benissimo.. very good great hospitality great atmosphere great customer service. The food was delicious. Waitresses were fun and friendly. Highly recommend. We had a wonderful time. Grazie read more

See all

This is the best restaurant we have been to in the whole world! The customer service is literally like eating with family and the food is like your Nonna would make from scratch! Emanuela is the best waitress we ever had! The margarita pizza was amazing read more

Osteria Zio Gigi - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

Great food, great service, great singing! Small place near where we stayed in Florence. A big hit was the Risotto. The Pecorino cheese shined with the antipasto. read more

This restaurant is fantastic. Just far enough from the busy piazzas, there are more locals than tourists dining next to you. The food is delicious but what makes this place special is the opera-singing owner/waiter who sings while he delivers your food or rings you up at the cash register. Yell ENCORE towards the end of one of his performances, and he'll turn to you with a big smile and loud , beautiful voice to give you a performance for your phone. read more

See all

Love this little osteria in Florence, close enough to the Duomo but off the radar of many tourists. Food is five stars as is the friendly service. But the wonderful bonus is Zio Gigi himself, who often delivers food to the table while singing a bit of full-throated opera, worthy of the stage. Go, for some authentic Tuscan cooking at very reasonably prices and for the warm, convivial setting. This little gem will become one of your must-dine locations each time in Florence. read more

We found this restaurant while walking exploring random streets in Florence. After reading several reviews, we decided to book a reservation for that evening. The location is easy to find and is far enough away from the main piazzas to give you a more private feel. The staff were all kind, hospitable and provided you with excellent service. For the antipasto we tried the bruschetta which had excellent flavors and fresh ingredients. My husband and I ordered the tagliatelle al funghi porcini which was delicious! We also have been craving more vegetables in our diet since arriving to Italy so we ordered a side of cooked spinach which was so delicious. Our meal was paired with the house red wine- also delicious! The restaurant can feel a little hot so try to sit near the open door! As an added treat, the chef will sing to you while he is cooking and when delivering your food! read more

See all

Oh my, best meal we have had in Italy! Wonderful family restaurant off the busy section of Lucca. Mom and Pop place where you will see tons of local workman eating lunch, a extremely good sign. Everything we had was the bomb. read more

Came back again this year and loved it just as much as last time! Highly recommend stopping here for lunch or dinner read more

See all

Osteria Zio Gigi is great, and the owner serenades patrons with opera singing. The restaurant serves great food and drinks. We booked reservations in advance, but that did not seem mandatory on the night that we were there. Come to this place for food and fun. read more

Osteria Zio Gigi - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

The service here is good. The owner is a charming character and our waitress, Anna, was attentive. We ordered a 1 kg T bone medium rare, the pasta with clam sauce, mixed grilled veggies, the mushroom pasta, a salad and 2 bottles of wine. The pasta with clam sauce was the best. Tons of clams and a nice amount of heat. Pasta cooked al dente. The real disappointment was the steak. Half of it was so tough, you couldn't cut or chew it, so the 3 of us split half a T bone and left the other half either uneaten or in partially chewed chunks on our plates, that we had given up on. We advised Anna that the steak was very tough and her reply was thanks for telling her and she would let the owner know, adding "perhaps he will get a new supplier." Now, you know as well as I do, that her last comment was utter bullshit and thus the 2 stars. That comment alone communicated that they didn't really care that they served tough meat, because some other tourist would be along soon. There was no adjustment to the bill and no apology from the owner. We were each given a shot of limoncello as a consolation prize. It was too bad, because with their charming dispositions and the ambience of the place, we probably would have gone back, if they weren't buying and serving inferior steaks. read more

If you find yourself in Florence, Italy, simply checking out the Duomo and thinking where can I grab an authentic Florentine meal....well, walk one block further behind the backside of the Duomo and hook a left. About halfway down the block on your left is Zio Gigi. Don't order pizza or any of the other pseudo Italian junk you think is Italian.... get the Steak Florentine. It's 20€ per 500 grams. You must order at least 500 grams. I did and it covered the entire plate! It's a T-Bone cut just a bit differently than we do them in the States; more meat. It is amazing. My wife got the grilled chicken breast and it was phenomenal as well. (We have this deal where we always share a bite or two....actually I offer to share she says no to me and I say yes to her... :). Trust me the chicken was magnificent. Give Zio Gigi a try if you're looking for a reasonably priced authentic Florentine dinner. You'll want to paint something great or write a poem. read more

See all

Loved this place. Very kid-friendly. Waitstaff was very kind. Food was tasty and affordable. Highly recommended for a casual night out!

