This was a place we came to celebrate my bday. And thank goodness it didn't disappoint. It was awesome. The ambiance was ten. The service was the same. And the food matched it all. Everything we got was so good. My main course was a house made pear and Gorgonzola ravioli; it was literally the best thing I ate in the eleven days I was in Italy. You must try it if you are in the area. It was incredible. I'd love to go back and redo this entire meal if I could!!! read more

I saw this place on TikTok and it looked so yummy and romantic. I made a reservation after contacting the restaurant via email. When I arrived with my boyfriend, there were at least 20 people with the same reservation time as us which was a little odd. Despite this, we did get in within 20 minutes of waiting. The food was very very good. We got a free glass of Prosecco and free appetizer which was nice. The pastas were very good but the Florentine steak was the highlight of the meal. I don't eat red meat very often, but this was the best steak I've ever had. It is very large so if you're thinking of ordering this, split it between several people! At the end of the meal, we were treated to some free limoncello. The environment in the restaurant was very romantic and takes you back a few centuries. Would definitely go again!! read more

La Giostra - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

We came here for Brazilian Valentines Day June 12 as my wife and my son and his girlfriend are Brazilian. It is a wonderfully romantic place. The complimentary appetizer was a great start. I loved the chicken liver and the mini bruschetta . We didn't know they would serve that so we already had ordered the Gran Selezione di salumi di cinta senese. Both were well presented and tasty. My wife had the pear and ricotta ravioli and she thought it was the best ravioli that she had in her life. I had the Branzino so Mare Al Brunnello which was the most amazing fish I have ever had. Our kids had risotto and gnocchi which they loved too. I can highly recommend the Rossi Di Montalcino - Siro Pacenti. read more

See all

Amazing food and atmosphere! Eclectic! The owner pays attention to detail and visits every table in the beginning of the meal. They treat you with "gifts" when you are seated! I won't ruin the surprise but just go and enjoy it! The beef carpaccio was amazing! Very large portio! We order the pear stuffed pasta, spinach and cheese stuffed pasta, chicken limone, and chicken with artichokes. Everything was absolutely delicious!! read more

This was highly recommended and was just average. Service wasn't good which also tarnishes the experience of the food. We asked for a light red wine. We were recommended and then given a 90% cab Chianti. So heavy we had to send it back, since we'd ordered lighter food like veal with lemon. After that we never saw the waiter again and that's when service went downhill and we never got water, etc. Burrata was good but so much and the fig is very sweet so a little goes a long way. Pasta with wild boar was good but very salty. The veal was the best in my opinion but there are so many other restaurants that offer a better experience and better food like Osteria Pastella. read more

La Giostra - From the chef. All but the pate were good. - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

See all

Had made reservations online about a month prior to coming. We arrived promptly on time at 9:45pm on a Sunday. There was no host on duty but it seemed like the waitress staff were also handling the seating. We waited for a while to be greeted. They decorated the waiting area with photos of the famous people who dined there. The overall was very gothic yet romantic and sultry. When a waitress finally acknowledged us, she said that there was a table for us in the other dining room. We were seated in a private table but pretty close to another couple. The space was tight and a bit warm. One of the waiters came over and brought us complimentary bubbly and a plate of appetizers. They offered wine but by the bottle. I like how they decant each bottle before serving. We shared the burrata appetizer and asked if the tomatoes could be substituted with prosciutto instead. The portions were pretty large. The burrata was so creamy and the prosciutto was so delicious. I loved the pear ravioli and it had little hint of sweetness with the creaminess of cheese. The bolognese with boar wasn't the best. The best part of the meal was the tiramisu, almost wanted to lick the plate clean. Service was not good but we did see the owner flock over to various tables. He avoided all the tourists ones and went directly to the Italians. Our server never refilled our glasses or come by to ask how the dishes were. I guess like how our tour guide said " the worst the service, the better the food". read more

