La Grotta Guelfa

Wow, this place is amazing. Our waiter was very friendly and he was super hilarious. He made jokes…read moreand it enlightened the room. He provided us with excellent service. We ordered the 2.6 lb dry aged Florentine steak and gnocchi. The Florentine steak is a must try steak here. It was very juicy, tender, and it was bursting with flavor. The meat was nice and chewy. The steak was gigantic and it is bigger than my head. They first bring out the raw steak and weight it in front of you. The steak is enough to share for three people. The gnocchi was also very delicious. It was cheesy and rich. It was also in a way creamy and the cheese just melted in your mouth. One of the best things I've ever put in my mouth and eaten. The cheesecake is very famous in this restaurant. We tried it and understand why. The cheesecake was super creamy and soft. I had a great time and experience here. Definitely will be back sometime soon hopefully. This is a place I highly recommend to everyone. Come and try it out for yourselves.

In a town of Bistecca alla fiorentina, this restaurant was recommended to us and it delivered…read more The gnocchi was a fantastic way to start our meal. Creamy and spicy, only if you mix in the hot parts. They come to table and weigh the meat in front of you so you know what you're paying for. It is cooked rare or medium rare. This is NOT like steakhouses in NYC. In its own category. It was presented with melting bone marrow, sea salt and cut off the bone. Extremely flavorful and tender. My only issue is that the fat doesn't render and there was silverskin in some pieces making it inedible, plus you've paid for this by weight. Great attentive service by Nick

0.7 km•Santa Maria Novella

A gigantic cork arched walkway. All corks came from wine opened here.

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Trattoria Zà Zà

4.2(1.7k reviews)

Delicious food, amazing restaurant Take reservations ( very…read morerecommended to reserve) The staff are very friendly and nice. And the price very very reasonable.

Looking for a place to eat, found this gem and realized I wanted to try it. Everyone had told us…read moredinner reservations were a MUST here, but didn't think about it. Not many places actually have yelp reviews, but this one had so many with great feedback. The food looked amazing. When we arrived we thought they were closed, but that is because they moved to a bigger restaurant a few doors down. When we arrived at the front, the gentleman asked if we had reservations, which we didn't. He directed us to the line with no reservations. The line was a bit long, but doubled in size almost immediately. It also started pouring rain during this time and we were ALL getting drenched even with an umbrella. The non reservation line was not really moving unless people left the line. We waited a good hour. As we inched closer and closer, the lines were now both outrageous and getting seated seemed like a distant memory. The staff came out and gave out Sangria and Bread bites to help those in line feel welcome. We did finally get seated and we were so glad we waited, it was worth it! We ordered the Spaghetti Carbonara, the lobster spaghettini and the chicken breast with roasted potatoes. We also ordered sangria. Everything was so good and our total was 83 €. Prices were unbelievable! We were amazed at the quality, the service and how large the restaurant they relocated to was. It was like a well oiled machine. The food coming out quickly and efficiently. I will 100% be back if I return to Florence!

The African zoo room

His and hers

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Outside of restaurant

Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco

4.6(377 reviews)

0.3 km•Palazzo Pitti

Had an amazing experience at the restaurant. Came as a walk in on a Saturday night and was promptly…read moresat. It was busy but they def fill seats. The ambiance is cute and quaint. It's almost like the restaurant is positioned in a cave but it feels homey. Ample light to make it feel intimate and comfortable. The services was good and the wine and food were outta this world. All recommendations were great but would suggest the wild boar ragu and t bone steak. Would def be back when visiting Florence and highly recommend to others visiting.