Recommend you go here if your looking for an authentic Italian dining experience. We could tell it was going to be good because we saw a lot of locals mixed with the tourists. All of our food selections were delicious! We had the Carbonara, linguini with mussels, veal, and Margherita pizza. The owner "Gigi" walks and sings that can be heard across the entire restaurant. read more

I can't believe that this place has such good rating. Could it be the price point? The singing host? The convenient location? The service? The overly brightly lit interior? It most certainly can not be the food because it was nothing short of awful. We had pizza that tasted like the pre made frozen variety you buy in the supermarket complete with mandatory fillers like paprika and unidentifiable pieces of . Don't think it was near any real mozzarella. The spaghetti carbonara had bits of sloppy fat you had to search for in the pile of dry pasta, none of that crispy guangiale. The caprese was ok, but came together with the pasta. Why do they call it anti pasti then?? read more

Zio Gigi was recommended by one of our tour guides as a great local eatery outside the main tourist area. As it turned out, her suggestion was spot on. The atmosphere was warm and inviting and the staff couldn't have been more pleasant. They helped translate the menu and offered suggestions for dinner. We enjoyed some truly awesome veal as well as some antipasti and peppers. Fraia, our tour guide, warned us that the owner loved opera music and was known to belt out a tune or two in the dining room without warning. I found this out the hard way as he grabbed me to join in as I was coming back from the toilet. A bit embarrassing, but still a lot of fun. read more

Osteria Zio Gigi - My best attempt at opera - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

See all

Our tour director took our group here to experience dinner in a typical Italian trattoria, and we definitely got the experience! This place is located in Florence's city center. Throughout the evening, the owner would entertain us with his singing. There were tons of food options to choose from, especially pasta dishes. Since I was tired of seeing pasta and pomodoro sauce everywhere I go. I got the seafood spaghetti. This was the first course, but the portion is huge! The dish was flavorful and had numerous and different types of seafood. It was fresh and delicious, with a light garlic and tomato sauce. Be prepare to wait since the meals are cook and prepare by a single chef. Our main entrée was Florentine steak. I was stuffed after that pasta dish, but since I'm in Florence, I can't passed this opportunity. So me and two other people shared it. We ordered medium rare, but it was mostly rare. It was flavorful, but the meat wasn't tender. Overall, I had a good and memorable dining experience from here. read more

Too salty! Everything was too salty--from my truffle penne, to my friend's roasted chicken and gnocchi... I couldn't take any more than a few bites. I'm sure the food was good, and the prices were too for a sit-down restaurant--but I couldn't really taste it with all the salt. This osteria made me memorize "please can you make it less salty" (prego si può rendere meno salato) and "I don't like salty food" (Non mi piace il cibo salato) just for future reference. And I thought it was just Italian food in general that is generally salty--but it's actually not! After eating out at various places for a couple days and even eating a home-cooked Tuscan meal by a local, this place was just ridiculously salty... Service was also slow (waited for an hour?). That's also expected, but we were also the first people there too. And I strongly felt like we were treated as tourists. We came when the restaurant first opened when there were a lot of open tables, so I wanted to sit more closer in at the restaurant (I really hate the smell of tobacco in the streets). But the server refused and directed near us to the edge closest to the street, while other people who came in sat wherever. read more

I visited this restaurant 11 years ago and dream about it still! Hands down the absolute best steak I have had in my life. (Steak Florentine, of course) I hope to learn it has survived COVID. I am torn between keeping it a secret and telling others about how amazing it is. read more

This is my 3rd time here, the 3rd time with a different group of family members and each time we have not been disappointed. The ambiance and food is delicious... sorry I could not post the before, but the after shows how good the food is here. We definitely will be back next time we are in Italy. Thank you ZIO for the amazing Experience and delicious food. read more

Osteria Zio Gigi - Spaghetti with clams. GONE - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

Wandered in here because we've walked past to our hotel many times and it's always been packed with locals. Amazing pasta & the tripe was super yummy (if you like tripe) for a very reasonable price. We were serenaded while we ate with opera, which was quite fun. Would definitely recommend stopping in. read more

Best steak I've ever had. In fact, this was probably one of my favorite MEALS I've ever had. Caprese salad, spaghetti bolognese, florentine steak with spinach and cannellini beans, and the house red. All absolutely delicious. Friendly waitresses, home cooking, small and not very touristy. A great low-key, cheap meal, steps away from the Duomo. Complimentary limoncello after dinner. I dream about that steak!! Just get it. read more

Our B&B host recommended this place when we checked in. She said they had really delicious food for a really great, low price. So after we got settled, we headed over there for lunch. You really get a lot of good for the cost. Two courses for €10. But the food was pretty gross. I ordered the carbonara for my first course and my husband ordered the pasta with meat sauce for his. They don't know how to properly make carbonara here. It shouldn't be pasta with scrambled eggs! It was edible, but still weird. The pasta with meat sauce was nothing special. Husband said it was like grocery store pasta. We got the veal and sausage with beans as our second courses. Both were super salty and nothing special. I personally love salty food, so when I say something is salty, it's super salty. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. read more

Osteria Zio Gigi - Carbonara. Or really pasta with scrambled eggs - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

Best steamed mussels I've had during my stay in Italy. Also ordered the grilled salmon which was huge and amazing. I highly recommend this place. read more

