Looking for 4 dinners in Florence (Spring 2023). Previous favorites inlcuded Taverna Branzino, Buca Dell’Orafo, Pandemonio. No specific requirements except that must be able to make a reservation (and good food). Thank you!
My favorite in Florence is Da Ruggero. Its well outside the center, so very popular with the locals, and the same family owns it for generations. Its a simple trattoria that does all the Tuscan classics well. Easy to make reservations by phone. They speak English.
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Thank you! I remember this name from chowhound discussions. Love that is outside of the center, and open sunday for dinner to boot!
info is definitely on point for me since thats exactly where I was aiming for my main meal in Florence (there one night only) for my March trip, thanks for the reinforcement!!!
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The Cibreo family of restaurants remain favorites. We’ve also come to love Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina. Their wine tasting lunch/dinner menus are particularly good values, and the anecdotes that accompany each wine delivered by owner Edoardo are priceless.
That place is on my radar. We are arriving later in the evening and I was thinking grabbing late dinner there. Will they accomodate a group of 5 do you think?
I also remember people really liking Zeb on Chowhound. Any recent experiences?
It’s a small place but I think it’s doable. They can set a table in the wine cellar, which I think could accommodate 6 and would be fun for a group. Email them (see web site).
I’m going in the spring as well!
We had a lunch at Trattoria Cibreo just this weekend, it was a rush visit, little more than 24 hrs. it was very good but a very restrained version of Tuscan cooking, I might have wanted to add a bit more olive oil or seasoningin to several of dishes. I am not restrained. I had the liver pate which was two sizeable mounds of delicious pate served with thin slices of toasted fruited and spiced bread. Unfortunately it was Friday and My husband who was observing the lenten fast was required to abstain from meatHe had the appetizer of beans and kale over bread, I had a vegetable soup with a small quantity of very chewy red rice. This was followed with his dish of stockfish lightly seasoned with tomato and onion and my plate of panizza (fried chickpea fritters) served with braised chicory and a large portion of creamy cheese, stracchino, I believe. The bread and carafe of house red were both excellent, the hostess was charming and the price was right. Note, I was able to book them same day for lunch via The Fork.
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We were in too much of a rush to make a visit to Oltrarno for Da Ruggero to happen, and finding a Sunday lunch in the San Lorenzo area was equally fraught. We luckily were able to grab a couple of seats in the jammed central market foodhall - I then snared from a stand called Il Bollito e lo Stracotto Giacomo Trapani a plate of very delicious bollito, a roll stuffed with rosemary-scented porchetta and a serving of decent pappa al pomodoro, husband went off and found some beer. The boiled beef was extremely tender and juicy, served with fine salsa verde and hot sauce, a big portion. The porchetta was also tender and tasty but needed some lubrication to offset the bun. NOTE after we had eaten we saw that we could have avoided the scramble by using the table numbers, QR codes and menus hidden under the Trays left on the tables. This food hall is a very successful operation. Just remember, Nerbone is downstairs in the regular food market. The Trapani stall is upstairs.
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We enjoyed Buca dell’Orafo ,a s you did, and also Ristorante Celestino, just across the Arno
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Been a while since I’ve been in Florence, so no dinner recs (though I also second Da Ruggero).
My one rec is to go for lunch or snack at Cantinetta dei Verrazzano. Unbelievable focaccia sandwiches / merende. The one place in Firenze we never miss (and the one place I miss the most…). Open only until 4:00 PM
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The mention of sandwiches reminds me that I have had some terrific sandwiches at 'Ino, very near the Uffizi, though I was last there in 2018…
Greetings from Florence! Headed to Cibreo next week. My daughter is spending the month in Fiesole, in the hills just north of Florence. We had a delightful meal at Terrazz45, on Piazza Mino da Fiesole. Getting there can be a bit of a challenge due to narrow streets, but the view overlooking Florence is outstanding. Burrata with black truffles and rocket, tagliolini with truffles, and bistecca alla Fiorentina were excellent, and very reasonably priced (e.g. 52 eur for 1 kg, more than enough for two). Nice wine list but offerings by the glass were somewhat limited. However a 2009 Chianti Classico Riserva Colognole (Rufina) by the glass was superb.
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Cafaggi is in it 101st year. Pretty amazing. I had what turned out to a bollito misto but it wasn’t called that. It was really good, way beyond normal because of the salsas that came with it. The menu changes often and it comes in English as well as Italian and is online. Everybody at our table loved it as well. An extra treat is the dacor. It must have been ultra modern in about 1960. I’ll go again next time I am in town. Closed Sunday. Via Guelfa, 35 , Firenze https://ristorantecafaggi.com//
Buca Dell’Orafo was excellent again although I wish they had a bigger and better wine selection.
