Make sure to show up at 7:30 or 9:30 reservation seating if you want the real Latini experience! While we really didn't need reservations on the evening we dined, I can easily see how this ristorante books up and turns people away when necessary. When we arrived early (7:15) for our reservation, a crowd had gathered outside looking in as the staff sat around chumming and watching the numbers grow. Closer to opening, an American guy arrived and said "Is this the line?" and quickly formed for much of the crowd. When they opened the doors, the line quickly broke apart and people rushed forward. Diners started calling our the number in their parties and their names, but the host guaranteed us everyone would be dining and not to worry. Once inside, I realized why this was probably comical to the staff--seeing the craziness of the crowd and how unsure people were of getting in. Staff was great and while I wish I had known more about the family style meal seating, we still enjoyed ourselves. I believe we could have requested a menu, but I don't think we really knew what was going on. For the following 2 hours, our waiters brought out multiple appetizers, offered us a variety of pasta or soup, followed by the entree selection, and then dessert WITH biscotti, grappa, a floral white wine (loved this the most) and can't forget the limoncello. When we return to Firenze, we will probably request a menu when visiting Il Latini--but we definitely enjoyed our last dinner in Italy, and we have them to thank! read more

We came here specifically for the monstrous Florentine steaks and were not disappointed! Each steak is large enough to be shared between two people so plan accordingly. The server was great in recommending a nice wine to pair along with everything. They normally get really busy here for dinner given their popularity so calling ahead to make a reservation is a good idea.. we came at around 9PM on a Tuesday night however and were seated within minutes. The prices are not terribly high here either which makes this one of Firenze's must-try eaterys. Can't wait to experience this again in the future! read more

Il Latini - Florentine steak the size of your face - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

This was highly recommended by a friend. Perhaps because I had high expectations, it was a disappointment. Ordinary food, so so service, nothing special. read more

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Atlanta food-fan wants real Tuscan experience. This family does a fantastic job of providing the best Tuscan experience they can provide; nevertheless, this is (or has become) a tourist spot. We went at 7:45pm and clearly understand this is the 'American Hour' so my tourist comments may be taken with a grain of salt. While we were there, we were surrounded by other Americans (gasp....), Asians, English, and Germans. When we left the restaurant around 10pm, we only saw Italians waiting, so that may mean something. The staff is very, very attentive and the food was nice, although a bit too much quantity for us. Again, the staff and the experience is to be commended here. I wish I could give it it 3.5 stars..... read more

I am Italian and I've been in Florence many many times, so I think I can say I know what I'm talking about. The place may look very traditional, but if you look close enough it's clearly a tourist trap. No waiter pays attention to you, none of those five or six I've heard speaking comes from anywhere near Tuscany. There are so many excellent trattorias and restaurants at walking distance, I can't see any reason to come back at Il Latini. The food is ok but nothing worth mentioning, the service is poor and the atmosphere is bad: a fast food of typical products where it's more about the number of clients they can seat than about the quality of the experience. Maybe it used to be good, definitely not nowadays. read more

First time - Exceeded our expectations for Tuscan dining. Family style, you may sit at a table with people you don't know. Enjoy the experience and make new friends. The staff and the food were great. If you're not sure what to order, let the staff choose and bring you a wonderful dining experience. read more

This place should have 5 stars across the board. Anyone who voted bad is a tasteless baboon. Cane here during my trip to Italy. Everything was fantastic from the minute you walk in where you are served wine and some prosciutto and cheese while you wait. Then there's the "we don't have a menu but here's 12 courses of everything we like to cook" thing going on. Unlimited wine helps to, all in family style sitting with others on a bench read more

Just for starters, you are in Florence, Italy. If that isn't already exciting to you then you are probably from Florence, Italy and you will likely not be eating at Il Latini unless it is a very special occasion. While Honeymooning my wife and I we staying on the San Frediano side of the Arno and would walk in to town to enjoy dinner the 3 nights that we were there. One night I decided to bust out the old Yelp to help with some choices and lo and behold I find Il Latini. When we are being tourists I don't find any fault in going to a touristy place for dinner. This is why we were here in the Winter so we could do this without the hassle of a billion other people like us. Even still we made reservations the night before... thank goodness. Il Latini offers an excellent environment for the traveler to feel at home, soak up some local flavor and meet others from all corners of the world. How can you complain about that? We were seated next to a couple from Northern Italy. Unfortunately we don't speak Italian at all, being American and all, but the guy did. We spoke briefly because his girlfriend was a bit embarrassed to speak english. Over all it was positive but we didn't get that rousing travelers high that comes with getting to know strangers over dinner. Despite that, the service was enormously friendly. The food and wine flowed like milk and honey. It was a perfect Tuscan meal, which in my opinion reflects the region well and tastes quite good. We had a really good time and left painfully full. At the end of the night the manager or owner found out it was our Honeymoon and gave us a bottle of their house wine, which we happily took home to remember one of our favorite experiences on our Honeymoon. read more