I thoroughly enjoyed my evening at La Giostra! A solid 4. The atmosphere is absolutely perfect: a small quaint restaurant just a bit off the beaten path. The hostess welcomes you with a complimentary glass of tasty prosecco. I highly recommend getting the shrimp scampi over linguine. Also, if from the US, it is good to know that the salmon carpaccio is not sliced thin and the dish somewhat reminded me of bagels and lox (served sashimi style with a chive cream cheese and crostinis)- this dish was not for me personally and I had trouble eating it. The veal osso bucco was well prepared and tender. Additionally, service was thoroughly impressive and their balsamic vinegar was the best that I had in Italy. A tip for anyone looking to eat at La Giostra: reservations are a MUST, and it is extremely inconvenient because they have two separate reservation lists: 1-email reservations and 2- in person reservations. We had rescheduled our email reservation in person while passing the restaurant, but they marked us down as "no shows"due to their confusing, inefficient reservation process. It was a bit challenging with the language barrier, however, everything was resolved and they politely resolved the issue. Stick with email reservations. read more

See all

Great place to eat, food delicious but service outstanding, if you go there ask for Isabella, she is the best!!!

Unquestionably the best steak and pasta I've ever consumed. The more rare, the more tender. Unlike anything I've experienced. The ONLY seasoning on this steak is salt and pepper. 8 minutes in each side, 5 minutes standing up. It's a masterpiece. Pear and ricotta ravioli was top pasta for my wife in her life. We live in chicago and I will tell you that this steak makes any steak in chicago seem like hamburger. Stunned and speechless, thankful for an experience of a lifetime. read more

La Giostra - Steak - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

See all

We have had the pleasure of dining at La Giostra several times in the past and this time was just as wonderful! The food is fantastic, the stafff is amazing and Soldano is gracious and very hands on. To be greeted with a complimentary Prosecco and a beautiful array of crostini is a perfect way to set the stage for the delicious food to come. We are life long fans and look forward to going back! read more

I loved this restaurant. The travel agent booked me a reservation for my birthday. The place isn't high end but is very nice and is reasonably priced with a feeling of coziness. The place also has real authentic Italian food and wine . I ordered the risotto with shrimp and it was delicious. We also ordered the zucchini with cheese and tomatoes and that was different but also delicious. You have to make reservations in advance because the place is always packed . They are also very nice on getting you a cab if you need a ride back to your hotel . The menu is completely in Italian but the waiter explains everything. I will definitely come back .. read more

La Giostra - Zucchini with cheese - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

Authentic and delicious! Order anything off the menu but if you don't order the Cheesecake, you're doing it wrong! Also, FABIO the waiter (not the 90's male model spokesperson) but the waiter here,is awesome!! SECRET PASSWORD ONLY! "New England clam chowder... the white or the red?" Hahaha!! Thanks Fabio!!! read more

See all

Best dining experience I had when visiting Florence. I had the pear ravioli and the balsamic steak. The pear ravioli was my favorite dish. The ambiance here is also beautiful and romantic. The staff was friendly and was comfortable with speaking English too. Highly recommend this place! read more

Great food and atmosphere. Owner present and caring. Fantastic attention to detail. Must go.

