Restaurants Useful links Shopping ideas Florence guide
La Serra - at Plaza Hotel Lucchesi
Closed Sunday
La Serra is the hotel's own restaurant at the Plaza Hotel Lucchesi: it is located on the ground floor of the hotel with a view of Piazzale Michelangelo. La Serra offers Italian and Tuscan cuisine in an elegant but relaxed environment. An important accent is placed on the use of fresh and seasonal products. The service is attentive and courteous.
View the page...
Enoteca Pinchiorri - Via Ghibellina 47r
Closed Sunday and Monday
One of the best, if not the best restaurant in Italy. Michelin gives it three stars. Impeccable for the refined elegance of the environment and the table, as well as the service, that is outdoors in summer; the cuisine is excellent and the cellar, attended to personally by Giorgio Pinchiorri, is celebrated and unrivaled. Reservations are necessary.
View site...
Villa San Michele - Via Doccia 4, Fiesole
Seasonal opening
An unforgettable experience, in Fiesole, with a lovely view of Florence from the magnificent terrace. Refined cuisine, under the supervision of the chef Attilio de Fabrizio.
View site...
Il Verrocchio di Villa La Massa - Via della Massa 24, Candeli
Seasonal opening
Prepares Tuscan and Italian dishes under the supervision of chef Andrea Quagliarella who, after 25 years at Villa D'Este, now directs the kitchen staff at Villa La Massa with great enthusiasm.
View site...
Cibreo - Via de’ Macci 118r
Closed Sunday and Monday
Famous for rediscovering the recipes of ancient Tuscan tradition (the restaurant does not serve pasta), Fabio Picchi's restaurant offers a studied, imaginative approach to food. It is elegant but informal, and the service is friendly and always ready to offer helpful suggestions.
Under the same ownership, on the other side of Via de' Macci, is the Teatro del Sale, which Fabio Picchi himself jokingly defines as "a grocery store with a large back room", and which is actually an extremely interesting and enjoyable cultural initiative with theatrical and musical events, with workshops in singing, cooking, acting, set design, playwriting and other arts and crafts.
View site...
Taverna del Bronzino - Via delle Ruote, 25/27r
Closed Sunday
In a 16th century building, the Taverna del Bronzino is a restaurant where courtesy and hospitality complete the artful refinement of the dining room which offers traditional cuisine, revisited with skill and imagination.
Dino - Via Ghibellina 47r
Closed Sunday and Monday
The menu varies with the season and the availability of fresh foods on the market. The kitchen is supervised by mamma Renza, and is the strong point of the restaurant. The dishes are all based on the ancient local traditions and are made with fresh products from the Tuscan countryside, skillfully flavored with aromatic herbs. Dino suggests and recommends the right wine for every dish. The hospitality is sincere and the service professional.
Leo in Santa Croce - Via Torta 7r
Closed Monday
The restaurant stands on the ruins of an ancient Roman amphitheater. The dining room is characterized by columns that go back to medieval times. The atmosphere is cordial and the service impeccable. Tuscan specialties with some seafood and the exclusive homemade fresh pasta, prepared daily by the chef.
View site...
Latini - Via dei Palchetti 6r
Closed Monday
Perhaps the most famous restaurant in Florence, beloved by local residents and foreign tourists alike. The atmosphere is homey, the cuisine typically Tuscan and the quality and service are cordial and friendly. You may be asked to share a table with other diners, and it is always best to make reservations.
Buca Lapi - Via del Trebbio 1/r
Closed Monday
The restaurant first opened in 1880 as a tavern, serving wine, and was a favorite haunt of "cabbies". Over the years it grew and became a restaurant, and is still famous for the typical good food and especially for its excellent bistecca alla fiorentina.
Buca San Giovanni - Piazza San Giovanni 8
Closed Monday
Founded in 1882, once it was the sacristy of the baptistery. The site and furnishings are subject to the surveillance of the Fine Arts department. The restaurant offers typical Tuscan cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere, often with live music.
La Maremma - Via G. Verdi, 16r
Closed Wednesday
Home-style cooking, typically Tuscan, in a restaurant that was completely restructured in 2004. The dining room is small and comfortable, with cordial, professional service.
Boccanegra - Via Ghibellina, 124r
Closed Sunday
In the heart of Florence, across from the Teatro Verdi. Boccanegra is divided into three rooms: the restaurant with its creative cuisine based on fresh products in season, the tavern (with a separate entrance also on Via Verdi) which offers typical Tuscan cuisine of the highest quality and, the most recent addition, a small pizzeria with a purposely limited pizza menu. The common denominator for the three restaurants is good service provided by a young but well-integrated staff.
View site...
Fuor d’Acqua - Via Pisana 37r
Closed Sunday
Although it just opened recently, Fuor d'Acqua has become the place to go in Florence for seafood, which arrives fresh every day from Viareggio. Reservations are almost always necessary.
Our favorites for 2006:
- Enoteca Pinchiorri
- Villa San Michele
- Il Verrocchio di Villa La Massa
- Taverna del Bronzino
- La Serra
