This restaurant was recommended to my family by the owner of the apartment we rented while in Florence. It was on the end of the street we were staying on, so we walked over one night without a reservation and were seated within 30 minutes. The menu is entirely in Italian, which none of us speak, and when our waiter noticed we were googling menu items, he came over to our table and asked if we needed help with translations. He went through each of us individually and asked what we thought we wanted (pasta/ravioli, pizza, meat, etc.), what flavors we liked, and recommended individual dishes to each of us. We all got what he recommended, and each item was delicious. It was the best experience we had at a restaurant in Italy. If all their servers paid as much attention to and individualized the experience to the customer as much as ours did, I guarantee their reviews would be all be high. I'm giving this restaurant 5 out of 5 stars primarily because of the absolutely amazing service we received. As for the food itself, it was one of the highest quality restaurants I've ever been to. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone traveling through Florence. read more

The service we received today was horrible. I own a restaurant and would never treat customers like they treated us. I speak fluent Italian and when we asked to move tables because 6 people were smoking cigs behind us on the patio, the host Massimo started complaining to himself as he brought us to the new table. Even before we asked to move no one came to our table to ask for if we needed anything. This was the only disappointment in Florence. Everyone we met here were incredible. I really don't recommend this place. The portion was tiny and just average. read more

Poor attitude. Empty tables ask to be seated for 3 the responded "Momento". After waiting for a long time it was clear that they not want our business. read more

We had the pear ravioli which was exceptional and the asparagus risotto which was average. Overall, the food did not live up to our expectations and what some locals had raved about. read more

Trattoria 4 Leoni - Menu - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

The pear ravioli is hands down one of the best dishes I have ever had. Absolutely love this restaurant! read more

Trattoria 4 Leoni - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

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I don't know where to start. This restaurant epitomizes everything we loved about Italy. Friendly, talented, compassionate, and knowledgeable. Alfonso delivered the best experience we could have ever imagined. We never even looked at a menu. From the entrance you can see this place oozes foodie. We started our night by nesting next door at the square's bar. The house wine was a delicacy for basically free. We meandered over here to 4 Lions based on a recommendation from our taxi driver. Not only did it deliver on day one, but day two as well. If you get within 5 miles of this place, GO! Don't bother looking at a menu. They'll take care of it. PEAR RAVIOLI read more

I came alllll the way from NYC to try you, Quattro Leoni, and you did not disappoint!!! We came at around 6:45 in the evening, without a reservation (argh). Fortunately, the hostess asked if we felt we would be finished by 8PM as they had a group coming in then. Sold. Our server was awesome. A funny little anecdote - on top of the below, now oft-referenced dining-in-Italy story - was when he expressed total confusion over Alfredo sauce. He had no idea what it was. I had the highly recommended pear fagottini. Absolutely sublime - I wish the Italian portions matched my American appetite for bigger pasta dishes. Fagottini are kind of like a cross between ravioli and dumplings: they are voluminous and not flat, like ravioli. Our server said it was kind of like tortellini, but these are slightly bigger on the filling aspect which is much better. My boyfriend ordered the trippe as the main. Everyone, PLEASE, do your homework first before you order a local delicacy. When I ate meat, I loved tripe. He did not, nor did he know trippe was tripe. I was so embarrassed - asked him to maybe keep using the bread to soak up the sauce and eat it, try his best to enjoy the dish. When our server noticed the dish was barely touched later into the dinner, he and a manager inquired, and we expressed so much contrition. To our surprise, the manager was very savvy about it, and said this happens every once in awhile, it's an acquired taste. He very graciously offered to replace the dish. To throw in a few concessions we decided to up our order and add dessert. An incredibly classy and memorable experience. read more

The food ranges from mediocre to disgusting. The service is even worse. We made a reservation for drinks because it was right by our Airbnb. Although we told them it was only for drinks (THREE TIMES), they sat us inside in the restaurant and pressured us (basically yelling) until we ordered food. This wasn't a typical American-in-Europe miscommunication-- one person in our group spoke Italian. After being pressured to order food, we bought overpriced appetizers. One of them was so disgusting that I had to run to the bathroom to spit it out. read more

