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    Hostaria Il Desco

    4.2 (60 reviews)
    ModerateTuscan, Gluten-Free, Trattorie
    Closed 12:00 pm - 3:00 PM, 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM

    Hostaria Il Desco Photos

    HOSTARIA IL DESCO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Intimate
    Romantic
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed

    Recommended Reviews - Hostaria Il Desco

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    Minestrone: good
    Alan F.

    Beautiful decor . Hostess kindly sat us a lot a nice table. Next person involved with serving our meal look very uninterested in us. Only later did I see him perk up with another couple. Our waitress was kind and energetic. We got the pasta with mushrooms; bland noodles. The minestrone was good. Had the chicken next: good. This place is a disappointment . Fairly average food almost like a tourist trap.

    Truffle and gorgonzola pasta
    Erin F.

    We had a fantastic dinner here. The ambiance in the restaurant was cozy and felt very Italian. The service was good and when we asked about the wine list or chose a bottle that was not available, they offered good suggestions. We started with the selection of cheeses and the caprese and both were wonderful. We had one person in our party with Celiac and they ensured that our shared dishes were free of cross contamination with gluten and offered him a fully gluten free menu. The only seafood on the menu seemed to be prawns, but there were plenty of pasta and meat dishes to choose from. I chose the tagliolini with gorgonzola and truffle which was fantastic. I also had the opportunity to try the baked rack of lamb and tomato soup, which were both delicious. Our table of 8 ordered 2 Florentine steaks to share after our pasta dishes, which was the perfect amount. I don't eat steak often but I enjoyed it. The steak lovers at our table said it was the best steak they ever had.

    Americano
    Doris K.

    Doris approved 5 stars- my second in Italy. Guys- went for lunch. It's March. It rained off and on today so we wanted soup to warm our souls/bones. We made a reservation (I highly recommend you take the time to make them anywhere in Florence. We were seated right away and the waitress was lovely. ***My mother and I both ordered soup- both bowls were empty when our waitress collected them*** I had the bread soup, it was warm and buttery full of favor, like someone hugged me. My mom had the minestrone, it was fresh, light, and had tons of depth. The broth was a standout. Nothing watery about these bowls of love. We also got a side of beans. Guys, I highly recommend. I will crave this item for the rest of my life. These Tuscan beans were bold, bright, as if cooked for hours, the sage, tomato's, the amount of favor was so impressive. I mean there was a master back in the kitchen. *The place is romantic and full of charm. *Bathroom was clean. *Table was a perfect size (in my opinion for two) *Food was fresh. *Made of love. *The music was happy and made the restaurant less intimidating. *I wore jeans but I did go for lunch. It is white table cloth so for dinner, I wouldn't recommend wearing jeans- this is a place you can get dressed up and go have a beautiful meal. *Wasn't hard to find. *Seats about 35 people- up stairs small yet powerful restaurant. *The internet was the faster I've experienced in Florence. For everything, water, coffee, two soups, side of beans, 31,oo€ Best soup, I've had here. I highly recommend.

    Black Angus carpaccio (ancient beef breed) with fresh truffle flakes
    Hayley J.

    Hands down the best meal we had our entire time in Florence. We are still talking about in weeks later. They also had one of the best gluten free menus for me! My husband shared a few of the naturally GF items with me and ordered off the regular menu with the same level of satisfaction that I had for my GF items (I have celiac disease). When it comes to service is Italy, if you need a quick meal you shouldn't dine at fine establishments like this one. Our service was wonderful here and hope to someday be back!

    Outside, tucked in an off-the-beaten path alley
    Alicia S.

    We had an absolutely fantastic experience at Hostaria Il Desco! The experience began by finding it tucked away off the beaten path. Yes, it was close to a major piazza, but what isn't in Florence? We had made reservations in advance. So, it was easy to get seated in their intimate dining area. We began with house wine, tomato with truffle and bufala appetizer, two pasta courses (bolognese and risotto), and a delicious fluffy chocolate cake dessert. Every course was paced perfectly, and the service staff was super attentive. We probably spent about 2.50 hours during our dining experience and did not feel rushed at all. We will definitely be back during our next visit to Florence!

