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This spot was decent, but felt a bit like a tourist trap. We were seated at a large table since we were a group of 6, and ordered a variety of dishes to share. It did seem like they made everything from scratch which was nice. We got the pesto penne, pappardelle with ragu, beef and beans, cured meat platter, and panna cotta + tiramisu for dessert. It did take a while for the food to come out, but it was all decent. The pesto was everyone's favorite but I think I was mildly allergic to it.
I'm here to rave about their beans. BEANS! I got the peposo con fagioli and oh my gosh it was delicious. I rarely finished my plate and I could not stop eating this. The restaurant was small and quaint, waiters were so sweet, and it was the most authentic restaurant we had experienced. I truly hope to come back here some day.
Last meal of the trip and I was determined to get one last good pasta meal and I found it! This restaurant is down a quiet street parallel to the river. Run by a family, parents as servers and the children in the back. We arrived around 830 and were able to get a seat after a 10 minute wait. I'd recommend calling to make a reservation. It's a small restaurant that can probably. It's definitely a cozy restaurant, I had to get up a couple times to let some diners exit the restaurant. We started with the mixed Tuscan cold cuts to satisfy wifeys charcuterie craving. The cold cuts weren't anything special but it was the chicken pate and the tomatoes that were delicious. The pate was light, usually liver is very pungent and mealy but this was nice and smooth. The tomatoes were simply seasoned, it's more of a testament to Italian tomatoes. I ordered the pappardelle with wild boar and wifey got the spaghetti ragu. Both were delicious. I've never had wild boar and the meat was not gamey. Wifey tried a bite and notice there was a hint of butter, so she only stuck to one bite due to her lactose intolerance. Throughout our Italy trip we've noticed we didn't need to eat as much, and couldn't finish our dishes. The Coperta (cover charge) was a little high at 3 euros per person.
So much good food in a tiny restaurant. As usual, we arrived early (they opened at 7 pm and we were there by 7:15), so no problem being seated. There are only 15 or so tables in the restaurant. It was all good: the appetizer with cheese, salami, prosciutto, capaicola; a salad of butter lettuce; ravioli with walnut sauce (fabulous); ribolitta; tiramusu; and caramel custard.
Food was amazing, I had never had tried a pasta that was so tasty and delicious. The service was great, we arrived a bit late but they still let us have dinner and had everything available, which was a plus!! Most of restaurants in Florence don't have half their menu by 9:30pm. The owner was very welcoming and nice, which made the experience 20 times better! It is located near all the cathedral and the bridge, so it's in a perfect and centric location. The restaurant is a tiny but full of personality, whilst playing jazz on the background you can enjoy one of the best pasta in Florence with a cup of wine (which is also amazing, and at a great price!).
I have given this restaurant 2 reviews for several reasons. Meaning the things that I like. Three stars off for the food. First, we made no rrestaurant reservations at any country or city in Europe we visited. Either the hotel we were in booked for us or we walked in. When we went to Florence, Italy all the higher end restaurants were booked and would not budge for walk ins. Well, this place was open and a different restaurant than the night before( which we wanted to go back but wanted to try another restaurant). So we walked in and were immediately sat. Now, that could be a good thing or a bad thing. We'll just say it was a bad thing but at least we got to eat dinner. The couple that runs the restaurant are so cute and work together so well. They have one or two cooks and the older couple who owned the restaurant were the waiters. I do like how the wife doesn't speak English ( my biggest pet peeve is for people to say people who come to America should speak English and those same people will go to another country and complain they don't speak English in their OWN country!) We were able to converse with her well between the three of us. Even my Mum learned some Italian. The other thing I like is they are so efficient. They gave us bread, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar when we sat down. My Mum ordered a tagliatelle pasta with boar Ragu which she ate because she said she was hungry. We only ate breakfast in the morning, walked all day, then had dinner late. So my poor Mum was starving trying to keep up with our schedule. I tried her pasta and instantly hated it. I said it was good only for my Mum to keep her appetite. My sister and I shared the famous dish of Florence which is steak Florentine. We ordered it medium rare but with a char on the outside. However, there was no char. It was cooked a little less than medium rare which I don't really mind but the first bite I had was super chewy and after five minutes I tried to swallow it and I almost choked. They c gave us a bad fatty piece of meat. We both took three bites and were done. Way too chewy, fatty, and no char. It wasn't seasoned well. The waiter asked what was wrong and we said it wasn't good. It was too chewy. He offered to cook it more. We said no because the cook of the steak was fine. Cooking it more would make it even more chewy. We got the bill and left. I do hope they do better. Especially on thier steak. Thier pasta and sauce needs some rework too. Maybe I need to put my chef's hat back on and put my Culinary Art University degree to work in Florence. Lol. I do like this cute place. It was near our hotel and quaint. I probably won't be back.