Very nice restaurant! Good salads have been hard to find in Florence, and we loved the salad with greens, avocado, pecorino and pesto vinaigrette. We also tried the pasta with pear and asparagus, which was wonderful but very rich. The lasagna was also great! read more

The fiocchetti di pera is definitely the best dish I have had in Florence. The texture of the inside of the pasta was perfect and satisfying, and the flavor was a perfect balance of sweet and savory. Also, the 1/2 liter of the rosso toscano was great with dinner. I would definitely come back and order the same thing! read more

We have eaten at Trattoria 4 Leoni twice but they were separated by more than 10 years in two visits to Firenze. We ordered and thoroughly enjoyed the same dishes. Starting with deep fried squash blossoms followed by their famous pear-stuffed pasta in a sauce of taleggio cheese and asparagus in Italian Fiocchetti di pera in salsa di taleggio e asparagi. Wonderful dishes with service that matches. read more

It's a busy Saturday afternoon. We waited for a few minutes which was fine. (Perfect weather). I had the lasagna which was just ok. But the spinach (even frozen) was incredible. And the roasted potatoes were even better. The wait staff was very friendly and even told me how to cook the potatoes. Great location and a great place. read more

Trattoria 4 Leoni - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

I lived a couple doors down from 4 Leoni for four months and I would've eaten there every night every night if I could. After trying different restaurants in Florence for four months, this place was still my favorite place to go in the entire city. Many people rave over the pear ravioli, but what I ordered was the creamy broccoli gnocchi. It is unlike any other gnocchi I have ever had. It isn't chewy at all. It is more like a soft potato chunk that melts in your mouth. You must order the Rosso Toscano table wine. I've pretty much tried all the starters and they are all delicious. I really like the cheese plate with truffle honey. Make sure to bring your google translate because the menu can be a bit confusing, but it is half the fun to figure out what you're ordering. If you're lucky, you can get a reservation the day of, but try to plan a few days in advance! And remember at any restaurant in Italy, if you're not Italian, try your hardest to do as the locals do! read more

A good dining experience is a combination of food, wine ambience and the service. We read a negative review about the service here but our experience was enhanced by Rosella who connected with us from the time we sat down. She explained the menus made suggestions kept checking and joked not only with us but neighbouring tables creating a real community atmosphere. We enjoyed our pear ravioli and house wine. I would also recommend the truffle pasta which was excellent. read more

This restaurant was recommended by a friend as I was planning my trip to Florence. I was glad that he had already told me to order the pear pasta b/c the menu was in Italian and was a little intimidating. The ravioli did not disappoint and even though I'm not an asparagus fan, the flavor of the cream sauce was just so light and paired perfectly with the pear-stuffed pasta. It was heavenly! The atmosphere is nice, as well, and was a perfect respite from the July heat. It was definitely a meal to remember! read more

We came with a large group (8) after a long day wandering about Florence. We had reservations and they seated us on time. Menus in Italian - but the staff will help. We started with the zucchini flowers and they were great. One of our friends had the pear raviolis to start - also very good. My wife had ossobuco ( sp ) which was smothered in onions. She loved it. . I had the peposo ( stew cooked for hours in wine ) which was fabulous - it melts in your mouth. Finished off with cheese cake and espresso. We were allowed to relax and enjoy - no rushing us out. A great meal. read more

Great food and hospitality, a mini treasure with genuine dishes on one of the roofs of Tuscany

A great find in Florence. So many wonderful restaurants in this city but this one is a gem. Nothing fancy, just GREAT food. Very good wine list to. read more

as a study abroad student, this place was a blessing to find. I lived in the area, and saw the twinkling lights every night - something about this place spoke to me. my friend and I started with a salad with avocado and pesto, and for our meal we split the famous Florentine Steak - a perfectly done price of meat split between two, and perfect for the price. the woman waiting on us kindly explained the menu in english, and gave us a glass of white wine on the house. what a lovely evening here! read more

