We enjoyed, and took advantage of, having Gilli close by on our trip to Florence. This place is special and has an excellent history. It's really the hot drinks and baked goods that get you coming back, frequently. Coffees are all excellent. The coissant, maritozzo are the best you will find in Italy and the Gilli Torte is indredible. They make excellent chocolates as well. Do not miss this Florence staple. Highly recommend. read more

After just arriving in Florence, we needed to find a place for breakfast while waiting for our hotel room to be ready. Our hotel recommended Gilli which was just a short walk away. Being seated right away after our long flights was a big plus. The restaurant has a nice breakfast menu. A few of us chose the scrambled eggs with bacon and bread. Everything was well prepared with nice crispy bacon. I ordered the Caffe Marrochino which was espresso, milk, and cocoa to provide a nice jolt of energy. Breakfast is only a small part of Gilli, the pastries here looked amazing! A fun place to start off our dining experiences in Italy! read more

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Gilli can be busy, but we enjoyed experiencing cappuccinos standing at the bar. You order and pay, pick up your pastry at the pastry counter, and then get your beverage. All the pastries looked good! read more

Gilli - Cappuccino and chocolate cornetto - Cafes Near Me - Florence, FI

Oh Gilli what a weird dining experience... you pulled us in with your pretty patio, sitting in there having lunch was beautiful! But the service was terrible, a girl took our order, we were a large party about 8 people... she forget a few people drinks and they had to wait maybe 5/10 min later for their drinks... then ordered food, and same thing..3 people in our party didn't get their food.. so they waited and waited, about 30 min after our food their showed up... at this point our server was no where to be found, never came back. What i got was good, over priced but tasty. The final kicker was a different male server came over with our bills, and told us they would like extra tips... over what was already added on the check ( assuming he said this cause we're American) ....we all told him, yea, no terrible service. read more

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Gillli Cafe located in the Piazza Della Repubblica in Firenze / Florence Italy. Known for their award winning Schiacciata Alla Fiorentina Farcita (Italian sponge cake with a wonderfully light Lemon custard dusted with powdered sugar). It was light airy and moist. It was on our bucket list to go to Italy and have this dessert. Well worth the wait. It definitely lived up to all the hype. Awesome and very cravable. Service was great. read more

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Wanted a sweet treat and so glad we stepped into Gilli. We ordered several desserts, including the amazing raspberry treat, and all of them were delicious. Our server Eldorado was beyond amazing. Great experience! read more

LOVE GILLI! Best pastries and caffe in Florence! Their Maritozzo is big and delicious and their cappuccino delicious. Tried some other places and was disappointed so GILLI it was for the rest of the trip. We were staying near the Duomo so it was perfect. Oldest cafe in Florence and its reputation is deserved. Don't skip on this place read more

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This is a fancy coffee place on one of the plazas in Florence. We were walking by and a couple were eating a cake that it look so delicious. I had to stop and try the coffee and the pastries. You have to wait to be seated. We were sat right away. The place is big so tables were getting emptied fast. The waiter came right away and we made our order. One Caffe Al Padre and one Caffe D'orzo/Ginseng, and one lemon cake. Just a comment on the coffee in Italy. They are pretty small. I mean some are too little to be a coffee. So, when my mom's coffee arrived we were surprise and cracking up because it was just the bottom of the cup with maybe a tablespoon of coffee in there. It was so funny. So we asked for some milk to make it bigger. lol! It was too funny. My coffee came out very pretty and delicious. The cake was small too and it had an overpowering lemon taste. It was good but I regretted not getting another different one. It was a fun experience. Highly recommended. read more

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Come for the ambiance. Indoor or covered patio are both nice. The service is friendly and the cappuccino with cream pastry is really good combo. We enjoyed the rest between. read more

Gilli - Cafes Near Me - Florence, FI

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Very beautiful interior as well as nice large outdoor seating. Outdoor seating towards middle tables where people walk, the floor shakes when people walk by (probably platform assembly issues - sit more inward). The hostess was a bit rude when I asked for a table for one. Everyone else was nice. The restaurant is kid friendly, one of the staff brought someone's child a pillow since the chairs were lower than the table. Enough space to park a stroller near your table. Two waiters dropped two separate things. The iced cappuccino didn't come with a straw or stick or spoon to stir, so it was awkward trying not to spill. The Tartare di Salmon was delicious, but it was more like cubed and could've been colder. Food was decent, the sauce made it better (the chicken was bland, but juicy). read more

Gilli - Tartare di Salmon - Cafes Near Me - Florence, FI

Definitely overpriced and underdelivered. Ordered Aperol Spritz's during the day to take a break from walking all over town and the drink price was outrageous compared to the quality of drink you receive. While the environment is nice, it feels manufactured versus the authentic older beautiful Italian cafes and restaurants throughout the city. Additionally, the wait staff were rude and made your feel like you were in a rush. read more