    Liver pâté and pork fat crostini
    Daphne Z.

    We went to this restaurant without any expectations as it was quite late, and I must say it ended up being one of our best dining experiences in the city. Located off the road, this restaurant is definitely a hidden gem. We loved the ambience of the place and the service was unmatched as well. We tried some new dishes such as carpaccio and liver pâté crostini, which were both super flavorful and served as a wonderful introduction to our main course of roasted lamb and vongole (clam) pasta. I highly recommend getting the dark chocolate cake for dessert; it's a perfect balance of not being too heavy but also not being dry at all. Overall, this dinner was definitely one to remember for our trip and is absolutely worth visiting!

    Meredith M.

    In Florence for 3 nights and this was the best place yet, my hubby and I both agreed! Service, ambiance, and THE FOOD! Started off with a bottle of red wine Tuscany blend, because, well - because. Saw an earlier review about no olive oil? They're now sitting on the tables! Not an issue. They bring water and bread - the tomato bread was delicious. Then, the cheese plate starter. The restaurant won #1 sheep cheese in the world. In. the. World. Like in London, where they have sheep cheese competitions? They took their sheep cheese there, and, they won it! Don't know if that's a real thing, or, tourist trick? But, I will vouch, that sheep cheese was world's best yummy. It also came with some delicious jam and honey. Next, I got the much acclaimed gnocchi and my husband got spaghetti with clams. All home made pasta, in the restaurant, and both dishes were delectable. We added a side salad. We both agreed after Venice and 3 days in Florence, this was our best meal yet! Go here, now!

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    3 years ago

    Restaurant was pretty and food was incredible. Reasonably priced and staff was so friendly and respectful.

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    7 years ago

    Awesome restaurant! reservations are recommended but not required. Love their spaghetti!

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    Hostaria Il Desco Reviews in Other Languages

    La Buchetta - Linguine in clam sauce

    La Buchetta

    4.8(309 reviews)
    0.6 kmDuomo
    €€€

    Another excellent spot we tried in Florence. We were greeted as soon as we walked in and seated…read moreimmediately. The staff was very friendly and our waiter was Nugo. He was awesome and had us laughing the entire night. We peppered him with a lot of questions about the menu, he answered everything and also accommodated my father-in-law, who is GF. He had his own GF bread basket and was able to order almost anything on the menu. We ordered a nice bottle of Montepulciano red for the table that was $48. Others had the Hugo spritz. For app I had the anchovies with roasted red pepper, sea salt and oil over grilled crostini, very good. I skipped first course and ordered the ribeye steak for my main course. Bone in, medium rare, sprinkled with sea salt and a side of onion marmalade. The steak was very good and had way less fat than I expected. The waiter suggested a huge steak for the table, but I was the only one ordering steak that night. Maybe next time. Others ordered the fillet and it was cooked perfectly, the angels and demons gnocchi, and the veal scallopini. Everybody was pleased Really cool spot with a very good wine selection, drinks, excellent food and a fun atmosphere that you don't find at many places. Nugo was an A+ server.

    Fyi there are two locations, make sure you go to the correct one (only two blocks apart)…read more Wonderful, laid back but inviting ambiance. Waiter was super friendly, taking time to explain their wines in detail and food options. They even have a kids menu with sizeable portions for older kids. We all thoroughly enjoyed our meal, and it was definitely the best wine we had with meals in Florence. Gnocchi and wild boar taglietelle were outstanding. Had we had come earlier in our stay we might have come back again They also do a wine window which I wish I'd known about earlier because the other one we tried for fun was not good

    Photos
    La Buchetta - A gigantic cork arched walkway. All corks came from wine opened here.

    A gigantic cork arched walkway. All corks came from wine opened here.

