Some hearty wine, white beans with a little sage, pasta topped with fluffy truffles, a chunky steak with sprigs of rosemary… Simple ingredients but all of the very best quality make up Tuscan cuisine. Eat like a Medici at many corner trattorias and small local restaurants throughout Florence. Good food and cheerful atmosphere can be found in every at every table. Here are a few of my haunts:
Caffe Pitti (Piazza Pitti) Right across from the Pitti Palace is this charming place with candle lights and agreeable comfortable furnishings. This stylish little place, showcases a splendid menu with truffles as it’s specialty. Alongside a regional menu of hearty dishes, is a knowledgeable wine list plus a tempting list of desserts such as a pistachio semi-fredo with berry sauce. The essence of the food can be summed up in the simplicity of the fettuccine topped with a generous portion of flaked white truffle. Along with a nice glass of wine and a laid back atmosphere make this a polished yet relaxed dining experience.
Truffles are everywhere at Caffe Pitti
Il Santo Bevitore (Via di Santo Spirito, 64/66) Located in the hip and happening area of Santo Spirito, this is a locals favourite. Dark, candlelit space, loud and bustling, with wood tables, and iron worked chandeliers makes it at once relaxed and lively. The menu is small but selective, highlighting seasonal local produce and offering a modern presentation on Tuscan dishes such as a Pasta with Rabbit Sausage and Chicken Livers with Rosemary. The clientele is varied from all ages and backgrounds, making the place not trendy yet not stuffy either but rather very much a cultivated neighbourhood gathering place. Of course the wine list is excellent and even the wines by the glass are first rate. This place is a bit special and the chef is going places. Exciting innovative food, while staying with traditional Tuscan cooking and proud of it.
Modern Tuscan Cooking at Il Santo Bevitore
Caffe Cibreo (Via Andrea del Verrocchio, 5r) Most foodies in the know will already have heard of the famous Fabio Picchi, Florence’s most renowned chef with an equally regarded restaurant Cibreo. Directly across the street from his exceptional eatery lies his less expensive yet as good caffe, offering its own full Tuscan menu of Cibreo’s style of cooking. Great to stop in for breakfast before or after you explore the near by market. But lunch and dinner prove to be a real delight and Fabio Picchi himself can often be found on the premises. The antipasti that is brought to the table (along with the bread basket) is a selection of true Tuscan treats. And that is just to start! Not to mention everything on the menu is outstanding. A real feast and not to be missed.
A feast at Caffe Cibreo
All reviews are honest accounts of my personal experiences. I was not given anything at any of the restaurants, and the establishments had no idea I was reviewing them.
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