I came here in search of blueberry steak and that's exactly what I found! I had heard it was a dish unique to Florence and this is the only place I found it on the menu. The steak was like a medium rare fillet with a thick blueberry sauce. A lot of people I've told have been skeptical about the flavor combo, but believe me, it works! We also had some pasta and salad which we enjoyed, but not as much as the fillet. The only thing I'd say is that despite it being late and not too busy, we had a hard time getting our servers attention so it took a little longer than we wanted to get out. read more

Acqua al 2 - Blueberry steak and pasta dish - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

One of my favorite places! I came with a group of artists a few years ago and we had an amazing time! They even let us draw on a plate and hung it up! If you go you absolutely must try the fillet with the blueberry sauce, something about that is just fantastic! The table wine was also incredible! read more

This restaurant is a foodie's dream! You are able to sample almost any category of the menu (pasta, salad, steak, dessert.) We had the pasta sampler and then the blueberry steak after receiving recommendations for both. The pasta just kept coming! We got to try five different pasta dishes, all of which were amazing and I would have scarfed down in full portion size. The blueberry steak was cooked perfectly and the side of mashed potatoes was decadent. This was one of the best meals of our trip. If you are not a fan of waiting or are going during busy season, I highly recommend a reservation as waiting in the "waiting area" was quite cramped and annoying. Our server was also very friendly, happy to answer our questions and even gave us a taste of a fruit that she had talked about but none of us had tried before! read more

This place is amazing!!!!! We came here not knowing any Italian and the owner explained everything in detail. We got the pasta sampler and it was delicious. The pastas were chosen at random, whatever the cook felt like making. It was nice to have dishes we normally wouldn't try. Then for the main we got the steak sampler - chopped sirloin, blueberry steak, and balsamic steak. All so amazing as well I definitely recommend getting these. Ended with the dessert sampler, apple tart was the best! the owner was so kind to us and even brought my friend some hot tea (not on the menu) because he heard she was sick! read more

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Definitely a huge tourist spot, but it's worth checking out if you want to be in a restaurant that speaks good English with exceptional service and quality food while avoiding all the other traditional trattorias and osterias in Florence. I came here with one of my friends today around 7:30pm and got seated immediately; the average dinner time for Florentines is around 8-9pm, so expect a crowd around that time frame. They waitress greeted us with a complimentary appetizer of bread with a potato-like spread and tomato with oil spread as their "welcome" gift from the restaurant. We already knew we wanted the blueberry steak (fillet al mirtillo; 19.50 euro) medium-rare with a small bottle of their house red wine split between the both of us (6 euro). The blueberry steak came with bread for our dishes for the excess blueberry sauce; so yummy! The portion of the steak is small BUT it is thick, so it may be a little more filling than it looks. There was little fruit on the side of the dish as decoration. Overall our bill came out to be 51.70; cover charge is 1 euro a person and service charge is 10% of the bill. Overall I was pretty satisfied with everything here. I wouldn't pick this as a must-try in Florence since there are much cheaper restaurants that serve more authentic Tuscan food and there are branches in the USA (Washington DC and San Diego), but if you aren't from America then it's worth checking out. At the end of your meal they give small pieces of blueberry candy. Yum! read more

Acqua al 2 - On the house appetizer: bread with a potato dip and tomatoes soaked in oil - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

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Hands down the best meal of our lives. We had the pasta sampler which included five various types of pasta, each with different sauce. The steak sampler and the dessert sampler were also to die for. This way we got to try a little of everything. Service was phenomenal, a MUST try. We even got to take home two placemats given to us as a gift for our honeymoon. read more

One of my favorite restaurants in Florence! I truly love this place. They make great use of simpler style eating. My favorite is you can try 5 small portions of pasta for an appetizer and they have so many great options. They also give a great salad sampler, steak sampler, and dessert sampler. Not too expensive for the quality of food. The blueberry and balsamic steak are to die for! Great great great place to try blueberry steak, and I love the house Chianti red! read more

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This is a must eat restaurant when in Florence. I was introduced to acqua al 2 18 years ago and it is every bit as delicious today. They offer "tasting plates" for each course and they are delicious as is the house chianti. The homemade pasta cannot be beaten. read more

Acqua al 2 - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

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My favorite restaurant from the whole trip to Italy was Aqua al 2. This restaurant was recommended from a supervisor and it did not fail to amaze. The food was great, the service was awesome and the wine to die for. We did the pasta, steak and dessert sampler. . read more