Was this the best meal or what? We came here on the recommendation of our bicycle tour guide from the morning who is from Florence and said that it was the best Florentine steak you would find. How could we not listen to her? My husband and I showed up at 7pm and saw that the entrance room was full. We couldn't get through the door and then realized it was locked and everyone eating was the staff. The restaurant didn't open until 7:30pm. Lucky for us since we were the 6th & 7th person in line and the line formed to 30+ FAST. Once the doors opened it was flooded and only then did we realize they actually had 4 seating rooms! The place was huge but you couldn't tell it from the outside. Our waiter was super attentive and friendly. He didn't even hand us a menu because he suggested the appetizer sampler for both of us that included Florentine favorites like proscuitto, warm bread, lentils, chicken liver crostini, roma tomatoes and fresh mozzerella, and some sort of bread ball. It was ALL amazing. My favorite was the chicken liver crostini. We also ordered a bottle of their Il Latini house red and that went very well with everything we had. For our primi we shared a cheese ravioli which was cooked to perfection. However, the highlight of our meal and the main spotlight was on the Floretine steak. It was HUGE and is meant to feed two. It was cooked Florentine style, which from my understanding and from what I could see was seared/charred on the outside and rare on the inside. Somehow, even though it was pretty rare on the inside it was not bloody at the least. The steak was perfectly salt rubbed and absolutely DELICIOUS. The waiter gave us traditional Florentine biscuits (also known as cantuccini) as a dessert on the house. It was like an almond biscotti along with a sweet wine like port. The cookies were a perfect finish to everything. Our dinner was delicious and we were so completely full and didn't regret a single moment of it!! read more

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The line is literally down the block and for good reason. The food, service and ambiance are all great. The place is packed with locals as well as tourists all sharing dinner together. Watch out, you just make some new friends. I would highly recommend and can't wait to go back! read more

Il Latini - One of the best in all of Florence! - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

We have been in Florence for 4 nights and this is one of the best dinners we have had. It was almost perfect. (We will get to why) The resturant opens at 7:30 and you really need to have reservations. However we called several times and they did not answer. We attempted to contact through the Web email and also did not get a response. That just meant we had to try to get in without reservations. If you attempt this arrive by 7:10. We arrived then and there was already a line! We were actually third in line, however that didn't matter when the door opened the line disappeared and the host called for reservations. Those with them went on in, then he began filling tables. We were the last ones to get a table, but only because I wedged my way to the front of the mob. Once inside, the menu is only in italian! The waiter explained it to us, however he forgot to mention our sampler antipasti was a chicken liver paste on toast... yuck! So at this point it was not lookin good... Then we ordered our primi and second entrees... this is where the resturant blew us away. We had the pene alltre immagini (pene with meat pasta)... awesome! Then for the second we had the il latini steak. This is very likely the best steak I have ever eaten. Huge portion, I shared it with my wife and still had leftovers. The house wine was great and only $12 a bottle. If you don't want dessert, you need to tell them no when they say they have a "gift for you." That gift was almond biscuits and it cost $7. It was good... but we were so full from the steak that we didn't eat it. Overall I gave this establishment 4 of 5 stars. read more

We visited here on a dat trip to Florence to visit the Duomo and the city, here is where we ate, what a find! The restaurant is an osteria (again even more home style), very cute and with whole procuittos hanging from the ceiling. Our waiter arrived, a very nice large Italian man who came and offered us our choices. No menus here he just offers and we pick . Our first choice was antipasto which consisted of parma, cheese etc, we passed on this. We ordered a family style salad for starters. Next was Zuppa, one was fagioli (beans) and the other was pomodoro e patata (tomato and patato a Tuscane speciality) or ravioli, we took one of each and boy were they good. We indulged in these big rich Zupas and added some oil as per our waiter's recommendation and tried (the again perfect) penne with meat sauce. The next course was a choice of veal, chicken, rabbit, or porc all of which were roasted. Brain had the chicken, Tim had the rabbit and I had the veal, it showed up on our table each lone meat in a plate. Mine was by far the best, I had heard that the veal here is hand raised and treated very well, the tenderness and texture was mind blowing ! veal will never be the same experience after this. Our meal was finished of with a small pistaccio cookie, I thought was a biscotti, we later read that it is a typical Tuscane dessert offered in homes called a cartucci, and it is served with santo vino (sacred sweet wine), you dip the cookies in the wine, Brain and I gobbled them all up. read more