It's rare that I feel so conflicted! But atmosphere, as perfect as it can be (dark, dark, dark hole in the wall - so romantic I cry!, orangey fairy lights and candles) only goes so far. I left feeling: it's OK, I guess. Not quite accolades from yours, truly. You can get a much more enjoyable dining experience in Florence. I am kind of reluctant to say this as they kindly offer up stuff like complimentary Prosecco, which is nice but it wasn't very good. I felt the same about the plate of antipasti, could have been better and I'd rather pay for it, I think. And most patrons, well, they eat it up. I get it! Hence the high rating. They mean well and that counts for most people. But, when everyone in the restaurant is American, you have to wonder... especially when you overhear idiotic New Yorkers going on about how you can't get anything like this in NY (truth: I heard someone say to that prince dude everyone goes on about,"have you ever had good Italian food in New York?" Are you kidding me?) La Giostra is all OK... not spectacular and I've had spectacular in Florence for less than half the price. I'm a bit of a curmudgeon. Feel free to ignore. I dare La Giostra to do better, though! My main issue: the smell hit me when we sat down. A reservation got us a table in front of the kitchen, but we might as well have been sitting in front of the bathroom because the smell of open sewer hit us periodically throughout our 2 hour dinner. This is unacceptable and even if it's not true, I felt like they hated us and wanted us to sit with the smell of open sewer throughout a not cheap meal. I was at first appreciative of the vegetarian menu, but in reality, most places in Florence have vegetarian options, even if they don't state it as such. Most of the items on the veg menu are standard, and there are a sole two non dairy options, fine, OK... I appreciate two options. I ordered the porcini mushroom pasta dish, which, besides the pasta being really quite good, is underwhelming, considering the hefty price tag. The dinner salad was as good as anywhere else in Florence, I guess. 100 Euro later for two and I am not thrilled. I'm actually hungry. Pricing is absurdly high (16 Euro for pasta? 16 Euro for an artichoke salad? No!) This price included a 30 Euro bottle of wine. Note that unlike most restaurants in Florence, there is not an option to order a glass or half litre of house wine if you're on a budget. I just want to mention how much the staff made a one star experience something better. They were all so friendly and accommodating! One of the few times Yelp has steered me wrong. read more

Simply stated, Ristorante La Giostra offers the very "Best of the Best" of Dining in Florence!! La Giostra was recommended to me before our trip by a fellow Yelper. She described it as "not to be missed" because "this is where Brad Pitt and George Clooney go when they're in Florence." (Not sure, but she might have been a bigger fan of "Brad & George" than she was of La Giostra, . . . but I digress . . ). The restaurant is located near the City Center, on a somewhat less traveled avenue, at Borgo Pinti, 10r-12r-18r. What the main entrance lacks in curb appeal is quickly overcome upon entering what is a very inviting and lively interior. You will be greeted with a warm welcome and promptly seated to your table with candle lighting. First of all, you'll find that La Giostra has a very extensive menu as well as very lengthy wine list to choose from. Plan to take your time to study both the menu and wine list. I feel very confident that regardless of what you choose from the menu and wine list, you will likely find it to be one of, if not the single finest Italian dining experience you could imagine. We began our dinners with the Insalata Greca Feta (Greek Feta Salads) -- an amazing starter. Each of us chose a different entree: the Ravioili Pecorino Pere (Cheese Ravioli with Pears) . . . Ravioli Brye Carcio (Ravioli with Brie) . . . and Spaghetti Trabacola. Our choice for wine was a wonderful bottle of Fontodi (the "heart" of Tuscan Chianti). We also enjoyed acqua and caffe. If I could give 6 stars, I wouldn't hesitate !! Service was stellar, and the ambiance was warm and romantic. As I said, this was simply Florence's "Best of the Best"!!! As a point of reference, dinner for the 3 of us including the bottle of wine was 124.00 Euros (approx. US$ 162 at today's exchange rate). This will be the 17th online review that I've posted to my "American Werewolf in Florence" list on Yelp. With this review of La Giostra I have saved what I consider to be the Very Best for the last review to add to the list. While it may be the last one I'll write for Florence, it will be posted as #1 on the list, as the dinner at La Giostra was indeed the highlight of our week-long visit to Florence in March 2012. Thank you to all of my fellow Yelpers out there who have sent me an unexpected and surprising number of "compliments" on Yelp as I have written and rolled out these reviews over the past several weeks. I have certainly enjoyed writing the Yelp reviews as it has allowed me to re-live each highlight of the week-long visit to what is truly an amazing destination. Just a final tease, however, . . . Please keep reading as you just might find a few more reviews coming over the next few weeks. There may be more to come from our day trips outside of Florence, across the Tuscan countryside, from Lucca (a walled city), . . . Venice (the "floating city" of waterways), . . . and Pisa (of 'leaning tower' fame.). Thank you very much for reading!!! read more