    La Buchetta
    La Buchetta

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    Trattoria Zà Zà

    Trattoria Zà Zà

    4.2(1.7k reviews)
    0.7 kmSanta Maria Novella
    €€

    Looking for a place to eat, found this gem and realized I wanted to try it. Everyone had told us…read moredinner reservations were a MUST here, but didn't think about it. Not many places actually have yelp reviews, but this one had so many with great feedback. The food looked amazing. When we arrived we thought they were closed, but that is because they moved to a bigger restaurant a few doors down. When we arrived at the front, the gentleman asked if we had reservations, which we didn't. He directed us to the line with no reservations. The line was a bit long, but doubled in size almost immediately. It also started pouring rain during this time and we were ALL getting drenched even with an umbrella. The non reservation line was not really moving unless people left the line. We waited a good hour. As we inched closer and closer, the lines were now both outrageous and getting seated seemed like a distant memory. The staff came out and gave out Sangria and Bread bites to help those in line feel welcome. We did finally get seated and we were so glad we waited, it was worth it! We ordered the Spaghetti Carbonara, the lobster spaghettini and the chicken breast with roasted potatoes. We also ordered sangria. Everything was so good and our total was 83 €. Prices were unbelievable! We were amazed at the quality, the service and how large the restaurant they relocated to was. It was like a well oiled machine. The food coming out quickly and efficiently. I will 100% be back if I return to Florence!

    What a maze of a restaurant, super interesting decor and set up. Such a cute restaurant with so…read moremany "rooms". Definitely can tell the old building and maybe they had expanded over the years. The service was amazing and the food delicious. This is one of the places that friends recommended and it's also on the list of many influencers. Tourist trappy, maybe. But the food was totally worth it. We were in the area around 4:30PM and decided to stop in, totally not expecting much as we didn't make a reservation but figured if they're open and not busy, why not give them a try. The most memorable dish we had was the appetizer we order - fried polenta with mushrooms and chicken liver pate, the polenta fried crispy, the mushrooms creamy and the chicken liver pate so smooth and savory. We also ordered 2 pasta dishes - wild boar sauce pappardelle and spaghetti alla carbonara. So tasty and with depth of flavors. Paired well with the house white wine we ordered as well. Definitely a spot you don't want to miss when in Florence.

    Photos
    Trattoria Zà Zà - The African zoo room

    The African zoo room

    Trattoria Zà Zà - His and hers

    His and hers

    Trattoria Zà Zà - Boccalona style Spaghettini

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    Boccalona style Spaghettini

    Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco - Steak Florentine

    Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco

    4.6(365 reviews)
    0.3 kmPalazzo Pitti
    €€

    Beautiful inside, about of twists and turns and we were in the patio , at the back of the…read morerestaurant. Amazing experience ! I highly recommend this restaurant as a stop in Florence . As recommended by Stanley Tucci , we had to stop here and enjoy their amazing delicious dishes. Reservations are highly required! The staff goes out of their way to make sure you have the opportunity to enjoy your meal in Florence . Everything was delicious from the veal lombatina to the pappardelle cing, to the onion flan , to the filetto Chianti ....just delicious . Of all of Florence this was my favorite restaurant.

    Believe the hype. And trust me, I was incredibly doubtful at first, afraid it would be overrated…read moregiven the absolute fandom around this being one of Stanley Tucci's go-to. On top of the pain of securing a reservation (they only take these over the phone; no online system), the only slot I could secure even as a solo diner was as soon as they opened, at 6pm, and via a bar seat. When I arrived, I was immediately greeted by several of the staff, all warm/kind. One of them offered me a table, even though I humbly mentioned I'd be fine with whatever was convenient to them. I looked around and saw what seemed to be majority American tourists so I had very standard expectations. Well, what commenced...my god. I'm getting chills now thinking about the entire experience. Just the absolute perfect dinner my first night in Florence. Everything on the menu looked fantastic and I was even tempted to order 2 Primi (pastas) but my server discouraged it, said they were quite large. Instead she guided towards the "must" appetizer, the "onion flan with pecorino cheese and truffle" followed by their signature pasta, "pappardelle with wild boar ragù" The appetizer literally brought me to tears as soon as I took a bite. I didn't think I liked truffle but this was life-changing. And the pasta was served piping hot and also to die for. I complemented the meal with a delicious glass of white and red and ended with the utterly divine tiramisu. I will be dreaming about this meal for years to come. So epic.

