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.

Another excellent spot we tried in Florence. We were greeted as soon as we walked in and seated…read moreimmediately. The staff was very friendly and our waiter was Nugo. He was awesome and had us laughing the entire night. We peppered him with a lot of questions about the menu, he answered everything and also accommodated my father-in-law, who is GF. He had his own GF bread basket and was able to order almost anything on the menu. We ordered a nice bottle of Montepulciano red for the table that was $48. Others had the Hugo spritz. For app I had the anchovies with roasted red pepper, sea salt and oil over grilled crostini, very good. I skipped first course and ordered the ribeye steak for my main course. Bone in, medium rare, sprinkled with sea salt and a side of onion marmalade. The steak was very good and had way less fat than I expected. The waiter suggested a huge steak for the table, but I was the only one ordering steak that night. Maybe next time. Others ordered the fillet and it was cooked perfectly, the angels and demons gnocchi, and the veal scallopini. Everybody was pleased Really cool spot with a very good wine selection, drinks, excellent food and a fun atmosphere that you don't find at many places. Nugo was an A+ server.

The steak was excellent, but the tiramisu was on another level -- absolutely bellissimoread more

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!

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.

I literally can't say enough good things about this place. Main takeaway: make a reservation!! I…read morecalled day-of and they squeezed us in at 6:15 (which was perfect) but everything before 9:30 was booked up. We were welcomed warmly by the staff (he literally said "ah yes I remember you" ) and guided to our cozy little table in the corner. Were ordered a bottle of Chianti Classico to start, as well as a few pastas plus the steak and cod. I can safely say the spaghetti pomodoro with burrata was the best pasta dish I've had in Italy - the pasta was perfectly cooked and the cherry tomatoes was so sweet, the kind of thing that reminds you why you came to Italy in the first place. Overall: great service, great atmosphere, and fantastic food. Just be sure to make a reservation!!

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.

This was, without question, one of the best meals of our entire life--possibly the best of the…read moretrip! We ate here on our first night in Florence and spent the rest of our trip talking about it. In fact, we came back to Florence a night early from Cortona and tried our luck at getting another table. They were completely packed and couldn't fit us in, which honestly tells you everything you need to know. If you want to eat here, make a reservation. You might get lucky if you show up right when they open, but May in Florence seems to get busier every year and I wouldn't count on it. The atmosphere is exactly what you hope for when you picture a fun night in Florence--great music, laughter, conversation, shared tables, excellent wine, and people genuinely enjoying themselves. It's lively without feeling touristy and somehow manages to feel both energetic and intimate at the same time. Our server, Lorenzo, was phenomenal. He helped us select a bottle of 2021 Vigna del Sorbo Chianti Classico, which ended up being my favorite wine of the entire trip. We started with buttered toast and anchovies. It sounds incredibly simple, but it was one of the most memorable bites we had in Italy. We shared the duck ragù pasta, lasagna, osso buco, and lamb chop. Every dish was excellent, but the duck ragù and lamb were standouts. We finished with a raspberry tiramisu that was the perfect ending to the meal. The food was fantastic, the wine was fantastic, the service was fantastic, and the ambiance was everything you could want. P.S. If you can't get in, don't panic--the restaurant across the street is also very good. But if you can get a table here, do it.

I won't lie....I couldn't wait to get to Firenze.... yes....the "cradle of cradle of the…read moreRenaissance" ....but as a carnivorous..... getting back to Trattoria Mario , one of Florence staples for the famous " Bisteca a la Florentina "....and being able to reserve a table in this "mecca " of meat.....wow......like the soup nazi..... no ketchup lol....no "medium well" or whatever...just one way.....rare.... and why? Cause this is all Uber fresh super quality meat from the ranch 10 minutes away....salt, rate... that's it! And the taste? ..... pure unbelievable pleasure!

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.

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.