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The most memorable meal I ever had in Florence They have a dish that is a pasta sampler where if you order it you get five small different pasta dishes brought out to you. Every few. Insures after you finish the first freshly made pasta, they bring you another one I ordered four of these so I tried 20 different pasta dishes with the table. Each one was fresh and delicious The rest of the food was good but this pasta sampler was incredible read more

Walking in, I saw all these plates on the wall signed by celebrities and it reminded me of hard rock cafe. I wasn't aware this was such a popular joint that also had restaurants over in the U.S. as well. That information was a bit disappointing, but that didn't affect the quality of the food which was pretty good. I had their house red wine with their pasta sampler for my first and their steak sampler for my second. I was splitting my first with my friend which was a bit weird. Each pasta came out one at a time and each portion ended up being pretty small since I was sharing it with my friend. Each of the pasta was pretty good, but the one that that stood out the most for me was the penne. The steak was better and came as a trio of steak. They seemed to be well known for their blueberry sauce for the steak which I was able to try in my second. I'm not much of a fan of blueberry, so I was a bit bias and a bit pre-emptively off putted on trying it out. The steak was good though and cooked nicely. The food was a bit pricey, but I still enjoyed it. read more

We came here twice during our time in Florence and it was definitely one of our favorite restaurants! The food is phenomenal! I've had both the blueberry steak and the balsamic and each blew what I knew of a good steak out of the water! Just a wonderful dining experience and even better food! A must in Florence. read more

Acqua al 2 - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

Another great restaurant in Florence. They have a large list of pastas but my favorite that I continued to get every time I went was the rigatoni with tomato and eggplant. It is amazing. Another good pasta was the penne vodka. While the typical steaks you would eat in Florence are the bistecca alla Fiorentina (Florentine steak), Acqua al 2 makes filet mignons with either a balsamic sauce or a blueberry sauce. I preferred the blueberry sauce, but honestly both are great. It sounds weird, I know. But try it you will not be disappointed. Another thing I love about this restaurant is they bring around free appetizers almost every time. Their house wine is also great, the waiters are very nice, and the place itself is inviting. The only real issue is that there is no English menu, but on the positive side most of the menu is generally very easy to figure out and the waiters are super helpful and will answer any question you have! They also have sampler options for appetizers, pastas and steaks which is awesome! read more

Acqua al 2 - Pasta with Vodka Sauce - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

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Fabulous! What more can I say? We have eaten here twice this week and have a 3rd reservation! The food is amazing, great ambiance, and helpful servers, to include translating the menu to English. The macaroni a la vodka is excellent, as well as the steak sampler - I have never had blueberry glazed tenderloin or balsamic - both were my husband's repeat dinner so far this trip. Nozzole Classic Chianti is my favorite wine in Florence and reasonable priced! This is a must go to restaurant! Ciao! read more

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Worst experience in Florence. I have had a great experience at Acqua al 2 in both DC and Annapolis MD. I booked the original in Florence for a friend's birthday party. The service could not have been worse. The initial person we met was rude, acted like he didn't know there was a party of 8 coming despite our reservation. They sat us at a table that was far too small for 8 people. The wait staff was rude and made no effort to assist with the menu which was only written in Italian, despite the fact that there was American music (Bon Jovi and Pearl Jam...) playing and American memorabilia throughout the restaurant. Food was fantastic but would never recommend this place to anyone. I am embarrassed to have recommended it for a friend's birthday celebration. Incredibly disappointing. read more

If you're anywhere near Florence and you're not eating here you are missing out on one of the most unforgettable meals of your lifetime. My family and I started with the house wine and pasta sampler. We had two kids with us and the owner was extremely helpful in finding a dish they would enjoy. The pasta sampler was 5 different pastas with vegetable based sauces brought out one by one for us to taste. Every one was incredible. Next, we did the steak sampler to try their famous blueberry reduction over a filet, along with their balsamic reduction filet and another with rosemary (we ordered more of this one). Every bite was absolutely to die for. We also had the dessert sampler for the kids which they loved. Next time I'm in Florence I will absolutely be there. And the service was top tier. It's at the top of my list for best restaurant I have ever been to. read more

Acqua al 2 - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

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We had a large party of 9 here on our first night in Florence. We did the pasta & steak sampling which was a great way to try everything. Great service and nice house wines. Delicious meal. read more

LOVED the steak with balsamic as well as the pasta with avocado and pomegranate! Fantastic meal and service. Can't wait to go back. This place deserves higher rating! read more