See all

A true fine dining experience in the city of Florence! Fair warning: you should definitely make reservations ahead of time unless you're willing to wait at least an hour. None the less, this restaurant is WORTH the wait! Though La Giostra is an intimately lit restaurant tucked away in one of the streets of Florence, don't be fooled by its size. There's so much buzz around La Giostra - all the celebs go there - and there's a reason why: La Giostra KNOWS food. Once seated, my boyfriend and I were offered free champagne on the house. After giving our order, we were given a free platter appetizer?! That's the warm welcome La Giostra sends all of its patrons. And it's not just any type of bread or chips a restaurant would serve its customers, it is literally a platter! You have a bit of roasted peppers and eggplant to bruschetta with finely prepared chicken liver. And trust me, I am no fan of any type of liver but oh my, this was another experience! I couldn't even taste the grainy-ness of the liver. The texture was completely smooth and perfectly seasoned. And who knew that pairing fresh mozzarella with homemade jam and honey would be so divine? The flavors mixed so harmoniously and there was a bit of sweet and savory with every bite. And the simplicity of adding a few slices of grapefruit and orange of the side made it such a refreshing experience! The ricotta and pear ravioli was definitely a different yet remarkable dish. You could taste the subtle flavors of both in the freshly made pasta without one flavor overpowering the other. I am so glad I came here and I will definitely come back for more when I visit Florence again! read more

Perfect fancier spot to go, even on a budget. These guys know what they are doing. They brought out a complimentary antipasta, champagne, and limoncello at the end of the meal (I suspected this was typical of everyone but I still felt special) which really heightened the experience. In the dimly lit room, you couldn't help but feel the ambiance. The service was a little weird, and maybe our guy was a one off. But as soon as we sat down he was pressuring us to order. He told us what he recommended and when we took a moment to consider, he pushed us and said "ok so you will have that." Wait, no. We definitely felt rushed and a bit uncomfortable pushing back for more time to decide. Isn't Italy known for taking their time during dinner? We didn't let it ruin the meal. The food itself was great. We ordered a veggie carpaccio to start with tomatoes, zucchini and cheese. I had the carbonara for my entree. I'm a bit of a carbonara snob and this one was cooked perfectly! It was creamy, elegant, and delicious. I wished there was more on the plate! read more

La Giostra - Carbonara - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

This place is by far my favorite Italian restaurant. I love the food and the ambiance. When I first arrived, I didn't know that this is one of the celebrities' joints. The setting is so quaint and laid back. I knew that the food would be decent from the yelp reviews but they must be pretty superior if it's sported by the rich and famous. Anyway, the food was quite excellent. We had complimentary champagne and a mixed plate of antipasti. I was very impressed with the hospitality. We ordered prosciutto and melon. You can't really go wrong with this one. We had spicy seafood pasta and ravioli with pear and pecorino filling as our 1st plates. The seafood pasta was very flavorful and spicy. Seafood portion was quite generous. The ravioli was such a nice surprise. It was sweet and rich and soft. Tasted like melted butter candy or something like heaven. By this time, we were seriously full. Our second dishes were bosso bucca (stewed veal shank). It was very tasty as well. If you are not used to the chewy texture, then this might not be the right dish for you. I loved the oven baked sea bass. I had half a fillet of sea bass with grilled veggies. The fish was very fresh and perfectly cooked, flaky and moist. I think we ordered a little bit too much. Ended up to be 6 dishes for two people. I would recommend just ordering 1 antipasti and one entree per person. This place is very generous with their portion. Ambience was very cozy and romantic. The room was lit with candles and white Christmas lights. While the food is excellent, the atmosphere is not pretentious. Prices are affordable. Service is attentive but maybe not be as warm as other places. La Giostra has a lot of characters and excellent food. Did I mention that the chef was an Austrian prince? One must need to stop by and experience the place. I can't really give it enough credit. read more