Excellent food and service! Bistecca Fiorentina was perfect and wine suggestion from our server…read moreperfectly complimented the meal. Wonderful dining experience

Had the fiorentinian steak and it was delicious. Highly enjoyable evening, and if back in Florence…read moreit's very likely we will return

By far one of the most highly recommended restaurants when we were making our plans for Florence…read more Highly recommend making a reservation because the wait without one would have been quite long. This restaurant is such a VIBE. Cozy, romantic and a total scene. Service was great as was the food. It was tough because there was so much on the menu that I wanted to try but we couldn't not order the pear ravioli and the Florentine steak. If I went back I would want to try the ossobuco which I saw at the table next to us and looked dynamite. If you only had one night in Florence this is the restaurant I would recommend.

Food was good but not necessarily the best we had in Florence. Given the reviews and the price I…read morewas hoping for a supreme experience. I shared two pasta dishes with my daughter (the handmade Pappardelle with Maremman Wild Boar Ragu and the Carbonara). Both were very good but not the best we've had. Appetizers were good: Salad with pecorino cheese, oranges, pine nuts and walnuts. We ordered the Octopus appetizer as well. The Octopus was beautifully prepared and presented, but didn't have much flavor. They nailed the Espresso Martini! One of the best I've ever had! We ordered the huge Florentine steak to share between 4 of us and it was more than enough. Ultimately what knocked this review down to 3 stars and what was really disappointing was how they targeted us as tourists with the note at the bottom of the bill (see picture). It read "GRATUITY NOT INCLUDED" in all CAPITAL LETTERS. Also note it was the only thing in English on the entire bill. If it had been our first meal in Florence we might have fallen for this tactic, however it was our last. There's definitely some hostility towards tourists in Florence. Don't get me wrong, some of the people and restaurants we've visited have been very welcoming and friendly. However we recently saw tourist taxes go up significantly, and then you see tricks like this on the bill at La Giostra. This was the ONLY restaurant in Florence where we encountered this. Once jet fuel prices make flying a relic of the past I would argue that some Europeans who depend on tourists for their livelihood may not miss our presence but will certainly miss our spending. Save your money and go research the many other places to eat while in Florence.

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.

BEST RESTAURANT IN ITALY. HANDS DOWN!…read more We had reservations for a late lunch/early dinner at 15:30. Parallel parked our car near the shops and did a little bit of shopping at Gucci before going to lunch. Located just a couple blocks over the bridge, was the best restaurant I've been to in Italy. Everything was so delicious. Even the wine recommendation that accompanied our meal was amazing. We felt tipsy and great afterwards. It rained in the morning and so we ordered the following items which warmed our souls: - Chianti Classico (Red Wine) - Caprese Salad (a recent add to the menu) - Maltagliati al Brasato di Guancia di Mucca (twice boiled minestrone soup) - Tagliatelle al Funghi Porcini (Yum!) - Pappardelle al Cinghiale - Steak Fiorentine Every single dish was to die for! I especially loved our waiter! He was very hilarious and the sweetest man! The ambiance is romantic. Bathrooms were clean. Even the still water was in a beautiful bottle. Parking is free in the area. Like, what?! I love Italy!

We had a lovely dinner at Trattoria Giovanni. We loved how cozy, spacious, and genuinely local it…read morefelt, like eating at your grandma's house. It's close enough to the lively, bustling part of Firenze to feel connected, yet just far enough to escape the city's never-ending wave of tourists. The service was incredible, and the owner (I'm pretty sure it was the owner?) brought so much energy that he single-handedly turned the whole place into an eclectic little spot during the "rush hour" of the evening. The menu was solid, if a bit "generic" at times. While everything we ordered was delicious, nothing at Trattoria Giovanni felt like a dish you couldn't find elsewhere... and honestly, that's perfectly fine! It was traditional, comforting, and exactly what we were craving. The plate of cured meats and cheese was phenomenal, a great start to the meal. The pastas were really good as well, though one of the meat dishes had a slightly off texture, with the chunks of meat a bit overcooked. All in all, we loved our meal and would definitely recommend this spot if you're in Florence.