Wow, what a special place…read more Set inside a 14th-century tower near the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, this restaurant delivers an unforgettable dining experience from the moment you walk in. The atmosphere alone is worth a visit, but the food is what truly makes it exceptional. We ordered the ravioli, pappardelle with wild boar ragù, the Florentine steak, a mixed salad, affogato, and fresh strawberries with mascarpone cream. To drink, we shared a small carafe of red wine and a Pinot Grigio. Everything was spectacular. The Florentine steak was easily the best--and largest--I have ever had. Perfectly cooked, incredibly flavorful, and remarkably tender, it was the highlight of an already outstanding meal. The pappardelle with boar ragù was rich, hearty, and deeply satisfying, while the ravioli was beautifully prepared and full of flavor. Every dish felt authentic, carefully executed, and memorable. The wine was another pleasant surprise. Both selections were excellent and very reasonably priced, making the meal feel like an even better value. Our waiter was friendly, attentive, and incredibly helpful. He patiently answered questions, explained the menu, and guided us toward some fantastic choices. Although we thought we were too full for dessert, we're very glad we changed our minds. The affogato was fantastic, and the strawberries with mascarpone cream were absolutely delicious. One of the highlights of the evening was watching our four-year-old happily clutching two spoons and enthusiastically scooping fresh strawberries and mascarpone into his mouth. It was one of those memorable family travel moments that you don't forget. A terrific meal, a unique historic setting, excellent service, and a wonderful atmosphere. This was one of our favorite dining experiences in Florence, and I highly recommend it.

6pm (1st seating upon opening was only reservation I could secure)

Pappardelle with wild boar ragu

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Delicious Vermentino wine

Vini e Vecchi Sapori

4.6(329 reviews)

0.3 km•Duomo

friendlist service we have had in italy so far. both pastas…read morehad great noodle texture papperdelle with duck ragu was good, usually dont love duck but this sauce was nice pacherri with zucchini flowers and saffron was unique. light flavor.

Hole in the wall place with a ton of charm! You 100% need a res to be seated, they had to turn down…read morewalk-ins. The zucchini salad was underwhelming but my pasta with saffron and zucchini flowers was actually to die for. I kept saying "wow". Lamb chops were pretty good, a bit too fatty for my liking but the few and far between non-fatty parts were fantastic.

0.7 km•Santa Maria Novella

Pappardelle with duck ragu

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Peposo

Trattoria Mario

4.5(254 reviews)

made a reservation through ig dm haha. no tables without reservations…read more the florentine steak is massive. 1 kg nice crust. cooked nicely rare. some really good bites, some okay bites florentine steak is not world class for me. BUT at the price of 45 for this is amazing value.

I've been to Florence before but didn't get a chance to try a Florentine steak. My husband and I…read moremade it a point to definitely get one for dinner on our first night in the city. I went to the internet for the best Florentine steak and Trattoria Mario consistently popped up as highly rated. I reached out to the restaurant via email to make a reservation for a Friday. I wanted to get the earliest reservation possible, so the restaurant reserved me for 7:30pm, which was when they open. I was advised to show up on time - even a 2 minute delay would make me miss my reservation. I can see why Trattoria Mario was strict on reservations. They open on the dot, and then a staff member calls out each reservation at 7:30pm like a roll call. Seemed to me that if you don't have a reservation then you're out of luck, because there was no waitlist and the restaurant small and space was limited. Service was great. Our waitress was highly attentive and got us in/out of the restaurant quickly, which was what we were going for. Food came out in a timely manner. We ordered the penne al ragu, salad misto, and a Florentine steak to share. The penne was perfectly al dente, and I liked the meat sauce. I did find the pasta sauce salty, but it could've came from the grated parmesan. The saltiness was not a fluke. The Florentine steak was just pure beef and a ton of salt... too much salt for my liking. I also decided that I'm not a fan of Florentine steak in general.

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Trattoria Pallottino

4.4(132 reviews)

0.5 km•Duomo

Second time in two years and yet again a wonderful experience. This time we took our daughter who…read morewas studying abroad in Florence and her friends out for dinner. House wine, starting with a few pastas to share and then a nice thick Bistecca Florentino cooked perfectly. This is the place to go for an authentic, unrushed, Tuscan night out.

It's great for what it is. This is not the romantic, high end, swanky place with the happening…read morecrowd. This is like sitting at your mom's table. Gnocchi and wild boar ragu (think pot roast sort of taste) were both great. Salad ok. Reasonable prices. Not the best dinner I had but 30-50% less than our other meals. About $65 for two of us with a bottle of Chianti. So 5 stars--not because I'm going to dream about it--but because it was a solid mid-range meal in downtown Florence.