    Photos
    Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco - 6pm (1st seating upon opening was only reservation I could secure)

    6pm (1st seating upon opening was only reservation I could secure)

    Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco - Pappardelle with wild boar ragu

    Pappardelle with wild boar ragu

    Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco - Delicious Vermentino wine

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    Delicious Vermentino wine

    Vini e Vecchi Sapori - Paccheri with with zucchini flower & saffron

    Vini e Vecchi Sapori

    4.6(321 reviews)
    0.4 kmDuomo
    €€

    One of the best dining experiences I've ever had. No wonder it's always fully booked here!!The…read moreowner is so welcoming and kind, taking the time to introduce himself, the menu, and provide personal recommendations. The servers check in frequently and are quick to help with anything you need. The ambiance is lively with popular music, laughter, and conversation. We chatted with the table next to us on the way out and met some fellow Texans! On our way out, the owner also remembered my name and started introducing me to other tables to make friends. What a fun place to be! The food was absolutely amazing. When we saw them slicing the salami right in front of us, we decided to order the salami plate and we were so glad we did! The zucchini flower and saffron pasta was bursting with flavor and the pasta was so perfectly cooked. I couldn't get enough! The duck ragu pasta was also hearty, rich, and delicious. The sauce was so good, my family soaked up every last bit with our bread. The ricotta spinach ravioli was also amazing!! Again the sauce was such a standout. The ravioli was so fresh with the perfect amount of bite. The green pepper sauce steak was soooo good. Cooked perfectly, with such a unique sauce that the whole peppercorns added perfectly to in texture and spice. Finally, the raspberry tiramisu. We were so full, but when they set these down our dessert stomachs were ready. They were amazing! Not the strongest raspberry flavor, but still such a delicious end to the meal. Side note, you MUST have a reservation to eat here, and they only take reservations by call. Because I didn't have a way to call them, I asked my Airbnb hosts who did it for me (also amazing people). While we were eating, there was a crowd forming outside of people waiting to get in but unable to. It's so worth it to visit Vini e Vecchi Sappori! I'll definitely have to come back next time I'm in Florence.

    If you're planning a trip to Florence, make the effort to book a table at Vini e Vecchi Sapori…read more It's a small, popular restaurant that only takes reservations by phone, and it does seem to book up for every meal. We had our hotel call for us when we checked in and were lucky to grab a 1:30 lunch slot on a Thursday afternoon. We saw the fat physical reservation book when we went, and also saw an attempted walk-in get turned away. We wanted to go for dinner, but I'm just glad we were able to get in at all. Vini e Vecchi Sapori was easily my favorite restaurant in Florence. I loved the cozy, vibrant dining room, snug and eclectically decorated. We were at a table so tiny, I worried about pulling a muscle when I crossed my legs. It was nestled amongst other tiny tables, and abutted a counter where plates were put out for service and the reservation book set down in its glory next to my husband's head. Service was warm, efficient, and attentive. Our waiter basically told what to order and we obeyed him, with excellent results. The one-page handwritten menu, helpfully available in English, presented the day's offerings and this preemptive list of disclaimers: No Pizza No Cappuccino No The Fork No Ice No Spritz No Ketchup FUCK CANCER There was a brief selection of Italian wines by the glass, and we got the Chianti Classico and the Bruno de Montalcino, both lovely. The food was delicious, starting with good bread and good olive oil. We ordered the mixed Tuscany salami and the beef carpaccio as appetizers, and they were both superb and not in the least bit redundant. There were four or five types of salami, every one of them fantastic, and I loved the thin, silky carpaccio, served with rucola, parmesan, olive oil, and black pepper. We shared two splendid pastas, spinach ricotta ravioli in a creamy rose tomato sauce and a hearty pappardelle with duck ragu. For dessert, we had the lush, irresistible raspberries tiramisu. I plan to come back to Florence one day, and will make a point of coming back to Vini e Vecchi Sapori. It's a special restaurant, the kind you hope to find in Italy, a welcoming place with lively ambiance and wonderful food.

