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.

Red Garter in Florence was absolutely packed, and for good reason -- it was the only place in town…read morewith great music! The energy was amazing, everyone was having a good time, and the staff was super friendly the whole night. The drinks were solid, too -- definitely hit the spot after a long day exploring the city. If you're looking for a fun, lively night out in Florence, this is the place to be! 4 stars because there were no seats available and standing around like sardines by the bar!

Everything we ordered was fresh and delicious. Limited seating but a cozy intimate, restaurant. If…read moreyou're visiting and missing a little taste of home then this is the place for you. Ribs, burgers, shakes nachos, chicken sandwiches, pancakes and salads. Customer service was super pleasant. Waiter was helpful and friendly. Several TV monitors from F1, soccer and NFL.

Quite good (Roman) pizza It's a small place, with an ever…read morerotating selection of pizzas that you pay for by weight (order by slice, so to speak) Not really a place to sit and hang (hence the ambiente of 3*), but that isn't really detrimental, I mean, this is kinda the point here The pizza itself is quite good, but not GREAT. In short, a place that you'd be happy to stop by for a taglio when you have the hankering, but not really a Desti stimo...

This was our first meal in Bologna as we just got settled in and wanted something quick and cheap…read more We saw a bunch of people sitting outside eating pizza so we had to check it out! There is no seating inside but it was super easy to order as everyone spoke nearly perfect English. We ordered three different types of pizza that I can't remember what they were but everything was so delicious! Crust was thin and chewy and toppings were plentiful. We could tell it was a popular spot as there were tons of people standing outside waiting or eating

A great lake escape and our top choice locally is the Bahia Cafe in Barberino di Mugello in…read moreTuscany. The problem with barberino is that there are not many (good) access points to the lake and Bahia has a set up that is quite reminiscent of being at the seaside. The only thing is that if you go during a holiday or the weekend, it can get seriously crowded. I would recommend calling ahead and reserving a 'lettino' or sunbed and umbrella (it's cheap!). The water is pretty nice but depending on how crowded it is, it can be a little murky. I definitely recommend coming early and claiming your spot. Bring a pair of water shoes because the small stones can be hard on your feet. The cafe itself serves typical sea/lake fare - panini, gelato, salads and it is all pretty cheap which is a huge plus.

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.

Ok not a typical restaurant (no menu) it's what they made that day. Excellent food , prices are…read moregood, service was excellent and most important food portions.

Stumbled upon this place since it was near the parking/no drive area of Florence. What a gem! No…read moremenu just daily specials. We each had a seafood pasta dish for dinner, they had three to choose from--fabulous! Some of the best pasta I have had. We will be back!

Food was amazing!! Very nice and intimate environment. Staff were super funny and kind. A great…read moreplace to escape the tourists.

Food was perfect. We had meat and cheese board, ravioli, porchetta, and the da Vinci burger. Plus…read morepanna cotta. Wait staff was right on with recommendations and spoke 4-5 languages. Great place

If you are in Florence, this place is one of my favorite establishments. Food here is fantastic!…read moreAll three items we ordered displayed restraint, flavor forward, and a continuous yearning for the next bite. Special highlight to the Artichoke Spaghetti. As we switched our plates back and forth, I kept looking forward to the next bite of this dish. This indicates that quality of this dish alone. Paired with the Pino Grigio, wow... combination hit all the notes. Service was exceptional. While we did come 1.5hours before closing and noticed the tires looked on the staffs, they were such a trooper and carried on as it was their mission. Such dedication to their craft is commendable. Interior is quaintly decorated with rustic charm. White table cloth service elevated this establishment quite well. Paired with great food, service, and charm... this is an exceptional restaurant. Great job team. You guys are amazing!

Really pleasantly surprised with our dinner. Service admittedly was slow though with a smile. They…read moreare busy running but can take a while. We had been there 40 minutes before flagging the waiter to order. The good news is once we order the food came out at a reasonable pace. Started with the warm octopus salad that was quite nice with nice chunks of tender octopus and warm potatoes. We also tried the Bistecca Florentine here. The nice thing is they have a smaller minimum serving size of only 700 g which is about 1 1/2 pounds. And it was really really good. It was cooked perfectly and well seasoned lots of nice salt and the taste was among the best states that I've had actually. And for the price of only €5.5 per 100 g it was actually very reasonable we paired with roasted potatoes and grilled vegetables, which were perfect compliments. The additional kicker was hooking on Tripadvisor a reservation. We got a 20% off our bill which made the meal even more affordable. It was our least expensive dinners and we loved it.

Our Florence airbnb host was a flake. He didn't show up to meet us as scheduled and when he did…read moreshow up he left us with the wrong set of apartment keys. He was managing upwards of 75 rental units and doing the job poorly. When we found his list of restaurant recommendations in the apartment we were skeptics. Could we rely on this unreliable man to point us towards good food? We could and we did and all was (almost) forgiven. When you sit in Osteria De' Benci for any length of time you'll hear the phrase "welcome back" uttered often. It was said to us on our return visit, several days after our first visit, and I heard it said many more times while there. This is a place whose food and attitude inspires a return visit. A specialty in Florence is a Florentine Steak, here so enormous that the staff brings it out to show you in an "are you sure you want all of this?" gesture. The table beside us on our first night, sisters from Boston, first agreed then rose from the table 5 minutes later to cancel that order. On another night the table of 4 beside us looked satisfied that they'd agreed to share it between the table. As delicious as it looked, I couldn't handle that volume of meat. Instead, we began with a cheese plate which, by volume alone, made us giddy; This could have been a meal in itself. Accompanied by honey and a spicy compote made of red bell pepper and jam (delicious), the offering was glorious but that was only the beginning. Next up was fresh pasta with cherry tomatoes and parmesan. Split evenly between two plates, my son and I could not stop raving about this dish the entirety of our trip. This pasta was so fresh that it tasted unlike any pasta we'd ever before tasted. From there we moved on to a beef dish, perfectly prepared and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. This was food of the gods. We knew we must return here. Osteria De' Benci is casual and reasonably priced. Their wait staff are friendly and welcoming. On our second visit, we consumed exactly what we'd had on our first, but my son also ordered something they're supposedly known for, a pasta cooked in red wine. Truthfully, this dish was one-note, didn't excite us at all, and I'd not get it again. Why bother? What we'd already discovered on their menu was pure perfection. We loved this place.

We had a much anticipated lunch here. We stopped by but it was closed. So we started calling to…read moresee if and when they'd be open. After a few days of trying them each evening, one afternoon at lunch time they answered - so we jumped at the opportunity. Probably built up too much for us to accurately review. But it was okay. I had the Eliche del Profeta which had pasta tossed with so much ricotta and olive oil with some herbs, tomatoes, and some other kinds of cheese. It was way too rich. Mr. R had the Spaghetti dell'Ubriacone which is a deep red colored pasta due to being cooked in (or made with?) red wine. He liked it fine, but nothing we'd go back for. Probably too heavy for lunch.