Gilli - Cafes Near Me - Florence, FI

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We were recommended to come here by our Car service driver as well as our cooking lesson instructor and we passed by on many walks, we knew we had to go! Some of the very best people watching with delicious gelato and exquisite pastries! The best affogato my husband tried to eat all of mine. He ordered the eclair and other delicious cake. We loved it all and grateful to have come, and thank the excellent staff for a great spot inside. read more

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Gilli was a nice, stylish bookend to a wonderful day in Florence. The main room abutting the square is wonderful for people watching (inside and out) and a relaxing oasis after the mandatory 15,000 steps through the sights. Drinks are well prepared and arrive quickly. There were two of us and one ordered from the large menu and I ordered from the small blue menu because I wanted something lighter. Our food was wonderful. All of the staff we interacted with, from being seated to the end of our session, were welcoming, warm and attentive. read more

The interior of Gilli is beautiful and definitely the old world you expect. Wonderful customer service. You can sit on the enclosed patio year round which is by the nightly music. Might I say, the nightly music is amazing. Literally, the best place to go every night if you want to guarantee blowing your mind while being in Florence. The interior is where I wanted to be. Something about more that old world experience. As a note, it costs more to sit. Standing at the bar having your coffee is the same as anywhere in the city so a good alternative if you just want to try what they have to offer. I loved it here. I would definitely go back again. I had a selection of their sandwiches and a shakerato. So good!!!! I want that drink again . read more

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Really enjoyed the relaxed, elegant atmosphere overlooking the piazza. It can get busy because of all the tourists, so service can be a little slow during peak hours, but it's nice to just sit back, relax, and people watch. The cheesecake and cafe gilli drink were amazing, and our server was very kind. read more

Gilli - Iced Café Gilli - Cafes Near Me - Florence, FI

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Make sure to stop by here when you are in Florence. You can enjoy amazing view through the glass and enjoy yummy desserts. Service was pretty fast and they got nice couches to enjoy the view with your date read more

Love the machiattos. Like Giada says anybody who orders a cappuccino after 10am is a nitwit tourist. Expressos all day are fine. read more

Gilli - Expresso and deessert - Cafes Near Me - Florence, FI

Ambiance -you're in Italy. They have sliding glass walls and roof that open to air when the weather is good. I'm sitting here early Mov with with sides open, enjoying music in the square, people watching & this is the piazza with the carousel. Had a couple drinks and they were very good. They speak English if needed & cake cash or cc A nice place to stop. Service slower read more

The pastries are amazing and so is the Cappuccino! The atmosphere is is very classic early 1900s. They have lots of prepackaged treats to take back as gifts or souvenirs. read more

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Gilli is beautiful, historic, and has an Old World elegance to it. It's also a very popular place and pricey too. We opted to sit inside due to extreme heat. The terrace in front is lovely, weather permitted. I ordered the spinach omelette with toast and a cappuccino. Husband had the eggs with bacon, OJ, and a cappuccino. Service is a bit slow. We actually had to stop someone to take our order. They are that busy. All in all, it was a good experience. The food was good, but the experience of being in the oldest restaurant in Florence was amazing. It's not to be missed. read more

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This place is definitely a tourist trap. We walked inside seeking AC and a dose of caffeine. There was a fair amount of customers both in the dining area and at the bar. There was no clear hostess stand so we stood around looking lost for a bit. We had several staff members walk past us, including servers and people who appeared to be hostesses, without saying a word to us. We had to flag someone down who finally let us know we could seat ourselves. It took another 15-20 minutes to be approached and offered menus or water. Then another 20 minutes after that to be served our iced tea and espresso. Our order was taken by two different people and therefore our drinks were brought out at different times. The prices were absolutely absurd. I think it was 8 euros for my iced tea? If you are looking for a quick refuge from the heat, this place is OK. But it's definitely not an authentic Italian experience. Factor in the disjointed, slow service and the overpriced menu, I wouldn't recommend it to others. The only silver lining was that the inside is really beautiful. read more

Great location for a drink came for desserts Staff very snotty pastries were good and the seating outside OK. I'm not sure if I come back. read more

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Pros: location is nice. Cons: everything else, basically. The desserts are at least a day old. It's obvious. Nothing looks remotely tempting. The service is extremely bad. The waiter never looks you in the eye, try look away and just throw the cups on the table. The coffee was cold. You call the waitress and she doesn't not acknowledge you, just runs away, the other one nods, like it's coming, but never comes. Finally they come change it. Very rude all-around. Maybe they're so badly paid no one feels like serving. I feel for them at one level but people are here to be serve their food with at least a smile. Not smiles for you here. read more