See all

When I originally planned my trip to Italy I decided to find a birthday dinner spot for my step father and that was it. I figured I'd get to Italy and go with the flow, ask for local recommendations and just wing it, but then I remembered I'm a) a type A planner and b) a Yelper lol, so I started doing some Yelp research and ended up finding La Giostra and realizing it was worth making a reservation! First off, yes! Make a reservation. At 7:30pm (on a Tuesday, late in the season) this place was packed (much earlier than the standard Italian dining time) so don't come here early thinking you'll get in. Second off, the pictures do not do it justice! The place is much darker (candlelight and overhead twinkling lights only) and feels much more intimate and special than the pictures make it look! Truly special ambiance here! After looking over the menu, one thing was clear - we needed help making a decision, so our server was happy to point out his recommendations. I will note, he spoke quickly, so it was a little bit hard for us to understand, but by the end of the night he became more clear, so either the wine had kicked in and suddenly we were linguistic experts, or when we first arrived he was rushing a bit. None the less, he was personable and friendly and attentive. First up was a complimentary glass of prosecco, and then a complimentary shared app plate, so we were happy customers. I might add that the chicken liver pate bites were AMAZING and I wish I had seen this on the menu to order even more of! For our own apps we split the burrata plate (with honey and nuts) and an octopus carpaccio. This was my parents first real encounter with burrata (now they are obsessed) so naturally they were blown away. And now, almost 2 weeks later my mom is still talking about this octopus - sliced so thin it literally melted in your mouth. YUM. For entrees we tried the pear ravioli, the bolognese parpadelle? (ok can't remember exactly which sauce, but that's what it looks like in the pictures) and the filet smothered in their made in-house 15 year old balsamic. My pappardelle was amazing, but sadly I was a bit full and unable to finish. I didn't try the steak, but I do remember my step father saying "I usually don't like sauce on my steak, but that was delicious". So yes, all good reports on the entrees. Ok, so I was stuffed, but I didn't let that hold me back from trying the cheesecake which was maybe the best I've ever had! It must have been ricotta based because it was very moist and light. The tiramisu was also extra moist (still not a fan though) and the famous rosemary ice cream was a hit! Unfortunately I can't remember which wine we had since it was decanted so quickly in front of us, and the bottle removed, but really an impressive showing with the decanting process and wetting all of the glasses with the wine etc. To sum it up. COME HERE. MAKE A RESERVATION. COME HERE. Note, this was probably the most expensive restaurant we dined at on our vacation, so plan accordingly. Entrees were on average 25 euros, and average wine costs were ~50 euros. read more

See all

Amazing meal. You wouldn't expect it when you first walk in. The owner is very cool and personable. He greeted us himself. Just don't ask him for Alfredo sauce because that's offensive haha. He made us a custom dish with a cream sauce (that was basically Alfredo) but it was delicious. We also got a red sauce pasta dish. Both great. read more

La Giostra - Gnocchi with a custom cream sauce - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

Florence, Italy I've been in the restaurant business for 20+ years and I seldom give a place 5 stars but this place was THAT good. I love a great steak...I travel quite a bit on business and have had great steaks at most of the big name places around the US. This was the best I've ever had, #1. A filet topped with a Caramelized apple and foie gras. Absolutely great flavor. It didn't hurt that I love foie gras. I don't even recall what my wife had, I shouldn't have waited so long to yelp, but I do remember it being great as well. We also had the house appetizer and a dessert. The app is an assortment of about 7 or 8 different small items. Without exception, all were very, very good. Service was great, our table was not ready at our reservation time but the complementary Prosecco made this seem trivial. And our server was one of the owners, the guy wearing about 200 bracelets. Great guy. There were a lot of Americans there, which made it feel a little touristy, but hey, that's what Florence is. One of the best meals of my life. read more