Seating is super tight

Lasagna

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Main restaurant

Trattoria dall'Oste

4.3(414 reviews)

0.3 km•Duomo

•€€€€

This restaurant is so fire. Our waiter Shamin was awesome. He made us feel comfortable and taught…read moreus the way of the Florentine steak. This was absolutely one of the top dining experiences in my 46 years of living. Highly recommend. Peace.

I have been dreaming of having bistecca alla fiorentina ever since I can remember. Back in the…read morestates, I always get strange reactions from the waiters when I order my steak "as rare as possible." That is what I was expecting in Italy. Am I the only one that thought steak florentine was supposed to be served this way? Maybe that's was my mistake but I thought that's how it was prepared in Florence. Anyways, I was immediately suspicious when our waitress asked how we would like our steak cooked and her suggestions were medium or medium well. Uhhhh what? That goes against everything I believe in! The steak came out on a hot stone slab on top of a wooden box. The slab obviously continued to cook the steak so I immediately took off a few pieces to prevent this. The steak was thick and tender with chunks of large salt grains. It looked nice all sliced up but that's where the compliments end. It lacked flavor and ended up cooking to be more medium rare when I grabbed my pieces and then even medium by the time my dad grabbed his second slice. Our waitress seemed annoyed when we asked for the truffle sauce to accompany our steak (my dad forgot to ask for it when we placed our original order) and walked away with a huff to go grab it. The fries came out cold and limp with flavorless truffle shavings on top. I'm not sure why this place has such great reviews. Maybe it got too big for its britches and the quality has declined? The one saving grace was the crema bruciata! And the very understanding hostess who gladly pushed our reservation from 7:30 to 8:00pm due to travel difficulties. Whatever the reason, this place definitely missed the mark. You can't walk three steps without seeing a steakhouse here in Florence. My recommendation? Try one of those.

Interior

Tartuffo Carbonara

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Spaghetti with Clams

La Giostra

4.2(807 reviews)

0.7 km•Duomo

•€€€€

Best meal we had during our 12 day trip from the USA. Staff was incredible too. Wine selection was…read moresuperb too. Homemade cheese and pear ravioli and Florentine steak were incredible!

I heard this place was very popular so was somewhat skeptical whether it would be any good or…read morenot... I will say it lived up to the hype. We had probably four to five staff come to our table during dinner who were all very friendly. The espresso martini was perfect, my boyfriend got the Hugo spritz which was very good as well. A little pricey on the cocktails but worth it. Not pictured was a tray of appetizer items that were complimentary (bruschetta, chicken pate, etc) which were all very yummy. Our pasta came out quick but was cooked perfectly. The carbonara had the perfect amount of saltiness and savory. My boyfriend got the ricotta & spinach ravioli which were divine. Although it is more expensive than other options in the city I would say it's worth a try at least once!

Vibes

Steak

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Interior

Trattoria da Ruggero

4.8(27 reviews)

1.8 km

I can't even fathom a spaghetti with tomato sauce being that good. Made in house was absolutely…read moresublime. The pork chop was okay and the mushroom pasta was fantastic but man everything got outdone by that tomato sauce. 100% need reservations as it's a small place.

Having been coming to Florence over 20 years this is definitely one of the best restaurants in all…read moreof Tuscany. The food, service and ambiance is beyond. I highly recommend a visit. You have to call to make a reservation but it is easy to do even if you speak little or no Italian.

@endoedibles on Instagram 03/09/24

03/09/24 Tortellini en Brodo

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Trattoria Giovanni

4.6(222 reviews)

0.7 km•Palazzo Pitti

The food and staff were amazing and had great suggestions. The ordered the steak, probably the best…read moresteak ever and my pasta was homemade and delicious. Location of the restaurant was an easy walk from the center.