I returned to this restaurant after dining here, nine years ago, only to receive the worst service I've ever received at any restaurant, in any country. Our waiter had a temper tantrum as we were paying our bill because he misunderstood something we said in English. We had found a large black hair embedded in our tiramisu and let them know very privately, and upon paying our bill I said "the tiramisu should be free" but he thought I said "this sh*t be free". He started swearing and speaking under his breath and said "kids in Africa are starving" and threw the receipt at me and walked away. The waiter made a scene and other customers saw this behaviour. I went into the restaurant to confront him and found him mocking us to his colleagues. I tried to clarify the situation and I was kind and courteous but clear on what I had said, but they were not genuinely understanding. We continued to explain the situation to management with limited response. I would not recommend this restaurant as they made no attempt at any authentic recovery for this terrible service. It was embarrassing and for a restaurant that relies on tourists for a large part of their revenues and has mediocre food, this is unacceptable. read more

Giving 4 stars that I rarely give and because getting 5 means a restaurant is truly one of a kind (and c'mon, that appears once in a blue moon). Loved the appetizer we picked - tomato and breaded soup, lasagna and tuna. We even purchased a bottle of olive oil from this restaurant. Everything we ate had us savoring every bite and sip. I have bookmarked this restaurant on Yelp as a reference for future visits if/when I return to Florence. What an amazing taste experience - great food and left me only wanting more. I will recommend this spot to anyone visiting Florence. You will not be disappointed! read more

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An absolutely phenomenal dinner! We had a fantastic server who was easy to chat with and explained everything to us great. The atmosphere is amazingly perfect. I had the lasagna and my wife had the rigatoni. We stuck with the Chianti Classico and of course it was delicious. It was a perfect night. Make sure you go here! read more

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The best meal we had on our trip to Italy. The steak was delicious, as were the pastas. The service was also great and the waiters were very accommodating and friendly. They played with our daughter and we had a great time sitting outside. It's just across the bridge and really worth the visit. read more

Trattoria 4 Leoni - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

Enjoyed a wonderful dinner at "Trattoria 4 Leoni" (which translates to "Tavern for Lions") on a Saturday evening in Florence ("Firenze") on March 10th, 2012. We discovered this restaurant as we explored the Oltrarno area of Florence on foot. This was not a planned dining location during our week-long visit, and we did not even have a reservation here for this Saturday evening. Nonetheless, as we were still getting over our jet lag and arrived for dinner quite early by Florence standards for a Saturday night (around 7pm) fortunately for us they were able to find a table for our party of 3. At the time of seating however, we were asked to agree to make the table available for another party that had a reservation for 9:00p.m. No problem . . . they were indeed already fairly busy even at the early hour of our arrival. Each of us thoroughly enjoyed our 3 entrees, and we would recommend each . . . the Taglierini Funghi, the Fusilli, and their specialty "Fiocchetti" which is a pasta filled with Pear and Taleggio cheese. We also each enjoyed salads to start, including the Insalata 4 Leoni, and the Insalata Carciofi (Artichoke salad). We accompanied our meals with a very nice Vignamaggio Chianti, and concluded the evening with a wonderful Mattonella for dessert, and Caffe'. The ambiance was traditional Italian tavern style, but quite stylish and comfortable. We enjoyed a relaxed dinner in one of their casual dining rooms (not sure how many rooms there are, but I think I recall seeing at least 3). Table service was warm and welcoming, and the server spoke excellent English. I suspect they may attempt to seat their English speaking visitors in one room (perhaps so that that they may all be served by their English speaking staff) . . . as there were several other English speaking parties seated in our dining room as well. One might say this was perhaps rather a well planned service !! For your point of reference, the tab was EUR 86.50, or about US$115. I highly recommend this restaurant, and each of the dishes we chose as well. read more

This is the best meal I have ever had in my entire life. We had the pear filled ravioli, some pasta with cheese flavored ice cream on top, steak and roasted potatoes. Nothing I say will do it justice. If you come to Florence this is an absolute must. Lovely service. Busy. Make a reservation. read more