Great traditional Florentine dining experience read more

Il Latini - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

Tonight was our 12th night in Italy. We've visited Rome, and small towns in Umbria/Tuscany (cycling our way through the towns, staying 1-2 nights in the smaller towns) At the end of our trip, we stayed in Florence for three nights. On the second night, we made a reservation at I'l Latini, on the recommendation of a friend. Our visit was in Nov. Now, this was not the super busy tourist season, nor the dead-of-winter January - either of those would, in my view, give a slight pass to the service and quality of a restaurant in a tourist-oriented town. If you have ever stood in line and enjoyed a meal in the US, at any of the following; Cheesecake Factory Olive Garden TGI Fridays Grand Lux Café Or if you like Vegas, Disneyland, or spending time at any crowded shopping mall in the states - read on no more. Enjoy I'l latini. I am sure you will. A few notes going into this. We have had consistently great to amazing food in both the big cities (Rome, Florence) and the smaller towns (Trevi, Torgiano, Pienza, Cortona, etc) I am not an Italy expert. This was my first trip to Italy. I consider myself a fairly well seasoned traveler, but not an expert foodie. I like to seek out and try good/interesting restaurants wherever I travel. I'l Latini (for you Americans) is Cheesecake Factory of Italy. I am sitting here reading some other reviews, and scratching my head at how anyone, who has spent any time in Italy, could give this place a good review. Again, this place was a recommendation from a friend, so we went with it, in spite of the warning signs along the way. She said I would enjoy how "so fresh" everything was. I tried to make an 8pm reservation, but was told only 7:30 or 9:30pm. Warning flags should have gone up, but I was tired after a long day in Pisa. We turned the corner to the place, and there was a line outside at 7:28pm. At the risk of sounding judgmental, or racist, let me just say that there were few Italians in line - another warning sign. The door opened at 7:30pm, and the fact that we had a reservation did not seem to matter. We were shuffled, or really shouted over, across the restaurant, through a chain of purple shirted uniformed waitstaff. The only thing missing was their 16 pieces of flare. My boyfriend and I debated leaving the moment we were seated. We knew what we were in for, but we figured, I owed my friend a "sure, we tried your place." The menu, which was not available online, offered little to no description of the dishes. Pasta (the traditional "first course" on an Italian menu) was listed as "sampler platter of three pastasr" or something to that effect. I had to ask for details, and the waiter in the purple uniform knew details of only two of the three. We ordered, he pirouetted, and three pastas were immediately on the table. On ours, and at the same time, on every other table of Americans, Asians, Germans filling the place. Now, again, I have had the luxury, the extreme fortune, really, of having 12 great dinners and some damn good lunches in this country.... So by now, I now know handmade vs machine cranked out, once-frozen pasta. The gnocchi was out of a machine and was not fresh. Nor was the Ravioli or the Penne. The pastas, as the soup course right before, were room temperature to cold. I mean it, both soup and pasta - barely warm. We ordered the Steak Florentine - the restaurant's specialty - the dish that many restaurants in the area also specialize in. Note: We had the extreme fortune to have the same beef dish the evening before at a restaurant that another friend recommended, Borgo Antico. If you are reading this far into this review because you are still somehow considering a meal at I'l Latini - STOP RIGHT NOW, BOOK AT BORGO ANTICO. Their steak Florentine is what you are looking for. I like rare meat. I do. The night before, at aforementioned Borgo Antico, I thoroughly enjoyed my rare steak. Tonight, I had to literally say to myself "you've swallowed worse" as I chocked down the third and last bite of rare, but so thick (for show) steak, that the center was ICE COLD. We asked quickly for the check, as we joked about getting pizza on the way back to the hotel. 12 days in, I think I have a feel for this country a bit. Our waiter brought the check, (hint, if a waiter brings a check quickly in Italy, it's not a good sign... just google this one for more.) As he put the check down, he said "service is not charged here, but if you want to, please leave cash for service."This, after cold steak, cold fried vegetables we didn't order, cold pasta and lukewarm soup, was the worst part of the meal. Not once in the 24+ meals we have had in Italy, was a tip uttered, suggested, or even hinted at. My boyfriend and I pondered this question as we waited for the check. How hard is it to fuck up Italian food, in Italy, in an Italian restaurant? I' Latini is the answer. read more