Of all the food my husband and I have had since beginning our Italy honeymoon, everything we ate at Trattoria Nella is at the top of the list. The ribollita, a Tuscan soup, was a perfectly delicious mix of bread and boiled vegetables. We enjoyed getting to hear the history behind it. My husband had the penne alla carretiera, a short pasta in a spicy garlic pomodoro sauce, and was gracious enough to let me have a few bites before completely cleaning the plate. My pici (thick spaghetti) al ragu was a nice change from the usual pastas we'd had and had the most incredible meat sauce I've had on this trip. It had plenty of meat, wasn't overly salty, and was overall very flavorful. The excellent house red wine and service rounded out a truly enjoyable experience.
I have the pleasure of staying in an apartment for a week just 20 ft from this place. Although it was tucked away from the more touristy joints this is just as about homemade as you would get around here. If you are looking for a more gourmet type meal this is not the place. It is run by twin brothers and once of them was nice enough to come out, greet us and explain each special of the day in English for us It is not that common even in Italy for them to prepare fresh pasta for more traditional dishes like Bolognese since it can not be made al dente and it was amazing. We also had the orecchiette special of the day with cauliflower and light meat sauce which was truly unique and savory. This is gem of a find here and I highly recommend it Lastly great to see Yelp expanding here in Italy with check in offers, I will be back read more
Stopped in for dinner the other night. Hadn't read any reviews, so was worried if I would enjoy my meal. We got off to a rocky start as the main waiter was late and Things were moving slow, but once he arrived everything picked up. I ordered the lasagna and it was pretty good. Portion not too large, which my waistline appreciated, though my brain wanted more. Had a 1/4 liter of house wine. Also had the panna cotta. I didn't love all the chocolate sauce, but it was still good. My friends enjoyed their meals as well. Not too expensive. We got there when they opened and by the time we left there wasn't an empty table to be found. read more
3 years ago
Excellent food. Great prices and sweet service. Nice little hole in the wall place that's clearly locally run. Check it out if you are in florence! read more
4 years ago
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4 years ago
We found this place from the reviews. It was a small but quaint restaurant. The food was delicious with bigger than normal size portions. The staff was very nice. Would definitely go back next time we are in a Florence. read more
3 years ago
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7 years ago
this was the absolute best meal we had in Italy! Everything was amazing. I had the penne nella and you could really tell how fresh the herbs were. My fiancé had their special Osso bucco, and it was to die for. We also had their bruschetta and it was so fresh. We had their house wine and it was cheap and delicious! I had a spritz as well! If we ever go back to Florence, this will be our first stop. We compared every meal on our 10 day trip in Italy and nothing even came close to this!! read more
6 years ago
A must if you are visiting Florence. 5 stars does not cover the amazingness of this trattoria. We ordered the bistecca alla fiorentina with roasted potatoes, the minestrone soup, and the papperdelle pasta with wild boar. Everything was superb. The steak was tender and perfectly seasoned and the soup was a delicious compliment to the pasta and steak. We ordered for takeaway and the owner made sure to give us bread and talked with us while we waited. Everything was very decently priced and the portions were giant. Overall the best meal we had in Italy. read more
7 years ago
Great service and even better food! They have a special right now that is risotto with beets and it was the best risotto I've ever had in my life! Highly recommend this place to anyone visiting Florence! The wait staff was incredibly kind and patient with us as well when we didn't understand what certain dishes were in Italian. 10/10 place! read more
7 years ago
10 years ago
Stop searching.....THIS is the restaurant that you are looking for. Get off the Main Street where the hustle and bustle of the day can be a bit overwhelming.... Trattoria Nella is perfect for a true Florentine Meal. The ambiance, the location, the LOCALS who come here to eat are a true testament to the quality of this trattoria. The service was excellent (prompt for Italy) and attentive. My wife had the Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli with Walnut Oil (Tuscan Influence) and I had the special of the day, Tortellini with Bacon. Both were amazing and reflected the "home made" feel of the establishment. For the second course, we split the steak with arugula and Parmesan.....again, delicious. After two 1/2 liters of wine, table bread and food...we decided to take in a post-prandial stroll before sampling some of Florence's offerings of Gelato. Trattoria Nella will impress!!! read more