I didn't eat the food only the chocolates and desserts! It was only okay in my opinion. It wasn't just something to go crazy about. I walked in the pouring rain for it and it just wasn't what I thought it would be. I have picture the two desserts I tried. One of the chocolates were amazing and I love it's I believe it was salted caramel but unfortunately I don't have a picture of the chocolates. read more

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As a great and central restaurant, Gilli serves tasty food and drinks. The service is a little stiff. However, for the location and food, it's a great spot for brunch. The seats are comfortable and music was fun. I thoroughly enjoyed their Bellinis and rum baba. read more

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If you are in Florence and are an espresso lover you will love Gilli! It is an experience in itself to walk up to the bar and order an espresso, alongside the locals. The drinks ordered at the bar are sipped standing (but they also have a lovely seating area where you can order breakfast). I had seen the Italian woman next to me order an espresso that looked more like a mini cappuccino and when I asked the barista he told me it was a macchiatone. I wasn't able to find this at most other bars in Italy. It was so delicious and gave me the perfect little caffeine boost I needed. read more

Gilli - Macchiatone - Cafes Near Me - Florence, FI

As it sits in Piazza Republica, this place definitely caters to tourists. Prices are much higher than what you would find in Florence as you are paying for location. Services are overwhelmed with the number of tourists they get, so it is VERY slow. Just be prepared for it. Coffee is very good, hot chocolate is very European style (much thicker than in US), desserts are good read more

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Service was the worst I have ever seen. Waitresses ignored for more than thirty minutes, and worse, it was obviously intentional. Racist or just bad manner--if offending customers were goals, highly successful restaurant! read more

Food/pastries and drinks are always great here. Great atmosphere when sitting outdoors. Service is the absolute most hit and miss that I have ever seen at a restaurant. They are either the most attentive people that will help immediately, or you will be sitting in the empty cafe, they will look you dead in the eye and not serve you for up to 20 minutes at times. Good thing I'm patient, so my 4 stars is for the food/drinks and beer, not for service. read more

Such elegance and good pastry.. a bit expensive but worth it. Staff very polite... Hard to choose pastry as there are so many and all look like piece of art read more

Gilli - Cafes Near Me - Florence, FI

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This would have gotten 5 stars because we tried about 6 desserts and they were all amazing, every single one, why the four stars instead of 5? I went to the bathroom and was asked to show my table receipt to enter. 3 men did not have to return to their tables to get their receipts but I did. Other women had to go to their seats and get their receipts too. Not the men. When I cam back with my receipt, she was letting other men in the bathroom with no receipt. I questioned this. She told me she didn't speak English. I got a boss over to question why the disparity. She said I looked liked a tourist and the men didn't. I let them know that either everybody shows a receipt to gain bathroom access or nobody should. He apologized. So, if it would not have been this, they would have gotten 5 stars because the desserts, cookies, food, chocolates were amazing. But please, let everyone pee in peace. read more

Great location and wonderful views. Wonderful service and cocktails. Pricey but worth it. read more

Gilli - Cafes Near Me - Florence, FI

Came for drinks on a beautiful Saturday afternoon and was able to get a seat within a few minutes! Tried the original Negroni with jelly and it was really good along with some other drinks read more

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Great Coffe and Pastry. There is a long line but it goes really fast. Great ambiance too read more

Gilli - Cafes Near Me - Florence, FI

5 stars for the ambience and location. 0 stars for the food and service. Our servers did not have any desire to provide service. They acted like it was a hassle to take our order. My chocolate tort cake was at best from the morning, but could have been from the day before. It was like a chocolate hazelnut biscuit. I wasn't expecting much as I figured that the location was the main attraction. However, the food and service were worse than expected. read more

If you're just going to get coffee and stand at the bar and watch the Brisas make a wonderful cappuccino, but the omelettes sandwiches and brioche if you sit down have some time don't rush. read more

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The perfect spot for food & Drinks! If you plan on visiting Florence, Italy, I highly recommend checking out this wonderful spot. You won't be disappointed. I've been there twice, and I must say they have excellent food, drinks, and music. I definitely plan to return when I'm in Florence next time. read more

Atmosphere is why people put up with the horrible service I just want a drink! Worst service in Florence. read more

Pastries are not bad but service is SLOW and know you're paying for the location and the misting. Walk farther for better and cheaper food, but stay here for people watching and to cool off in the mist they spray all over. Nice view from the tables. read more

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The bartenders were busy and professional looking. They were dressed well. Just ordered two cokes. Served on ice with lemon. Bathrooms were busy but clean. read more