GO WITH A LARGE GROUP! I went with 10 people and we had so much fun. They have a special where it is 50 euro a person and basically unlimited food, wine and water. They brought out bread, 3 pasta dishes, 3 types of meat, dessert and an endless amount of water and wine. We were able to get our price down to 45 euro and we had the nicest waiter (Leonardo). Go into it knowing that you are about to eat a lot and will be there for awhile. The pasta was great but not the best I have ever had. Such a fun place to go with a group though! read more

Il Latini - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

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Worth the hype. For lunch, anyway. Bonus points for being open on Sunday. I didn't hear much English, surprisingly. The waiter didn't give us a menu, just gave a few choices and guided us. We had: Antipasto- various meats, toasts with mushroom and some type of warm meat, barley salad Gnocchi with rabbit- not in a red sauce like I expected. Was actually better this way- very light House wine We were already full. But the table next to us got white beans in tomato sauce, and it looked really good, but I didn't want to get just that. So we got the smallest beef available- the prime rib. Prime rib Beans with tomato sauce Finally we had some biscotti with sweet wine. It was the perfect finish. read more

This was a nice little place a friend suggested. I had the gnocchi and raspberry pie. Both were delicious and very filling. Staff is very nice, concerned with customer happiness. It does get busy quickly, so there might be a bit of a wait. read more

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My husband and I decided to eat here after our AirBnB host suggested for Italian steak. When we arrived at 8pm, the place was already filling up. We got seated right away and noticed many other foreigners surrounded us. I guess this place is more popular than I thought! Their popular steak option is the Florentine Steak which comes at 50€ per 100g. Since we aren't big foodies we settled with the sirloin for 25€. The steaks are normally served RARE so hope you like it bloody. There were other people around us who asked it to be cooked longer but I feel like it's a little insulting to the steak. So we ordered our sirloin, rare, penne with meat sauce, salami to start and tiramisu to finish. The salami starter came with six pieces that were very tasty. Penne was a little on the firm side. Sirloin was bloody but pretty good. Also ordered a side of grilled vegetables that were delicious. Tiramisu was good but it didn't blow my mind. Would I come back? Service good, clean bathroom, good food - yup I would! read more

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It was the best Florentine steak i've ever had. It was big, yes. Potatoes as a side was a small dish, agreed. But they were delicious. I read some comments and I am not sure if we are talking about the same place. we were the only foreigner group at the restaurant during the lunch. And a local lady police officer suggested Il Latini when she learned that we were trying to find a good one. Man, it was good. Service was good, but they lost their one star because they openly asked for a tip. We always tip, but i don't like it when they ask for it. We started with appetiser plate: chicken liver, two kinds of cheese, barley salad. Then two kinds of pasta: linguini with meat sauce, ravioli with a spinach/cheese filling. And Florentine steak. It was big and seasoned. Normally i prefer steak not seasoned. We paid 225 Euros for 7. read more

This place was amazing! We were able to get a reservation the same day!! We had the Florentine steak...wow! This place did not disappoint

Although, as Salvadanaio has exposed, Il Latini is something of a tourist's trap, the atmosphere of the restaurant remains undeniably good. Huge hams sway from the ceiling, casks of wine overflow on the tables and all around you charming waiters bustle about and charm their customers. Il Latini is very much in the spirit of a traditional Italian trattoria. There is no menu. "You like pasta? We bring you pasta!" "You like meat, we bring you meat!" is very much the order of the day. go with a large group - preferebly one large enough to take over the private dining room in the downstairs wine cellar - drink lots of booze and appreciate good, old fashioned cooking and an air of conviviality. read more

One of - if not the - best Florentine steaks in Florence. Amazing!! It's usually a touristy spot so I'd recommend making a reservation. However, we got in around 10 p.m. no problem. read more

Probably the most fun with the best food and service in Florence. The combo of family style dining and hospitality coupled with the waiter suggesting the meal perfectly throughout, made it so we'll be back again before we leave! Food was delicious, wine list was incredible, service was impeccable. read more