3 years ago
10 years ago
One of our favorite meals in all of Italy--and one of the most affordable! From start to finish, our experience here was yummy, entertaining and memorable! The food itself delivers satisfying portions of great tasting traditional dishes. We had the spaghetti bolognese and ravioli alle noci (filled with spinach and ricotta with walnut sauce)--both tasty, rich and filling. For dessert we had the panna cotta with chocolate--AMAZING!!! This was by far the best dessert we had in all of Italy! It was light, smooth, creamy and silky all at the same time. The consistency was unreal. It couldn't have been more perfectly made. I think we may have licked the plate, I don't know... But what really makes this place stand out is the random bursts of song by the owner, Sergio. Free entertainment with great food at an excellent price--can't beat that! read more
The food takes some time to come out, but that's okay because this place makes their food with LOVE! Everything was on point - fresh ingredients, superb seasoning and cooked to perfection. I had the minestroni, spaghetti al pomodoro, grilled chicken and insalata (we ate here twice, I'm not that much of a fatty). It's crazy how something so simple can taste so gosh dang good! Everything tasted exceptional! I highly recommend this place!! Most places in Italy had pretty crappy service, but not this place. The waiters were very accomdating and kind. read more
Business owner information
Federico F.
grazie mille !!!!
We had so many great meals in Florence, but Trattoria Nella really stands out in my memory! We had reservations, but noticed other people came in without reservations no problem (on the earlier side). We started with the 1/2 liter of house red, the bruschetta and an insalata mista. The tomatoes in Italy are so fresh and delicious, so of course the bruschetta was fantastic. And the house red went fast! For dinner, we had the veal chop (GET THE VEAL CHOP!!!) and the pork chop special (grilled and topped with a marsala wine sauce and peas). The pork was delicious - but the veal chop was out of this world. And reasonably priced - we just can't get veal like that at home! For dessert we had another 1/2 liter of the house red (it really goes fast!) and the homemade panna cotta, recommended by one of the servers. My husband loved it - a very traditional dessert that we can't get at home. Steer away from the tourist trap restaurants and try some of the more classic restaurants like Trattoria Nella if you're in Florence! read more
Business owner information
Federico F.
grazie !!!!!
8 years ago
Outstanding food and menu. We ate twice here and both times the food surpass our expectactions. read more
10 years ago
Good for lunch. The place has a traditional style of milieu and warm atmosphere. The menu has good variety and the items are reasonably priced. We tried the spinach and ricotta cheese gnocchi and barley soup. Food tasted good, portions were satisfying. Service was quick and the owner explained all the specials for lunch. As we reached towards the end of lunch time, the place was almost empty. The lunch overall was a good start for our first day at Firenze. I will recommend to try this place, read more
8 years ago
Our first night in Florence we went here after visiting the Ponte Vecchio which is a few minutes away. Were were delighted to be seated immediately on a Saturday evening at 7:30. We ordered the house red wine with spaghetti bolognese and the penne nella. Each of our dishes were wonderful and we were very surprised because the prices were so reasonable! The atmosphere was also cozy and casual. We left with a happy bellies and wallet. Would highly recommend. read more