    Photos
    Vini e Vecchi Sapori
    Vini e Vecchi Sapori - Pappardelle with duck ragu

    Pappardelle with duck ragu

    Vini e Vecchi Sapori - Peposo

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    Peposo

    Trattoria Pallottino - Chicken and potatoes

    Trattoria Pallottino

    4.4(132 reviews)
    0.6 kmDuomo
    €€

    Second time in two years and yet again a wonderful experience. This time we took our daughter who…read morewas studying abroad in Florence and her friends out for dinner. House wine, starting with a few pastas to share and then a nice thick Bistecca Florentino cooked perfectly. This is the place to go for an authentic, unrushed, Tuscan night out.

    Bad experience with rude and disrespectful owner, severe lack of customer service skills. Some…read moredishes were ok. while my meatballs were not fully cooked, the ground meat was raw/bloody inside. Filthy bathroom! Small place, nothing fancy. 1 star because there is nothing LOWER to rate this place!!! FLINSTONES ERA!!! We were getting ready to pay the bill and leave, when the owner noticed that I have not eaten the meatballs. This man who spoke English, insisted on wanting to know what was wrong with the meatballs, I said I do no eat raw/bloody uncooked meatballs. He started raising his voice very loud and stated that "that's the way they like the meatballs there and they have done it the same way over 100 years. FLINSTONES ERA!!! Other customers look scared at him yelling at us, which was a totally unacceptable behavior from this man. I stated, 'that was my preference to eat fully cook ground meat,". He continued raising his voice at all of us and said, he does not take the price off the dish off the bill, no matter what. Which we did not even ask for. Obviously, his only concern was the money, rather than offer to cook the meatballs until fully cooked and to behave in a professional and respectful manner, since he chooses to serve customers from all over the world where customer service skills are absolutely necessary and his behavior was unacceptable.

    Photos
    Trattoria Pallottino - Seating is super tight

    Seating is super tight

    Trattoria Pallottino - Lasagna

    Lasagna

    Trattoria Pallottino - Main restaurant

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    Main restaurant

    Trattoria dall'Oste

    Trattoria dall'Oste

    4.3(402 reviews)
    0.4 kmDuomo
    €€€€

    Probably the most popular steakhouse in Florence. We gotta try the Florentine steak. After…read moreconsulting the server, we got the local Italian beef (forgot its name, but the fattier one). The steak came out with great presentation. Sizzling on a hot plat. Giant piece of meat. We easily finish all the meat, so it was good. The steak tasted normal though - not as beefy as dry aged beef, or not as flavorful at some other places i have tried (Porteno in Sydney), Just regular red meat taste. A little not salty enough. For sure not the best steak i have ever eaten. Probably due to the simple way how Florentine steaks are cooked. The tiramisu was also mid. Servers were somehow all non-Italian (Indians), so that gave me a touristy vibe. But whatever lol. Anyways, it was still a good dinner date overall, so just want to leave it at a positive note.

    Trattoria dall'Oste is a popular restaurant in Florence and there are multiple locations to choose…read morefrom. Restaurant is known for its for its steaks and pasta. Since we knew we couldn't finish the gigantic Florentine steak, we opted for the rib eye steak. I was particularly impressed with the steak. It was surprisingly tough considering it was rib eye. Did not notice much marbling on the rib eye either. On the other hand, I did enjoy the Beef Ragu as it provided tender chunks of beef in a tomato and carrot based ragu sauce. Very tasty and the pasta was tender and good bite to it. The service was subpar and uneven for us. Nobody even acknowledged us for 10 min after we sat and I had to flag someone to help us. The waiter seemed disinterested and just asked whether we are ready to order. Seems like they didn't know who was supposed to serve my table. Oh well. Guess I won't be coming back give all the restaurant options in Florence.

