artimino (ten miles from Florence) 055 8718074; Closed Mon Tue
- 8 Dulcamara, in Sesto Fiorentino (about 5 miles, within city bus range) 055 425 5021; closed Mon
- 9 Taverna del Bronzino 055 495220; Closed Sun
- 10 Caffe' Concerto (gets a star of academic merit and 3 normal stars from Panorama) 055 677377; closed Sun
- 11 Le Murate (Panorama guide says it's romantic); closed 055 240618 Mon lunch
Most of these except Pinchiorri and La tenda Rossa are 2 or 3 stars. Another possibility if you're looking for something very Florentine is Alla Vecchia Bettola, in Piazza Tasso; 055 224158 (closed Sun-Mon). The food's good, and you'll be seated at a bench where you can talk with your neighbors should you wish. La Baraonda, in Via Ghibellina (055 2341171; closed Sun-Mon) is another classic Tuscan place, and a third is Coco Lezzone (the filthy cook; closed Sun), in via del Parrione, tel 055 287178. If you're interested in a quick meal with a glass of good wine you should walk over to La Volpe e L'Uva, behind the square thei the church between the Ponte Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti. They have excellent cold cuts, cheeses, and pastas, and about 20 different wines by the glass, as well as an incredible selection of bottles.
Moving on to other things, Jayne writes"I would like to recommend a wonderful restaurant in the center of Florence, the Buca Lapi, between the station (SMN) and the Duomo. It's hard to find; if you are walking on the main street from the station towards the market/Duomo, you can stop in any bar and ask directions, or, since it is said to be the oldest restaurant in Florence, any hotel concierge should be able to give directions. Buca Lapi has a Bistecca alla Fiorentina second to none and many other Tuscan/Florentine specialties."
And Mort writes"Florence's Adria 2 Hotel is a jewel of a budget hotel conveniently located near the Arno River, the American Consulate and the city's opera house. It's just a fifteen-minute walk to the city center, the Ponte Vecchio, the churches, museums and shopping. An electric bus also runs by every fifteen minutes and stops at several popular locations in central Florence. The hotel is owned and operated by Leo and Annabella Porzio and their son, Cristiano, who are very responsive and accommodating to guests. Moreover, as natives of Florence, they are very knowledgeable about the shops, restaurants and markets and other places that the locals frequent but visitors miss. Leo speaks perfect English.
"Contact: Leo Porzio, Adria 2 Hotel, Via Montebello, 49, Florence 50123, Italy; phone: 011-39-55-212-086; fax: 011-39-55-215-029; e-mail: adria2@dada.it."
And drifting back towards food, Janet recently wrote"Are you familiar with Ostaria dei Cento Poveri? It's not far from the center of Firenze, and I really enjoyed it. Always filled with locals, friendly staff, reasonable prices, good food (esp. seafood), nice wine list (some very reasonable whites from Apuglia, go nicely with seafood)." Hadn't been but I'll go. It's in Via Palazzuolo, 31/r, tel. 055 218 846. Their add in the phone book says wines, cheeses and ready-cooked foods 10-5; dishes cooked to order 7:30-12 midnight.
Also got a recent request for the best place in Florence to enjoy a bistecca alla Fiorentina, the classic porterhouse cut taken from Chianina beef and done over the coals. Since I usually do mine at home, I asked Leonardo Romanelli, author of a delightful little guide called "A Hundred Tuscan Tables" published by Aida.
He replies:
"Tough question, in part because not many places have wood-fired grills. Despite what one might think to look at it, PERSEUS in Viale Don Minzoni is good, and I've heard good things about the BUCA LAPI in Via del Trebbio (off from Piazza Antinori) but haven't ever been. Outside Florence, CENTANNI in Bagno a Ripoli does a good job, as do ZÀ ZA and CUPOLI in Lastra a Signa. The search goes on…"
Giles has more to say on steaks, and Indian:
"Maybe I enjoyed it so much because I spent sunsets and evenings in Fiesole (Hotel Villa Bonelli, great people). What I heard up there is that La Reggia, on the hike up to the Franciscan Convento, is considered by the townsfolk to serve up the best steak Florentine around.
"The interesting phenomenon, however, is the Indian Restaurant "Tandoori."
"Every night the place is packed with adventurous Italians trying what must be quite strange stuff for their palates. And the entertainment is a free part of the package. Monday nights features a belly dancer from Florida who studied the art in Egypt and shows it. Shows a lot, actually. On Wednesdays they have a "magician" who is really an amazing psychic. The management was quick to tell me that he isn't full Italian; his mother is Turkish. I'm still trying to get over my palm reading of last Wednesday night. Really incredible.
"Anyway, what a weird idea for Florence. And it is working, big time."
Sleeping and Dining in Tuscany
Some new suggestions, from Cosa Bolle in Pentola