For Americans, by Americans. Save your stomach real estate and eat somewhere else. 100€ for a below average meal (one pasta sampler, one meat sampled, one blueberry steak and one bottle Of house wine). The house wine was disgusting (it tasted soapy), the pasta sampler was abysmal (okay if you're fresh off the plane but unacceptable by Italian standards. Wait staff were neutral at best, let alone not warm. I read the reviews and was so excited to eat here. I couldn't have been more disappointed. Don't fall for the reviews riding on 2011 awards read more

Average meal. Full of American girls in packs of 10-15. First time, I got the avocado & pomegranate ravioli. It wasn't bad, but definitely not great pasta. Very cheesy sauce all over it. My friend got the blueberry steak, which is really just steak with blueberry sauce all over it -- sauce didn't seem very homemade or rich with real blueberries. They kept us full with bread, though. Huge spot for American students in Florence, so you're not going to get a very authentic meal or experience. I may go again, but wouldn't plan I.T myself. Won't recommend to friends traveling through. Paid 22€ for pasta, wine, & chocolate cake, which was really just a brownie. read more

Acqua al 2 - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

Menus only in Italian but 1st page is sampler dishes. This Is what you want. First course sampler is a selection of 5 pastas: chefs choice and will vary. Table next to us had a slightly different selection. Second course sample plate is the meat course; the 3 samples were steak with balsamic sauce, steak with a blueberry sauce and steak over a salad. The salad sample plate had 3 salads and the dessert sampler had 4 desserts. Plan to share, it is a lot of good. Fun and delicious. Open in August (many places shut down for vacation entire month or a couple of weeks). read more

A must have meal! If you go here, get the sampler platters (assagio). If you do the pasta you get 5 different kinds - I went with my wife and we ended up doing 1 salad sampler, 1 secondi sampler (3 diff steaks), and 2 pasta samplers (added a second halfway through :)). Oh and we did a dessert sampler, they had to roll us outta there but it was worth it. Lastly we tried the house white and red wines, yes both! read more

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This place is ah-maz-ing! It cannot be missed if you're in Florence. Although our waitress seemed pretty disinterested in us, the food was great. A bunch of us got the balsamic-glazed steak, which was tender and the balsamic was a thick glaze with mashed potatoes on the side. Some people at our table did the pasta tasting. They suggested to get more servings, as there were four people sharing them and two were not enough, they said. I split the vodka pasta and Gorgonzola gnocchi. Both of these were delicious, but the vodka sauce was my favorite. read more

I've been to Acqua 4 times in the past 5 weeks and 3 out of the 4 I have been above satisfied. I've been given bread every time except for this last time to start out with. The cannelloni and blueberry steak is to die for!! The pasta with the peach inside is also super good!! But I was very disappointed with it this past time there. Service was extremely slow, we ordered the pasta sampler which I did not think was worth it, some pasta was overcooked and some undercooked, the portions are also very tiny. You're better off just ordering a whole pasta off the menu which is SO much better. I think they also were having communication issues, we were served 7 samplers instead of 5, which was nice, but at the same time the last two took forever and we just wanted our blueberry steak. Usually they are very fast and efficient but this time took over 2 hours to get our food. They gave us both a small glass of wine to apologize which was nice. Just very disappointed with the service and choices of pasta for the samplers. Blueberry steak is always a MUST though!! If it weren't for tonight I would be giving all 5 stars! I'm sure i will probably wind back here again soon. read more

Just spent 4 months studying in Florence, and of all the amazing food places this is THE BEST restaurant. It's a little bit pricey, but the balsamic steak with the capers salad and tiramisu for dessert was the best meal I've had in the past four months. The owner is super nice as well and loved the decorations!! Will definitely be back next time I'm in Florence read more

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I was in Florence with my daughter and I decided to visit this restaurant because we often go to the one in Washington DC. Good place, yet not as good as I hoped, the menu was very limited (even on the vegetable side dishes...). I would rate the experience as average, to some degree the Wash DC location provides better service and better food (I am Italian.. by the way..). read more

Really lovely atmosphere, nice mix of locals and tourists inside. The blueberry steak is a surprising hit. The risotto was ok. read more

Acqua al 2 - Blueberry steak. Surprisingly great combo. - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