    Photos
    Trattoria dall'Oste - Interior

    Interior

    Trattoria dall'Oste - Spaghetti with Clams

    Spaghetti with Clams

    Trattoria dall'Oste - Wagyu steak

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    Wagyu steak

    La Giostra - My steak cooked perfectly and flavored just enough to be fabulous.

    La Giostra

    4.2(797 reviews)
    0.8 kmDuomo
    €€€€

    By far one of the most highly recommended restaurants when we were making our plans for Florence…read more Highly recommend making a reservation because the wait without one would have been quite long. This restaurant is such a VIBE. Cozy, romantic and a total scene. Service was great as was the food. It was tough because there was so much on the menu that I wanted to try but we couldn't not order the pear ravioli and the Florentine steak. If I went back I would want to try the ossobuco which I saw at the table next to us and looked dynamite. If you only had one night in Florence this is the restaurant I would recommend.

    Food was good but not necessarily the best we had in Florence. Given the reviews and the price I…read morewas hoping for a supreme experience. I shared two pasta dishes with my daughter (the handmade Pappardelle with Maremman Wild Boar Ragu and the Carbonara). Both were very good but not the best we've had. Appetizers were good: Salad with pecorino cheese, oranges, pine nuts and walnuts. We ordered the Octopus appetizer as well. The Octopus was beautifully prepared and presented, but didn't have much flavor. They nailed the Espresso Martini! One of the best I've ever had! We ordered the huge Florentine steak to share between 4 of us and it was more than enough. Ultimately what knocked this review down to 3 stars and what was really disappointing was how they targeted us as tourists with the note at the bottom of the bill (see picture). It read "GRATUITY NOT INCLUDED" in all CAPITAL LETTERS. Also note it was the only thing in English on the entire bill. If it had been our first meal in Florence we might have fallen for this tactic, however it was our last. There's definitely some hostility towards tourists in Florence. Don't get me wrong, some of the people and restaurants we've visited have been very welcoming and friendly. However we recently saw tourist taxes go up significantly, and then you see tricks like this on the bill at La Giostra. This was the ONLY restaurant in Florence where we encountered this. Once jet fuel prices make flying a relic of the past I would argue that some Europeans who depend on tourists for their livelihood may not miss our presence but will certainly miss our spending. Save your money and go research the many other places to eat while in Florence.

    Photos
    La Giostra - Vibes

    Vibes

    La Giostra - Steak

    Steak

    La Giostra - Interior

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    Interior

    Trattoria Giovanni - Tiramisu

    Trattoria Giovanni

    4.6(219 reviews)
    0.6 kmPalazzo Pitti
    €€

    Cozy restaurant! I had ossobucco (lamb) and my son had fresh pasta with beef cheeks, both were…read moredelicious!! We also had dessert and white wine! Staff attended us well. We would go back again!

    We had a lovely dinner at Trattoria Giovanni. We loved how cozy, spacious, and genuinely local it…read morefelt, like eating at your grandma's house. It's close enough to the lively, bustling part of Firenze to feel connected, yet just far enough to escape the city's never-ending wave of tourists. The service was incredible, and the owner (I'm pretty sure it was the owner?) brought so much energy that he single-handedly turned the whole place into an eclectic little spot during the "rush hour" of the evening. The menu was solid, if a bit "generic" at times. While everything we ordered was delicious, nothing at Trattoria Giovanni felt like a dish you couldn't find elsewhere... and honestly, that's perfectly fine! It was traditional, comforting, and exactly what we were craving. The plate of cured meats and cheese was phenomenal, a great start to the meal. The pastas were really good as well, though one of the meat dishes had a slightly off texture, with the chunks of meat a bit overcooked. All in all, we loved our meal and would definitely recommend this spot if you're in Florence.

    Photos
    Trattoria Giovanni - Exceptional service with great music selection! Every moment in this restaurant felt like being with a party of friends.

    Exceptional service with great music selection! Every moment in this restaurant felt like being with a party of friends.

    Trattoria Giovanni - Bistecca alla Fiorentina Chianina

    Bistecca alla Fiorentina Chianina

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