Cute little place. Prices reasonable. Clean bathroom. Nice staff. Unfortunately, both of our fresh pasta entrees were super salty. The bread was tasteless and they recommend the house wine, which was weak. The salami platter was good, as was the smoked carpaccio platter. I would try other places first. read more

Experienced some horrible service and horrible food here. Although there were many open tables, we were seated in the back near the fridge and the bathroom. Other patrons who had been seated after us received bread before us, we also had to request plates when our food was brought out. They also refused to serve us tap water when we asked. Not only were we treated rudely, our waiter also pointedly stared and laughed at us with other staff. We ordered three pasta dishes and each one was undercooked, over salted and tasted frozen. My friend's tortellini dish was crunchy and my ragu tasted freezer burned. Overall, a bad experience, would not recommend. read more

On vacation and had reserved a table nearby and could not find the restaurant...saw Zio Gigi and noticed the positive reviews and tried it out. Glad we did...what a nice surprise to walk into a friendly, low-key neighborhood restaurant with good food and friendly service. Beefsteak was great and we also had Filet and Spaghetti, all very good. Recommended. read more

This place was recommended by our B&B hostess, but we passed because of the less-than favorable reviews complaining about the salty food. But when others guests at our hotel told us at breakfast that they thought this restaurant was good, not salty, we decided we would try it on our last lunch in Florence. And we weren't disappointed. Our meals were fresh and tasty, salt not being an issue at all. Had we gone earlier in our stay we likely would have returned for dinner before we left. So take the negative reviews with a grain of salt. read more

This is my first day in Florence and the owner at the hotel where I am staying at recommended this place. I asked for something good and not too expensive since I am only 23 and a single traveler and zio Gigi definitely went beyond my expectations. I had the salmon appetizer which was delicious and then I had spaghetti with meat sauce which was out of this world!! I literally just downloaded the app just to give them a good review. The owner as well as the service of the restaurant was spectacular !! The owner makes me feel like I am actually in Italy since he keeps singing like a truly Italian! I loved this place! Tomorrow is my last day and I can't wait to come back!!! read more

it is a very small restaurant in a very central location! good thing about it it isnt that touristy as you'd expect. good prices for very good food! i'd recommand going there if you had too much from the tourists around you and just want to enjoy some italian food without going further away from the attractions florence offers. read more

Osteria Zio Gigi - Entrecote with Gorgonzola NOMS - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

See all

Hands down, the most friendly waitress ever encountered in Italy. And the food was incredible... and actually inexpensive! Had the steamed shellfish as an appetizer. This was only 10 Euro... even in the states this would've been a $30 meal. razor clams, at least a dozen litlenecks, a dozen mussels, squid, shrimp, and a half lagastino... wow! Then, had a 1/5kg bisteca di Florentine... perfectly prepared. Caprese salad was on point. Desserts good. Perfect meal by our hotel. read more

stopped in for lunch today and at first there weren't very many people in the restaurant. More and more people flowed in until it was packed, and the best that I could tell, we were the only Americans in there. So if the locals are packing in, it must be good. We got our appetizers and food, along with a bottle of wine, and it was awesome!!! Our meals were great and the service was very good! We will be back before we leave Florence! read more

Absolutely delicious food! Truly Italian chef that even sings while you eat. The lunch special is €10 and you get a TON of food!! Try this place!!! read more

I was staying down the street at a hotel when the receptionist told me about this restaurant. This place is the real deal! Local spot with a energetic vibe and great good. The meals were cheap (I paid €9 for a primi piatti and a secondo piatta with a side) and they seem to usually have specials. Not to mention the owner is also a character himself, who floated around the restaurant making it a point to see if you were ok all while singing opera! A Great place I would highly recommend. read more

Had dinner here because of the Yelp recommendations. The food was good and reasonably priced.

Two courses of authentic, family-style Italian food for 10 euro-- and the food was plenty and tasty. Great deal, good food, decent service. Definitely recommended for that needed break during work or visiting. read more

Incredible meal and experience. Zio Gigi serves the community incredible lunches on a daily basis, and makes you smile with his exuberant, glowing personality. Eat here. 100%. read more

We ate there several times based on a recommendation by the B&B. Local atmosphere as side street off Duomo. Gigi periodically bursts into song. Great food at reasonable prices. Favorite labeled veal loin but actually large veal T-bone. Like many places house wine cheap but good. Five stars as it is a favorite overall. Most would likely rate lower especially if looking for fancier. Opens at 7 in evening, not just lunch. read more

We like the food, the staff and everything about this restaurant. We have eaten here 3 out of the 5 days in Florence. this place was recomended to me by a business acquaintance. I need to thank them by recommend this to you. Raluca will never steer you wrong and the gentle giant owner will always keep things moving and possibly break into song. read more

good food and reasonably priced and despite being a block from the duomo, did not seem touristy and seems like there were a lot of local patrons dining there. read more

Our party had three great dishes, plus appetizers here. And we got to hear Zio Gigi sing! Well worth a visit and close to Duomo and other main sites. read more