Excellent food and authentic Italian experience. Don't be fooled by the English subtitles for the…read moremenu items the place is not a tourist trap.

Exceptional service with great music selection! Every moment in this restaurant felt like being with a party of friends.

Bisetecca Florentino YUM!!

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Gnocci

Why does Yelp recommend reviews?

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3 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Bill R.

Elite 26

127

415

8243

9 years ago

OK food paired with a combative, hostile environment. The anti-American, euro-elites that frequent this place make for an uncomfortable setting for any tourist. We had to endure threats, offensive comments, and harassment from surrounding tables while restaurant management did nothing to diffuse a situation at its boiling point. If you're in the mood for a fight with locals and have no interest in eating, then have at it. La Grotta Guelfa awaits you. There are infinitely better choices in Florence. read more

Dave R.

10 years ago

Fantastic food and amazing service at a restaurant that is more than a century years old!

Dash S.

148

13 years ago

Good food and Great location!

La Grotta Guelfa - tuscan - Updated August 2026

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I ordered the pasta with clams and sliced steak to split and it was delicious. both dishes were…read moreamazing and well made. Great service, I feel like we asked for too much and they delivered. The vibe was like a real italian restaurant with no tourists. 5 stars!

We came to Porcellino's based on our hotel's recommendation. We were a group of 5 and were quickly…read moreseated in spite of not having reservations. They spoke English and greeted us with a bottle of Prosecco. When we first walked in it looked really small but there is a whole other room in the back. Dishes ordered were linguini & clams, polenta with wild boar ragu, and tagliatelle with beef ragu. The atmosphere was perfect, along with the food. We highly suggest this restaurant. - We heard others raving about the steak as well

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Our very first night in Florence we walked and walked and did a yelp search and found this amazing…read moregem. The Florentine steak for even a very little meat eater like my husband was delicious and he could not rave more about it and now that we're back in the US. He is telling everybody about it. I had the most delicious morellino wine and the service was friendly and easy. It's a small space but cozy warm and you won't regret going. It was one of our more memorable meals and restaurants during our Florence and Tuscany trip.

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For one of our last meals in Florence, I made a reservation at Il Latini. Although it was…read morerecommended, I don't think it was necessary. We weren't super hungry, so we didn't order the Bisteka alla Fiorentina. We settled on the mixed cold cuts for an appetizer. My husband had the Paccheri with wild boar, while I had the Veal Chop and we ordered grilled vegetables for the table. The wild boar pasta dish was flavorful and the veal chop was also full of flavor - especially with the fat cap. We also ordered a bottle of the house red - it was only €13! The waiter had accidentally spilled the bottle when it was half full and promptly opened a new one and replaced it - great service! And that bottle of red was absolutely divine! I was tempted to order some to take home!

We came after hearing so many great recos! Be sure to book a reso in advance. When you arrive right…read moreat opening, you'll spot the crowd waiting outside. Come hungry! We went for the tasting menu with the Florentine T-bone steak and shared a lovely bottle of wine to pair with it. The food just kept coming: fresh bread, appetizers, salad, pasta, and then the star of the show -- the steak. It all felt like a truly authentic Florentine experience with prosciutto hanging all around the restaurant and friendly staff

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Service is pretty good. Ambience is pretty nice. Food is kinda pricey and they didn't ask how I…read morewanted my steak which is weird. The florentine steak would have been great if it was prepared the way I like it, but it was so raw that flies came near it thinking the cow was still there. Potato side was the highlight of the meal

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Am I the only one that thinks the steak is way overrated?? I love my meat, but I personally didn't…read morefind anything special about it. It's cooked on the rarer side, as they suggest it to be, which is fine. The fatty crust is amazing but the meat wasn't melt in your mouth tender like I was expecting. It was actually a bit chewy. It was overall disappointing. Unluck of the draw, maybe? The risotto, which I had a taste of, was quite good albeit very rich and slightly salty. It made me wish I'd just gotten a "regular" dish but... when in Florence. It's a nice place, other dishes looked good. Lots of American tourists. Sorry.

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