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We sat outside for a late lunch and had a nice view of a small square where people congregate. Like most restaurants we've visited in Rome and now Florence its generally alacarte. My wife had a pasta (14 euros) that resembled tortellini and had flavours of pear in an asparagus and cream sauce. She liked her dish. The flavors were delicate, fruity, and elegant. I ordered the lasagna (14 euros). The lasagna I was served was not hot all the way through so they brought me one that was and also appeared to be fresher looking and fresher tasting. Lasagna is Italy is different from what I'm used to in the states. This is the 2nd restaurant in Italy I've ordered lasagna and I have to tell you although it was very good, I miss the American lasagna which has a lot more meat and ricotta cheese and is covered in more of a tomato-ey marinara sauce. I'll probably stay away from ordering lasagna again on this trip. The bread that we were served for 3 euros each cover charge was kind of dry and flavorless and there wasn't much of it. The water was an additional 2 Euros. The total cost of the meal for 2 was 36 euros, a little over 40 dollars, no coffee, no wine, no beer, no salad, no desert. Not big portions, not a lot of food but what we ate was very good homemade Italian food. read more

Five stars for decor and ambience. The half exposed brick, nooks and candlelight make this place warm and inviting. The vintage pieces dotting the space and the hardwood rafters finish it off nicely, along with options for sitting outside or inside. Four stars for food: we came for early dinner and the pasta piatti were simple but perfectly al dente. The spicy pasta could do with some more creativity, but the sausage pasta was superb and well balanced with the finnochio (fennel). After seeing the reviews would have LOVED to try the pear and cheese stuffed pockets. They were my second choice, oh if only.... One star for service: as soon as we came in we barely got a hello before they told us we had to leave by 8pm. A bit startled but okay with the idea (it was 6pm), we agreed. We were seated and again were told we had to be gone by 8. It didn't give us the warm & fuzzys, but what made it bad was that the waiter had no time for us. He left us sitting there for a while, couldn't spare a minute to answer menu questions, and took our order while setting other tables. If the place had been super busy, if we didn't have 2 hours before the next group came, or if he hadn't spent more time talking to his colleagues than to us, I would have understood. We weren't worth a glance so needless to say we ate our pasta and left at 7pm. read more

This place was recommended by our hotel in their written handout. I do not recommend you eat there. The food was prepared with very little care and was mostly not very good. Our hotel host was surprised to hear that we didn't like it, but the very next day told us that someone else had had the same negative experience. The only good thing I can say about the place is that it's just across the corner from perhaps the best gelateria in Florence, and next to the gelateria across the street is a very good café with great coffee and nice pastries. So by all means go to the area. Just don't eat at this restaurant. read more

People in the know told us this is the best Bistecca alla Fiorentina in town. We weren't in the mood for steak and tried the pasta instead. Delicious. The cheesecake is insanely good. Not to be missed. The restaurant is tucked in a tiny little piazza which is more like a small park with benches and pigeons and kids running around. Great outdoor dining south of the river. read more

Be sure to make a reservation (una prenotazione) as the place is very popular-esp if you're wanting to sit outside in the summer evening There's only one dish you absolutely must try-the pear ravioli. It's amazing as is the place's signature dish. The restaurant was recommended by a friend who'd been here three months earlier. It didn't disappoint! Enjoy. read more