La Giostra - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

See all

My absolute favorite place in Florence. You get complementary champagne as well as an appetizer. You must try the pear ravioli. It is the best here. The ambiance in this restaurant is unlike any other place in the world. Very romantic and cozy, with twinkle lights covering the ceiling. read more

By far the best restaurant in Florence Italy, if not the best in Italy itself. Recommended to me by a work colleague, we walked up to the restaurant at 6:20pm on the first night we arrived in Florence. They don't open for dinner until 7pm so we made a reservation for that time and walked around until then. Once seated, we ordered a wonderful bottle of Chianti upon which we were treated to a presentation of such like no other. Dinner began with an appetizer plate like no other that included a rabbit / chicken combo, croquettes, bruschetta, fried zucchini and marinated red peppers and olives. The main course was the osso bucco in a marinara sauce - unreal. In addition we had the carbonra with truffles wich might have been once of the best pasta dishes I've ever tasted. Desert was the Tiramisù... sù... sù... sù... and it was perfect. The dinner here was so good, on the drive from Rome back to Nice, France we almost detoured to Florence just to go back for dinner here again...a must try for any traveler to Florence. read more

La Giostra - Entry - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

See all

This place is a MUST!! Our favorite place we've gone to in Italy. Food, service, and atmosphere could not have been better. Make a reservation and enjoy! read more

See all

This has to be one of the best experiences of our life. So much- we went back twice. Food is beyond amazing. They warm you up with a beautiful prosecco on the house. Then a large platter of beautiful chefs selections arrive which are complimentary and almost meals on their own. Then we went to artichoke carpaccio which was a unique experience. For dinner, I had handmade beautiful spinach ravioli which melted in my mouth andky husband had truffle pasta which made our eyes roll behind our head. Then - the dolce was a beautiful semifreddo with fresh berries. For an apertif, we had muscat and they bring the whole bottle. Have as much as you want! Then on the house this massive jug of limoncello which also brought out! Also - as much you want! The thoughtfulness behind this restaurant along with the smiles and warmness of EVERY server was amazing. I want to have this restaurant at home so I can enjoy it again and again!!!! read more

See all

Conflicted thoughts and feelings for this place. It was either between 3 or 4 stars but for the beautiful ambiance and solid food I'll lean towards 4 stars. This restaurant is a little overrated. Maybe I'm spoiled from growing up eating too many good food in New York like my boyfriend says... But this for sure isn't the best Italian or anything mind blowing out the water type food that I've ate. We got a little lost and missed this little restaurant... until atlas, we saw a door covered with Michelin stickers and recognition awards and walked in for dinner without a reservation. We waited about 15 minutes. Soon enough while we were waiting we saw many visitors swarming in to get a table for dinner as well. The inside has framed pictures of many different celebrities who came to eat here before, Will Smith along with other actors I forgot their name. PROS: -Ambiance: Everything was so romantic in here, dimmy place with the actual real tall white candles lit up on each table, wine shelfs on the wall all over, and the ceilings were covered with twinkling lights -Free antipasta starter -Free glass of Prosecco wine -Free WiFi hah. -FANTASTIC TIRAMISU!! CONS: -Portions aren't that big like some say -On the pricier side -Food was good, but not amazing. Didn't meet expectations. My boyfriends goat chops were not gamey at all, it was an average portion, cooked perfectly and tasted delicious. Their famous specialty pear ravioli is a more thick dough, I enjoyed the sweetness that you can taste from the pear with the milky cheese and light tossed sauce to it but nothing too crazy. Tiramisu was amazing though. I don't know if the price matches with the portion and quality in taste. Conflicted decision if I'll ever dine here again if I come back to Florence... Maybe, maybe not read more