Oh my GOD this place was amazing! My friend recommended this spot as a must when in Florence, and it was the best recommendation anyone gave us. All the waiters were super cute and friendly. I was happy for the diversion from the hunks of meat dangling from the ceiling-a little terrifying, but just deal with it because it's worth it! For starters, we tried the soup and pasta combo. We were expecting tiny little tastes of each, but we were presented with like 8 full bowls of either pasta and soup. It was all amazing, and I highly recommend ordering this sampler. Each pasta was more amazing than the last. I think my favorite was the ragu, but it is like picking your favorite child! They were all amazing. Same goes for the soup. We were all beyond full after this avalanche of carbs, but since we didn't know the deal, we ordered full entrees. I literally had one singular bite of my sausage and beans. It was very delicious, but wasteful since I was so full from the sampler. If I could go again I would just get the sampler and maybe a salad or something, Attempting a full entree after this sampler is futile. Even though we could not attempt dessert, we were given a little plate of adorable little pastries and dessert wine. Very well received and a nice gesture! It was all we could handle after that meal. If you are in need of a good restaurant suggestion, please check out this place! It is off the beaten path but so worth a visit. read more

Wow. Really really disappointed in this place. I've heard great things but it fell flat in every category. As some others are mentioning you're stuffed into a small room but what they don't mention is how it has harsh fluorescent lighting and minimal decoration. I've had a finer ambience at a subway sandwich shop. The tomato soup was great, the other two were forgettable. The meat was terrible. Porkchop was dry, chewy and overcooked, I've had better rotisserie chicken, and the steak was a chewy rare affair. I feel cheated out of a meal in the otherwise dreamlike Florence. read more

Best meal ever! The place was amazing. When we arrived about 7:15 we thought we could have a glass of wine before our 7:30 reservations. However the door is locked till 7:30. I thought this was a little snobbish of the place until you eat the food. At 7:30 you rush the "line" but then get filtered off into different rooms. You sit down and get wine and water and you are off on an amazing food journey. We had the mix meats to start, ravioli with spinach and ricotta and then the florentine!!! Amazing is just the beginning to describe this food. The atmosphere was great, fun and relaxed. You were not rushed but time just flew by. I can't wait to come back and eat here again! read more

The food kept coming the entire meal. Very close to too much. They could get away with less food on the meat course. Everything was delicious; however, the thickness of the steak require it to be cooked more. Go in expecting a family style meal with the meal of the day and you won't be disappointed. read more

Il Latini - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

Il Latini is a solid 6! Everything about this place says local, caring, fun, and out-of-this world delicious!!! Where to begin? This place is off the beaten path - if our Air B&B host had not told us about it, I don't think we would have come across it. (Thank You Alessandra!) The wait - we checked in and waited outside with maybe 12 other diners. The bar tender came out with a tray of Prosecco! OK we'll wait! An awesome touch. And we were only there for about 20 min. IMHO, this is a good sign. Not an insane crowd but a very devoted following. We walked past the salumi bar - mouths watering! We see gorgeous beef, the anticipation grows. We sit down - and look up. Why? Look at the photo - de Parma, San Daniele, and others I cannot pronounce (nor spell) hanging above your head - gently aging, and actually used! This is a whole nother spin on appetizers! So of course, you must experience the assortment - photo attached. The wine selection was perfect - not an encyclopedia to read, but a really nice selection of regional varietals. We opted for a 2012 Barolo in anticipation of the steak. Now about the steak. My wife & I were celebrating our 30th, so two of us and 1kg of beautiful Tuscan beef cooked & seasoned to absolute perfection! At home, we grill in the snow, rain, whatever. Hardwood charcoal only 365. So, we are steak snobs. I work in NYC and have many good steak houses at my disposal. Readers - this was among the best steak we have ever had! (More photos). I believe they used only a small amount of sea salt - the flavor was off the charts, pure steak ectasy! The staff was AWESOME!! They are fun, personable, and invested! They take an interest in every table, every patron. Desert? Home-made tirmassiu, cantucci with vinsanto, and of course some grappa. Final summary: We closed the place - and in Florence, that's not easy. Highly, highly, highly recommended. read more

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Had a great economical meal! Shared prosciutto, vegetable bread soup and a roast chicken as well as the house wine for a total of 45 euros. Service wasn't as great but who cares when the food is good. No rush to get us out. Called us a cab since it was raining out. Would def come back for authentic Tuscan meal! read more

Il Latini - Vegetable and bread soup - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

Il Latini was so yummy! We got the tasting (you'll be there for quite a few hours) with "wine on demand". Worth every penny, our waiter (Luca I believe?) was amazing and quite jovial. The Florentine steak is certainly a showstopper, but every course was so good! The soups are a bit different than in the USA - they have soaked bread in them and are sooo delicious. The only negative thing I can say was that our meat pasta was a little dry (but the gnocchi was to die for and this place definitely still earned 5 stars). read more

Great spot for lunch! Make sure you make a reservation because they fill up quickly. Don't forget to try the salami!

