RESTAURANTS, CAFES AND BARS - Florence and Tuscany - page 261

Choosing a Restaurant
These restaurants have been selected across a wide price
range for their exceptional food, good value and location.
They are listed by area and within these by price, for
Florence and Tuscany, and the areas surrounding them.
Map references refer either to the Street Finder, pages
138-147, or the road map on the inside back cover.

PRICE CATEGORIES
For a three-course meal for one,
including a half-bottle of house wine,
cover charge, tax and service.

¡ under €20

¡¡

€20-€30
¡¡¡ €30-€40

¡¡¡¡ €40-€50

¡¡¡¡¡ over €50

FLORENCE

CITY CENTRE EAST Cantinetta del Verrazzano

: z ¡
Via del Tavolini 18-20, 50122 Tel [phone] Map 6 D3
Perfect for lunch in the city or an after-shopping snack, this popular place is part-bakery and part wine bar. It belongs
to the Verrazzano wine estate, and sells their wines exclusively. Sample a glass with some fine local cheeses. They
serve a wonderful lunch of mixed Tuscan toasts or sandwiches, and also light cooked dishes. Open till 9pm.
CITY CENTRE EAST Semolina

: z Δ ¡
Piazza Ghiberti 87, 50122 Tel [phone] Map 4 F1
Try excellent thin crust pizzas at this lively pizzeria on the other side of Sant'Ambrogio market. Regular pasta dishes
and Florentine specialities such as bistecca Fiorentina are also available. It has a bright decor with tribal African
touches. Service is cheeky and the atmosphere is fun and noisy.
CITY CENTRE EAST L'Antico Noe

: z 7 Δ ¡¡
Volta di San Pietro 6, off Bargo degli Albizi, 50122 Tel [phone] Map 6 F3
L'Antico Noe is a rustic little eatery hidden under an arched alleyway. It is typically Tuscan, with cured hams and cop-
perware hanging on the walls, exuberant service and excellent food made from seasonal ingredients. The grilled
meats and the traditional Florentine T-bone steak are very good, and there is a range of fresh pasta dishes.
CITY CENTRE EAST Baldovino

: z Δ ¡¡
Via San Giuseppe 22r, 50122 Tel [phone] Map 4 E1
Big, noisy and lively, Baldovino is one of those places where you can eat anything, from a salad or a plate of cheese
to a full meal. In between there are excellent pizzas, good pasta dishes, a choice of fish or meat main courses and a
number of vegetarian options. Puddings are particularly good and there's a long wine list.
CITY CENTRE EAST Boccadama

: z Δ ¡¡
Piazza Santa Croce 25-26r, 50122 Tel [phone] Map 6 F4
This wine bar/restaurant enjoys a superb position on Piazza Santa Croce with a handful of outside tables; shelves of
wine line the walls of the cosy interior. Wine can be ordered by the glass or the bottle from a long list. You can either
nibble on a selection of cheese or cold meats or go for a full meal; the food is good and quite imaginative.
CITY CENTRE EAST Coquinaros

: z ¡¡
Via delle Oche 15r, 50122 Tel [phone] Map 6 E2
A convenient, cosy little place, just behind the Duomo, where you can eat at almost any time of the day or evening.
There are some delicious pasta dishes (try the ravioli with pecorino and pears). You can also order a salad, a plate of
cheese or cured meats or a toasted open sandwich. There are good wines by the glass and bottle too.
CITY CENTRE EAST Antico Fattore

: z 7 ¡¡¡
Via Lambertesca 1/3r, 50123 Tel [phone] Map 6 D4
This trattoria, a favoured haunt of the Florentine literati, was founded in 1908. Though it has lost some of its old
charm, having been badly damaged by the 1993 Uffizi bomb, the food and service are still of a refreshingly old-
fashioned kind. Try the pasta with wild boar and the involtini (meat wraps) with artichoke hearts.
CITY CENTRE EAST Buca dell'Orafo

: z ¡¡¡
Via de Girolami 28, 50122 Tel [phone] Map 6 D4
This Florentine “cellar” restaurant is down steep stairs in an alley by the Ponte Vecchio. The fantastic Tuscan fare is
prepared from fresh local ingredients - try spaghettini with fresh peas or an omelette of fried artichokes in season,
before the must-have bistecca Fiorentina , which is always perfectly cooked and served with a slick of oil.
CITY CENTRE EAST Frescobaldi Wine Bar

: z 7 ¡¡¡
Via dei Magazzini 2/4r, 50122 Tel [phone] Map 6 E3
This wine bar and restaurant is owned by one of Tuscany's foremost wine producers. Lunch is a casual affair while
dinner is a little more formal, with white cloths and gleaming crystal. Creative, elegant food is accompanied by some
fine, in-house wines; if you just want a snack and a glass, pop into Frescobaldino next door.