Amazing food and great location, but hard to get the waiter's attention. Worth every penny! Or cent since I'm in Europe. This has been my favorite dinner thus far and it's all thanks to the yelp community. The location of the establishment is in a cute, hidden plaza on a back road across from the Pitti Palace. The establishment has both outdoor and indoor seating and it is recommended to make a reservation for later times past 7:30pm. The restaurant is nothing special in terms of decor, but there is a decent amount of tables. Nine of us had a reservation for 6:30 and there was almost no one there when we arrived. Of course, this is because Italians wouldn't be caught dead eating dinner before 7:30. We were seated 15 minutes before our reservation, yet it took 20 minutes for someone to come over to take any form of order, even water. When a waitress finally overheard me mention that hopefully someone comes over soon, one of the waiters promptly came over (no one in Italy rushes). He was fairly nice and spoke English well, apparently he was a waiter in Arizona for a few months. He was the joking kind and as soon as he came over he asked how many of us were getting the pear ravioli (6 of the 9 of us by the way); evidently it's their most popular dish. The pear "ravioli" made my meal for 14 euros. Everyone was so right on how great it is. It's sweet. It's salty. It's creamy and saucy. It was perfectly cooked. They gave us a generous amount yet I still wish there was more on my dish. I sopped up the rest of the cream with the bread they serve. They aren't actually ravioli though. Their more like pasta purses and are called "Fiocchetti di pera in salsa di taleggio e asparegi". Taleggio is a kind of cheese and asparegi is asparagus. There is not a ton of asparagus. it's sliced up too, and according to the menu, it's frozen, but I thought it gave a nice difference in texture compared to the constant creamy, soft texture of the pasta, filling and sauce. Another friend ordered essentially shrimp scampi that came out with three giant prawns. It looked delicious and she enjoyed it immensely. Someone else ordered the spaghetti with clams which she also enjoyed. Wine nicely paired with dinner (no pun intended). Almost all of us ordered the cheesecake for 6 or 7 euros. How to describe this cheesecake. It is probably one of the best I have ever had. It was soft, creamy and very light yet had a distinct sweetness that created the perfect dessert to an amazing meal. You have the option of chocolate or fruit topping. I went with the fruit which consisted of mostly raspberries and blueberries. The chocolate was dark, not very sweet, and it made the dish more dense. Both had different aspects but if I was to go next time I would ask for no topping; I thought the fruit overpowered the delicate taste of the cheesecake. The crust was a perfect support to the rest of the dessert. It was not a graham cracker crust, but I believe it was made of biscotti. It was to die for. I could eat the crust alone. Needless to say I polished my plate. The service was okay. Our food came quickly, yet it was almost impossible to get the attention of the staff. They were friendly and helpful, when we were able to get their attention, which is the most important part. Although, at the end, since there were 9 of us, we tried dividing the check according to what people bought. We have become very efficient at this, yet the workers refused and said we had to divide the check evenly. We could still each pay with card which I found a little strange. It just created more chaos for us because some people bought dessert while others didn't. People in my group were not happy, but we dealt with it. Just as a forewarning to others. Overall, I want to come back here just for these two items. In fact, we already have reservations for this Friday (our last Friday - sadness) and I intend to get the same exact things minus a topping from my cheesecake. For the quality of what we ordered, I thought the price was justified. Although there was a 2 or 3 euro cover charge for each person and the wine was a bit more expensive, it was still worth it. read more

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Hands down, the BEST meal we had while in Italy!!! I cannot wait until I can return to Florence to come back here!!! You definitely have to make reservations and even with the reservation you still might have to wait a bit(only downside to this place). On a good note, it's located in a wonderful, quiet square with cafes that you can grab a glass of wine and sit outside while waiting for your table to be ready. We had 9:45pm reservations on a Friday and weren't seated until ~10:15 pm- luckily they did at least acknowledge this and brought us out some complimentary glasses of Prosecco to hold us over. For drinks we got a 1/2L of the house red which was very good and quite a steal for only 7euro. For starters: - Crostini Misti: very fresh- 3 different crostinis(liver pate, beans, and tomatoes/E.V.O.O) - Fichi e Burrata: mmm delish- the fig was so unbelievable fresh, burrata(heaven-sent creamy deliciousness) and some cured-italian meat I can't recall, but paired well with the fig/burratta For Mains: I went with the Lemon Gnocchi: so flavorful, the gnocchi were the perfect pillowy consistency(&freshly made)! My husband had the Lombatina: I'm not the largest fan of pork loin, but he said it was very flavorful! My husband and I split the Fiocchetti de pera- freshly made pasta purses filled with pears in a creamy taleggio cheese sauce and asparagus making for the perfect balance of sweet and savory. It seriously is worth the hype! Do not go here and not try this(don't go to Florence and not try this dish!)- quite possibly the BEST pasta I have EVER had--I wish that I had the entire plate to myself and didn't have to share with my husband. We ended with the tiramisu which was creamy and flavorful and a perfect ending to our perfect meal. For all of that food, the total bill came to 75Euro which isn't bad considering it was one of the best I've ever had! Ugh, I cannot wait to return to Italy for the Fiocchetti de Pera!!! read more

Good reasonable meal for Florence. Away from the tourist trap but a taste of what Tuscany to offer.a bit pricey still for what is considered semi local. read more