See all

This place is really awesome. I actually canceled my reservation because I read a few bad reviews on this place - too touristy, rude service, bad experiences etc. I thought that maybe it was over hyped and that the food would not be very good or authentic. I regretted my decision and was luckily able to get my spot back and THANK GOD! The meal was absolutely delicious. They start you off with some champagne and an appetizer platter - everything was very fresh and flavorful - especially the bruchetta and balsamic roasted veggies. My husband and I then split a chicken dish (gorgonzola cream sauce and pear) and a burrata tortellini. Both was SO GOOD, I still dream about them. I highly recommend this place for really great food. The atmosphere is really nice with the lights, but it is definitely filled with tourists. read more

So, the food and service at this place are 5-stars. I remove one because in Italy I prefer the trattoria's and osteria's over the ristorante's. But for a truly premium dining experience in Florence this would get my vote. It has a charming ambiance of rustic while being upscale. The service was impeccable. The pear & pecorino ravioli were great. The octopus carpaccio was really good once I added some extra olive oil. They only have full bottles of wine - no half or glasses. This was the most I spent on a meal while in Florence (except maybe Perseus) and Giostra was well worth it! read more

La Giostra - Octopus carpaccio - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

See all

After reading many reviews on La Giostra I tried it out. Had an amazing meal. Every course was delicious I recommend Carpaccio di melanzane Tagliatelle Bolognese Rice Milk Iced Cream with Raspberries Tiramusu This was my favorite meal in Florence. read more

See all

Came here based on yelp reviews and I'm so glad we did. We didn't have a reservation but we didn't have to wait long to be seated. This restaurant is comprised to 2 separate places right next door to each other but they look the same. The ambiance is so cozy and romantic. The restaurant is quite dark but there is a nice dim light and Christmas lights hanging around the walls is a non cheesy way. Once we were seated and ordered we were given a big appetizer plate that was on the house with different meats and cheeses and a few other small items along with a glass of champagne. Obviously whenever this happens your impression of the place elevates but it stayed that way throughout the night. Our waitress was very attentive and explained everything in detail and someone was always around to refill our glasses and take our plates. We ordered the pear ravioli which was probably one of the best things I've eaten - it was savory but sweet at the same time and melted in your mouth. We also got the Florentine steak which is popular dish there' this is a HUGE piece of meat so it should definitely be shared. The steak is typically served on the rare side but we ordered medium and it was still pretty pink on the inside but nice and crispy on the outside. read more

La Giostra - Florentine steak - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

Currently on our honeymoon and came here for dinner per recommendations from our friends in New York. We walked to this restaurant from our hotel . When we were asking for directions along the way everyone we asked knew exactly the restaurant was located... Clearly a popular place ! We really loved the Romantic ambience and may oh may the 2 person T-bone steak was heavenly including the potatoes and carrots that come with it. Absolutely DELICIOUS ! read more

La Giostra - T-Bone steak for 2 - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

Loved the owner who was super nice and ready to chat about his food, unfortunately the food didn't live up to what I had expected. Maybe it was just an off night or the things we ordered but I was really surprised that it ended up being one of the most disappointing meals while in Europe on this past trip. The dish that really missed the mark was the Osso Bucco which, if anything, should be super tender. It was tough and the sauce to accompany it was just ok. When a dish like this misses, it misses bad because the meat itself and the tenderness is supposed to be the star. We also tried a couple pasta dishes that were pretty bland. Like I said, maybe just the night, but I expected better from all the stellar reviews. read more

My coworker said we HAD to come to La Giostra during my stay in Florence. He described it a inexpensive hole in the wall restaurant that wowed with every dish. With his praise and raves, I'm surprised my bf and I were able to walk in and get a table without a reservation though it was a Wednesday night at 8. La Giostra is a lovely place with a very intimate atmosphere with beautiful lights on the ceiling. There are 2 separate, but next door venues that comprise La Giostra and we were seated at the right most location. The wall is filled with pictures of their previous celebrity patrons so you know this place is widely known. I showed them the Yelp Check-In voucher for a free glass of Prosecco and they graciously honored the offer for us. The menu is in Italian, beware, but the waiters are extremely patient and willing to help translate and suggest what to order. There was also some off the menu items, but they weren't told to us until we asked about suggestions. After we ordered, we were happy to see an antipasti platter for us, compliments of the chef. It was a really unique arrangement of eggplant, bruschetta, chicken liver, and other tasty bites. My boyfriend ordered the penne pasta with simple tomato sauce and I ordered the fusilli pasta with eggplant and sausage. They were tasty, but didn't blow us away. Also, the portions were pretty small and clearly, you were expected to spend $$$ here and get several dishes. We didn't want to break the bank so we stuck with just the pasta and got gelato for dessert elsewhere. Come here with the mentality to treat yo self to a lavish meal and extravagant atmosphere. TIP: There is free wi-fi, which was helpful to check in on Yelp, but who needs it otherwise when you are dining in such a cozy, romantic restaurant! read more