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Sorry, would have to pass on this one. Quaint place. When we sat down they put bread on the table, we didn't ask for it but wrongfully assumed (because we're Americans) it was included. We were charged for it. Ordered an appetizer, it never came. Weren't explained anything well on the menu when we asked about it. We got blueberry steak and balsamic. Again, maybe expecting American type steak. The steak was mushy and drowning in sauce. We have been to Italy and other countries around the Mediterranean before and have had many different dishes and absolutely expect it to be different. This just didn't appeal to us. Other reviewers rave, so maybe it's us. We were told by students here that it's hit or miss. Looking forward to other meals in this beautiful place. read more

Very good restaurant in Florence! We loved the ambiance and the food, however the service wasn't the best. We felt kind of rushed and there was no English menu. Overall great place, definitely try the steak sampler or the ricotta spinach tortellini with avocado! read more

This place came highly recommended from a friend that owns a place in Firenze, so we chose to check it out in spite of my fellow Yelp raters . In summary, I would say it did not meet our high expectations. Don't get me wrong, the food was very good but it wasn't overly memorable or good enough for me to rave about it to all my friends. The service was ok and they seemed eager to turn our table. All that being said, let's hit the highlights. We did the chefs choice pasta sampler. The eggplant bow tie pasta and vegetarian fettuccine were fantastic and worthy of another order. The Brunelli Montalcino we had was amazing. The server was nice and decanted the wine. The bean spread and fresh bread were also super tasty. I think this might have been a case of expectations that were too high walking in. For Star gazers, their decor was cool-they have a bunch of autographed plates hanging on the wall. Extra kudos for not being overrun by tourists. We diss make a reservation same day which they were great to accommodate. read more

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We found Acqua al 2 based on the recommendation of a friend that had visited Firenze a few months earlier. The location is literally a stones throw from Palazzo Vechhio and the Duomo. We arrived about 6:15pm and it was raining outside. Found out they don't open until 7pm. The front door was open, the lights were all on, but we were told they were not ready to start serving. It would have been kind of nice if they had at least told us we could come in, sit down, and order some wine. So, we lurked about outside the front door for a while prior to opening. Acqua al 2 now has 2 locations in the US (Washington and San Diego, I believe.) We were one of the first tables seated (but people had begun arriving around 6:45 to get in) and the restaurant almost filled up by 7:15. Reservations are advised. Note that they do not have menus in English. I can navigate through Italian very clumsily but still miss some nuance in the descriptions. Our waitress was from Poland but spoke English like she had been living in Los Angeles our entire life. She was charming, friendly, polite and helpful. The manager (and mabye one of the owners) stopped by the table a few times to check in on us. Their signature dish is blueberry steak. Yes, you heard that right, the steak sauce is blueberry. The steak literally arrives at your table in a sea of blueberry sauce. And is is surprisingly GREAT! I had my reservations about it before I tried it, but it would be worth it to go back another night and have again (sadly, it was our last night in Florence). The other great thing they have on their menu are sampler dishes (assagio) for anti-pasta, pasta (first course), second course, and dessert. The sample dishes often change from one night to the next. We ordered a pasta sampler and a dessert sampler. (And, you can't choose the pastas you want.) I was very happy with the pasta sampler. All 5 arrived individually, but they were a great sampling of the pastas they offer. We quickly polished off one and anxiously awaited the next. If I was happy with the pasta sampler, well.... imaging having 5 Italian desserts. I was in heaven! The desserts were all delicious. So, when you find yourself in Firenze, I recommend this place. I will definitely be back. And, TRY THE SAMPLERS!!! I think you will be glad you did. And, as one other reviewer noted, this place is not fast. I think we were there 2 1/2 hours. But, with the good food and a carafe of Chianti red wine, it was a wonderful 2 1/2 hours. read more

My girlfriend had been to Acqua Al 2 many years ago and loved it, so she just had to bring me. It was fantastic. The highlight of this restaurant are their assaggio (no, not asiago--that is a kind of cheese). The assaggio are samplers of their dishes. I highly recommend getting the pasta assaggio. For about 10 euro you get five small samplers of different pastas. My girlfriend and I split one, but I can't begin to describe them all. One of the highlights was a rigatoni with a delicious tomato-eggplant sauce. For our second course we shared a steak served with a rich, tangy balsamic sauce. My girlfriend loved it, but she has more refined tastes than I and it was a bit much for my palate. For dessert we shared a delicious tiramisù. One of the fun things about this restaurant was the closed-circuit TV to the kitchen. We could watch the chefs preparing and plating these amazing dishes. It was a blast for a couple of foodies like us. Our service was very fast and the waiter was extremely helpful and friendly. Unfortunately he dropped the ball for our neighbors--but they were also a little clueless and I will let them write their own Yelp review. The restaurant was very busy and my smart girlfriend called ahead to make a reservation. There was a long line out the door when we left, so I recommend the same to you. read more