Great for dinner. My boyfriend and I stopped in at around 7:30pm. It still wasn't packed yet because it's a little early for dinner by Italian standards. We were able to snag a table immediately. When we got up to leave at 8:30/9 pm, there was a wait outside of 10 minutes, so go early if you can! I liked the ambiance in this restaurant, very quiet, dark, soft music playing. It felt very romantic. I ordered the walnut ravioli pasta and I shared the house wine with my boyfriend. The house red was pretty cheap and it was pretty good. The house wines we've had at other restaurants were either very watered down or tasted disgusting, so I was a little surprised by how good this was. The walnut ravioli was very interesting. I'm a huge fan of walnuts, so I decided to give this dish a try. I was pleasantly surprised. The cream sauce tasted exactly like walnuts, except in a liquid form. The dish was really good and I think the portions were perfect. For dessert, my boyfriend and I got the panna cotta. It was covered in dark chocolate. Yummmm. This was the first time I had it. I'm not sure what it's made of, but it is so darn good. Plus, the dark chocolate adds the righ amount of bitterness to balance the sweetness. Overall, had a great dining experience here. Good service, delicious food and reasonable prices! I think it's a must to stop by here if you're in Firenze. read more
7 years ago
This place is a hidden gem. My husband and I went a little early cause we knew it would probably fill up around 7-8 pm. The staff is very kind & attentive. It's a very quaint, but perfect spot. We got the house white & red wines which were both delicious. I ordered the ricotta & spinach ravioli with walnut sauce and it was one of the best things I've ever eaten. My husband got the spaghetti with spicy marinara, and it was to die for. Both of our meals were the best meals we ate while in Italy. This restaurant is a must visit! Make sure to make reservations if you plan to eat a normal Italian dinner time. read more
7 years ago
This place is absolutely amazing!! The service and food are terrific! If you are looking for the best Italian dish, this is the place for you!! I recommend the Penne Nella 100%!! read more
12 years ago
Trattoria Nella is great! It's a charming restaurant run by two Identical Twin brothers! I mention that they are identical twins, because you rarely see them together. One brother works lunch, and the other works dinner. So if you go for lunch, and have a wonderful conversation with one of the brothers, and then come back a couple days later for dinner, and the guy acts like he's never seen you...it's because he hasn't! ;) Which is exactly what happened to us! But once we figured out what was going on, we all had a good laugh. Anyway, back to the food. The food is wonderful! Perfectly cooked pasta, with delicious sauces. Fantastic meat dishes! And great soups and desserts too! We went for dinner with a large group, and had just about everything on the menu...and not one person was disappointed!! I was especially in love with my pappardelle with rabbit! And my wife couldn't stop talking about her walnut ravioli! Oh yeah, don't miss the spinach! I know it sounds simple, but the sautéed spinach with butter is sublime! This is a small restaurant that makes fresh, delicious, and honest food. I cannot recommend Trattoria Nella enough! And I can't wait to get back to Florence to try it again! read more
8 years ago
The atmosphere was really charming, a small restaurant with a very simple Italian menu. Extremely fair prices! And I would recommend the ravioli with hazelnut it was amazing. read more
8 years ago
Absolutely incredible home made food. Owned by family. We came there for lunch and then returned for dinner. It's hidden in small street near Uffizi, so it is not touristic. We ate probably the best bistecca alla fiorentina in the city (we tried it in 3 more places). Highly recommend!!! read more
8 years ago
I have heard the term food is love yet never experienced this until my visit to Trattoria Nella, if in Florance this is a must read more
8 years ago
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10 years ago
Our absolute favorite! A wonderful place to experience Florentine food and fellowship. The owners are cool, the food is delicious, and you never know what is going to happen. Singing Italian songs in the narrow street with Daddy Sergio, making new friends over pitchers of vino della casa, or tapping your feet to jazz during one of their frequent musical happenings; this is an experience you will remember. Nella's food is pure Italian soul; simple recipes, excellent ingredients, and attention to detail make every mouthful memorable. For starters, bruschetta and crostini Toscana are excellent. We split a smaller 1/2 kilo Florentine steak last time. Order "rare" and you will make Sergio smile. Specials can be awesome; veal with potatoes schraciatta and beef tagliatelle with balsamic sauce are winners. The sides are epic; potatoes arrosto have a nice crust, then melt in your mouth. This place even got me to love broccoli; fork-tender with garlic and olive oil... Yum! Don't forget salssica w/fagioli; the sausage with white beans (w/Umbrian olio)... Words can't describe. Live music nights are crowded, but worth it! read more
5 years ago
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Trattoria Nella - tuscan - Updated July 2026
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