See all

Huge disappointment! We arrived and they took 2 other parties before us. We were finally seated 30 mins after our seating time. It seemed like We didn't know the right people to be seated at our time. We were put by the bathroom and forgotten about. I told them it was my daughters birthday and it was also forgotten. I didn't get my drink and had to ask for bread. We had to stand to leave before a waiter asked us if we needed anything and at the point we asked for the check. We ordered 2 pasta dishes and the steak Florentine. The food was good but nothing too special or worth the cost. We went to Perione the night before and it was overall much better! Do better Giostra!!! You ruined a special 14th girl's birthday experience. read more

Best restaurant in all of Italy. The owner is a wonderful man who walks around and makes conversation with everyone. You feel at home and like a special guest at the same time. The food and wine are incomparable. Can't be missed. Just make your reservation far in advance. read more

The best restaurant during my trip to Florence. Highlights: - the bufala with honey and walnuts - amazing - tagliatelle - best pasta dish - pear ravioli - very good, however I prefer red sauce - steak Florentine- very good, but the smaller steak option might be better The restaurant itself is beautiful and intimate, reservations are a must. read more

See all

After a call to facebook friends for Florence recommendations, a number of people insisted we go to La Giostra! So many tourists lov ite, it's gotta be cheesy, right? Well, kinda, but it was great! I would say 90% of the dining room (if not more) were tourists, but it didn't matter. The service was wonderful, the ambiance super fun and romantic, and we LOVED our meal and wine. And when our 8-year-old travel buddy finally konked out, after 7 looong days of touristing, the staff was super chill about him sleeping at the table. They even made him a little pillow out of napkins! Overall i'de say we were there almost three hours, and never felt rushed. They bring you out a plate of antipasti, which was just ok, but everything else was amazing. Dare I say that the BEST part of the meal was some complimentary fresh pecorini with honey that they brought out when our steak was taking too long. For appetizers we shared the burrata (some of the best ive had anywhere) and an octopus crudo that was out of this world. We also ordered the famous Florentine steak, which was HUGE and delicious! I would absolutely recommend this place if you want a fun Florence dinner! There may be mroe local, authentic places, but this place is legendary, and for reason! read more

See all

Just a wonderful meal and a wonderful experience! It may have been the best meal we had in Italy. The wine, the apps, the entrees, and the staff were exceptional! read more

I spent an hour reading all the reviews and came to this. Low star reviewers, get a life. I've been around the world to countless countries, and this place is in the top 2. So much so, we actually made a reservation for the second of two nights in Florence. Yes, we only have two nights in Florence and we elected to go here both nights. Don't let the bad reviews fool you. Balsamic steak was mouthwatering, and the pear ravioli was even better than the reviews. Here are some other notes. - wine makes food taste better. Get some. - the free starter, was ok. Enjoyed the bruschetta but could do without the rest. - bread was just ok. - started with prosciutto and mozzarella, drizzled with their table balsamic. Come on people, does it get better than this? - limoncello to finish off the meal was amazing...strong but good. - desserts, you can't go wrong with any of them. Let me reiterate, get as many pear ravioli as legally possible. Disney World is no longer the happiest place in the world. Oh and the ambience...try and find me a better setting... read more

See all