ITALY - Best of Europe 2014 - page 1202

views and/or terraces; a seventh apartment (sleeps 8) is a mile away in an old country
house (Db-€115-250 or €735-1,900/week, price depends on apartment, less off-season; one-
week minimum—Sat-to-Sat—in July-Aug, fewer nights possible in shoulder and low sea-
son—but generally still a 3-night minimum; breakfast-€9, pool, kids' play area, table tennis,
bocce ball court, loaner bikes, weekly farm dinners-€28/person—less for kids, Via Vallac-
chio 19, near San Casciano and just outside the village of Mercatale Val di Pesa, about 45
minutes' drive to Florence or San Gimignano and one hour from Siena, tel. [phone],
www.igreppidisilli.it , [e-mail] ) .
Eating in Florence
Remember, restaurants like to serve what's fresh. If you're into flavor, go for the seasonal
best bets—featured in the piatti del giorno (“special of the day”) section on menus. For
dessert, it's gelato (see sidebar later in this section).
To save money and time for sights, keep lunches fast and simple, eating in one of the
countless pizzerias and self-service cafeterias. Picnicking is easy—there's no shortage of
corner supermercatos, or you can picnic your way through the Mercato Centrale.
North of the Arno River
Near the Church of Santa Maria Novella
(See “Florence Restaurants” map, here . )
Trattoria al Trebbio serves traditional food, especially rabbit and steak, with simple
Florentine elegance in its candlelit interior. Inside, it feels like a throwback; the room is dec-
orated with old movie posters. Outside, tables spill out onto a romantic little square—an
oasis of Roman Trastevere-like charm (€7-10 pastas, €10-14 secondi, daily 12:00-15:00 &
19:15-23:00, closed for lunch Tue off-season, reserve for outdoor seating, half a block off of
Piazza Santa Maria Novella at Via delle Belle Donne 47, tel. [phone], Antonio).