Great find. Quaint and charming ambiance with nice soft jazz and awesome steaks. We were recommended to try their steak assortment plate to taste all. The best steaks that melt in your mouth! read more

Acqua al 2 - Artichoke on arugula and balsamic vinegar - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

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We were told by multiple yelp reviews and a friend who lived in Florence that we had to go to this restaurant. The food was good, not extraordinary but the service was horrible. The waitress talked way too fast. I felt like I was pressured so we had to ask her things several times. The people that shared our table weren't sure what they were receiving, it didn't match what they ordered, it was very confusing. The steak came with the salad and the pasta came after the meal. The people on the other side of us said they were going to walk out. It took about 45 minutes for us to get all five of our pasta sampler, and then she forgot one of them, and then we had to remind her. She also forgot to bring more water and wine. When we finally ordered dessert 3 HOURS later she took half an hour to bring it because she forgot due to flirting with the table of guys next to us. We didn't live a tip. Disappointed because it came so highly reviewed. read more

This might be the only restaurant in Italy where you can get a bad meal. It's a tourist trap that serves Americanized pasta, so please don't be fooled by what seems familiar. The only worse choice for a meal would be McDonalds or Subway. You can find better food by wandering into any other restaurant in the city. Follow some Italians into a decent restaurant. We felt cheated wasting a meal on the bland, forgettable food served by people who basically threw a dish on the table every few minutes. Fa schifo! read more

Once a much better place to eat years ago. Returning a second time unfortunately disappointed. This place shouldn't even have 3 stars. Seating is tight, menu is old and hasn't changed in 10 years, staff is miserable and wants you in and out. Since they've built a name over the years their focus is now on volume and not quality of their product, such a shame. This last visit left me regretting it the next day after having a sample of their seconds I spent the next day battling food poisoning. If you're visiting Florence I strongly no longer recommend Acqua al 2. read more

I had dinner here and shared the pasta and beef sampler with my girlfriend. It was definitely too much food for 2 girls but whatevers we were on vacation enjoying life! I would skip the pasta sampler unless you have a big group. The beef sampler was delicious, came in a blueberry and a balsamic vinaigrette sauce. Touristy spot, most of the diners spoke English. PS - no english menus. read more

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Recommended by a friend, I only wish we had found this place earlier in our visit. Hands down the best meal we've had in two weeks in Florence. My daughter and I were weeping at how good everything was. When we were seated we got a plank with two kinds of bread, plus the best tomato/basil bruschetta topping I've ever had, and some warm bean puree that was just delightful. My daughter started with Strawberry Risotto that was out of this world, and I had some Truffle Ravioli that was a total foodgasm. We each chose the Blueberry Beef Filet as our second plate. Sweet Mother of the Great Noodly One that was good. The blueberry sauce was dark and wonderful, a beautiful compliment to the tender beef. It completely covers the filet and much of the plate. Too much sauce? *Pace* Jay M., no it isn't. I was using bread to clean my plate afterwards. We went with the "Assagio de Dulci", or Dessert Assortment: Chocolate Cake, Apple Cake, Tiramisu, and Cheese Cake. It was all just fabulous. The Apple "pie" as it is sometimes called here was much brighter and fruitier than the others I've tried in town, and the crust was perfect. I even enjoyed the Tiramisu, something I usually avoid. The cheesecake, though, was a revelation. It's almost more a Panna Cotta Cake and tastes "like buttah". How much did we like dinner? Before our second plate arrived we had already decided to make reservations for tomorrow night. You do want to make reservations, as the place gets very busy. We had stopped by last night but couldn't wait the two hours for a table. read more

Delicious! But a bit pricey and touristy... I recommend getting the daily special, just like in any other place, the pasta and sauce taste very home made and the portions are big but don't make you feel like you are about to pass out from eating too much, they are incredibly light. I'm glad they restored my mom's faith in Italian food in Italy, before this she has been to Italy without me and only ate at horrible tourist traps, again this place is touristy but the food is REAL! Service is pretty good too (for Italian standards lol!) read more

Acqua al 2 - Pici pomodoro e basilico + tagliatelle fiori di zucca e scarmoza yummy! - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

Was excellent in all respects. Food was fantastic, service was very attentive and responsive, ambiance is pleasant but a little crowded. We had the pasta sampler and the chicken with tawny port reduction, both were outstanding. Best meal meal we had in the 2 weeks we were in Italy. read more