Florence Restaurants

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As we were walking around the Mercato Centrale area, I caught a glimpse of Trattoria ZaZa's patio and immediately thought it looked like a place with a fun atmosphere. Later on during the day, I happened to look at the restaurants section in my travel guide and Trattoria ZaZa was one of the places they recommended, so we decided to give it a shot in the evening. When we got there the patio was full (it's not a bad idea to make a reservation) but we were shown to a table next to a huge open window so the ambience was just as pleasant. Service was fast and friendly, and one of the things I really enjoyed is that the Trattoria offers many house products, such as their own olive oil and wine. We decided to give the Vino Rosa a try and we really liked it - refreshing but not too sweet. For dinner I ordered a pizza and it was delicious: fresh spinach and mushrooms (many restaurants serve frozen mushrooms) with pesto and ham, yum! So yes, Trattoria ZaZa is a place that's very popular with tourists but that doesn't necessarily make it a tourist trap, unless you have something against good food served in a nice atmosphere at a reasonable price!

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We ate here twice in a 4 night stay in Florence.Girasol is about 10 minutes walking from the old center.(Fortezza da Basso) The menu had some interesting alternatives to the standard italian food in a lot of other places. The food was nothing short of outstanding with great service to go with it and reasonable prices. Try the wild boar antipasti (taglieri)with artichoke and argentine beef! Pizza very special!!After dinner have or live music or DJset......very fun!

Favorite Dish: Try the wild boar antipasti (taglieri)with artichoke and argentine beef! Pizza very special!!

This place had some of the very best food in Florence I could find. It's a must hit for sure but watch your wallet and your tab. I ate there no less than 5 times and every single time they added something to the bill or brought me something I didn't order. I like the later, they usually brought you something tasty. Don't fuss too much if they do this to you, just enjoy the scenery of Piazza del Republica and the Gilli bar is fantastic!

Favorite Dish: The Egg omelet. I know that sounds silly but these folks have breakfast down pat!

We came across this restaurant by chance and good job we did! First and foremost, the owner Massimo was at the door and answered all our queries regarding the menu (ingridients etc). Secondly the food is good and reasonably priced compared to other restaurants in Florence. The bisteccha alla fiorentina was simply wonderful and so was the trippa. The dessert which was on the house was delicious - lovely home made lemon mouse with melon ice cream. During our time there, Massimo kept checking on us even though the place was full. When we left there were about 20 people waiting for a table. So you can imagine how good and worth it the place is. Would recommend it always. Its open all year round.

Favorite Dish: Bisteccha alla fiorentina and trippa

Well after all my talk about chains. Beware of rules. There are other good gelato shops in Firenze. I just have to plug this one. Putting the chain thing aside.

The staff was very attentive and took the gelato seriously. The quality was high and the ingredients the highest quality. So they have earned a recommendation.

It is right near the Duomo so a convenient stop as you get tired of looking up.

If their web site is not just green washing ( hard to know anymore) they seem to care about small farms. Being a farmer that is a plus for me.

Favorite Dish: The flavors are well based on natural flavors. Our favorites were pistachio and nicholla.

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As you stroll through Florence you find very fine fresh fruit shops. There is a great abundance of fresh localy grown fruit. It is inexpensive and delicious. What better way to remember Italy than to eat food close to the soil of Italy.

Favorite Dish: I look for things I cannot have at home. The fresh muscat grapes were unbelivable. My companions would not leave me alone when I had some.

while all the tourists flock to the restaurants with terraces, this fantasic little trattoria round the corner from the mercato centrale is like something straight out of 'the sopranos' or 'goodfellas'. only open for lunch, the locals come here time+time again. its a tiny wee place where the waiters will seat you wherever there is an available space so if you're not prepared to share a table, forget it. but you'll be missing out on the best food in florence....

Favorite Dish: from the delicious ragu to the tastiest simplest green salad, everything is fantastic but my favourite is the florentine steak.... a huge chunk of t-bone steak served rare only with a wedge of lemon...melt in your mouth. + as for the potatoes done in the oven with rosemary....

After visiting Palazzo Vecchio, we wandered down a small street and passed by this restaurant. It had nice seating outside so we decided to stop in for lunch. The food - especially the pasta(!) - was delicious, the portions were very large, and the service was great. It was a perfect spot to relax, have some wine, and watch the people go by. Would definitely recommend having a meal here.

We were there a little before the "season" and it was busy then so it may be a good idea to make reservations during the season, especially for dinner.

Main courses run between $8 and $18, which considering the portion sizes was a great deal. Credit Cards Accepted.

Hours:

March - October 12-3:00 p.m. and 7-10 p.m.
Off season: Thursday-Tuesday 12-3:00 p.m., Thursday-Monday 7-10:30 p.m.