First day in Florence (just arrived from Venice) and he the best meal of our trip so far here! First of all, the servers were all funny and nice and amazing, spoke great English, and took good care of us. Secondly, every single thing we ate was delicious. I had the pear ravioli and it was TO. DIE. FOR. Everyone at my table was jealous, even though they had good food too, it wasn't as good as mine. We are so glad we found this gem! Eat here, you won't be sorry! It was incredible. read more

Trattoria 4 Leoni - Pear ravioli- the highlight of our meal! - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

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The best meal I had when I was in Italy. This place was highly recommended when I visited Florence by someone who lived in Florence. An Italian once told me here in LA, "To find the best food in Italy, you must walk away from the touristy area" and that I did to find this restaurant a bit hidden and difficult to find. I was determined to have excellent pasta while in Italy and I found something very unique and extraordinarily delicious. When I ordered I asked them to recommend a dish and the server told me to order the the "pear pasta." Unusual as it sounds it is the most amazing pasta dish I have ever had and the best meal while I was in Italy. The location is a bit hidden, but I heard English spoken in the surrounding tables, they must have seated us in the American section! I'd definitely return to Trattoria 4 Leoni next time in Firenze! read more

This place is very good! Legit Italian spot. Cozy and good food. My husband and I had lasagna, wine house and cheesecake. He is American and knows about cheesecake. Worth to go! read more

"Quattro Leoni" is a fabulous restaurant slightly away from the tourist heart of Florence. Service can be a hit or miss, but the food is so worth it. Everything was delicious. We came for a late lunch around 2:30 and really enjoyed everything. We shared our meal family style sampling the following: 4 leoni salad- with pine nuts, avocado, emmenthaler cheese, arugula, and pesto Pear & cheese pasta Panzanella with fresh cucumber, onion and basil Penne pasta with meat sauce I'd recommend making a reservation if you can get one (they aren't keen on picking up the phones) and beware the staff isn't crazy about tourists. Ask for the Albanian waiter who calls his home country America's 51st state (he's the nicest guy we had for a server in the 10 days we were there!) read more

This was our first food outing in Florence. We ordered a 1,5 liter of house chianti. It was good, light and smooth. As for food, we ordered their antipasto toscano. The chicken liver was good, as were the assortment of meats. We split their salad w/pesto, pine nuts, emmentaler, and avocado. The pesto had hardly any flavor. I had the pear, ricotta ricchietti w/asparagus and cream sauce. Just like all the other people have mentioned, it was delicious! My husband had the tripe. It was also fantastic!! This restaurant seems to be getting a lot more "American" attention. Seems all the patrons were tourists. A gaggle of rude American kids came to the restaurant trying to get an outdoor table. They were upset that they couldn't get a table and left. Thank GOD! read more

Can I give this 2 more stars ? Pasta with shrimp a must and the pillow pasta with pear The cheese cake is a must And the waiters are fantastic Thanks for a great event read more

Great restaurant on the other side of the river. One of our best meals in Florence. They were busy, but we were seated promptly at our table for two in the patio area. This was ideal for lunch on a warm Friday afternoon. It may have been a five or ten minute wait if our party was larger than two people. There looked to be many good options for food and wine, but we went with two glasses of wine and two pasta dishes. Rosé and champagne, paired with the rigatoni pomodoro and the pear ravioli "fiochietti di pere" they are known for. Besides the rigatoni being only luke warm, everything was excellent. The freshness and taste of the pomodoro was superb and the pear ravioli exceeded my lofty expectations. It's truly exceptional and their signature dish for a reason. It came out piping hot and delivered on all levels. The velvety cheese sauce and asparagus, combined with the slight sweetness of the pear filling, was really unique and satisfying. I will recommend that dish to anyone and everyone. Our waiter was the friendliest by any means, but no worries because the wine came out shortly after we ordered, and the pasta came out not too long after the vino. The price was super reasonable as well. I give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars, but that pear ravioli is 5 stars all the way. read more

Trattoria 4 Leoni - Rosé, champagne, fiochietti di pera "pear ravioli", rigatoni pomodoro - excellent lunch. - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI