A Southern feast amidst the back streets of central Firenze.
After slogging past Florentine steak shop after steak shop, we encountered Il Gourmettino by happenstance. It's a lusciously-appointed restaurant with a painted tile foyer and elegant dining area. We chose to dine in the back courtyard, where several tables cluster around a citrus tree.
We ordered several different plates for lunch, including their seafood (being a Southern Italian spot I'd be remiss to ignore the pulpo) and some pasta. The octopus was decadent and perfectly grilled. Honestly, the best octopus I've had in Italy so far (and in Florence, no less!). I also sampled the beef tartare, which was a great play of textures and complemented by a bed of wild rice. The pasta was fresh and had excellent bite - a glorious comfort meal after a long day of trekking. You know when you crave a meal months after eating it that it was a rare find.
I can't commend this place highly enough; had we not found it on our last day in the city we definitely would have been back. Since then, we've directed friends here and they have reported nothing but good things. Cheers, Gourmettino. read more