Have to give 1 star for the really poor service we experienced here. I fully understand that service is slower in Italy, but it took me and my boyfriend a FULL 2 and a half hours to get our meals (2.5 hours from the time we ordered). It would have not been so bad if the server did anything to compensate, maybe even taking something off of our bill or even a single apology, he just blatantly ignored our table for over 2 hours. We had to flag him down to even get an update after 2 hours. It was really disappointing because the food was good, just wish they cared a little bit more about their customers. Also, everyone around us was getting food within 20 min, so it was very confusing. We literally ordered a veal chop and pasta with meat sauce. Server also completely forgot the side order of potatoes and never acknowledged them, they were never on the bill. Sort of out a damper on our last night in Florence since we were stuck here for so long. read more

What a fun evening! I read reviews on Trip Advisor and knew that my husband and I had to experience Il Latini our very first night in Firenze! We went for their "Tuscan Feast"...prix fixe (40 euros/pp). There are two seatings a night at 7:30pm and 9:30pm. I believe if you are not doing the prix fixe the seatings do not apply. Firstly, this place is huge...room after room (which I didn't anticipate). We were seated out back in a courtyard which was cool. Our waiters were efficient and helpful and extremely personable. The courses just kept coming...all very good. However, because of the volume they do, the pasta was not freshly made (reason for 4 star rating, not 5) but all in all it was a terrific dining experience! Also a very fun place to come with a group of people! read more

Il Latini - The first course of the prix fixe! Yum! - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

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The restaurant is so popular, so you had better make a reservation.the beef is 50 euros a kilo and Coke is 3 euros,but the taste is good, the chicken is really a half one,that is a surprise, all the meat are well done except the beef, so Chinese are used to the cooking. read more

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Best T-bone steak in town! Also good house wine. 1kg T-bone steak is enough for 2 people. Definitely will come back! It will be a good place if you like meat a lot...I mean lot of meat. read more

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they must have had an off night as the service was terrible and we were left to wonder if they just hate Americans. They slammed down six plates of food that were falling off the table and pretty much ignored us after that. The food got cold faster than we could eat it - they never asked if we would like anything more or even dessert. Plus the crazy bright lighting and uncomfortable seating was a big turn-off. Such a bummer when you have limited time to sample the beautiful food of Florence read more

Three years ago, my uncle came to Firenze and tried to eat at Il Latini - however, they were closed. He ended up at Antico Ristoro Di Cambri (which he highly recommends as well - as did our server at Il Latinin) that turned out to be delicious. This time, we made a point to go when Il Latini was open so that we could compare their bistecca alla Fiorentina. Antonio served us for the evening. Well versed in English and happy to make your experience as enjoyable as possible, I highly recommend Antonio as your waiter for the evening. My uncle and I informed Antonio we wanted the bistecca alla Fiorentina, everything else we wanted him to choose and bring what he thought would be the best meal. This is how we eat out regularly. Antonio brought out a caprese of buffalo mozzarella, fresh tomato slices, and prosciutto. The mozzarella was firm on the outside, but melt in your mouth soft on the inside. Full of flavor, we didn't need the olive oil or balsamic vinegar that was on the table. Second Antonio brought out three pastas. Penne with Ragu, Gemelli alla cinghiale with black olives, and Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli. Each were amazing. What we liked most was the gaminess of the cinghiale. We had eaten at a restaurant the night before and tried cinghiale ragu and cinghiale stew. Neither of which were any good. The gaminess was cut by the black olives (which for those of you saying you don't want gamey meat, the olives will even out your palate). The ragu and ravioli were wonderful. The ragu was a pleasant dish that helped save ragu and penne for me in Firenze and the ravioli was out of this world light and delicious! Antonio happily brought out our main course. The bistecca we had come in for. A giant piece of meat seared on the grill and placed on the plate. For those of you who order your steaks medium or more, be advised, you are going to be in for a shock. The bistecca comes out black and blue, seared on the outside and almost cold in the middle. If you think you're going to pass because of this, you are missing out on one of the best meals ever. This steak was one of the most tender and most flavorful pieces of meat I have ever had. The salt and pepper the chef showed the steak in sang through in three part harmony. (Just thinking about it is making me hungry and my mouth water). You order by the kilo and for one, two, or however many people are sharing. This massive steak beat us this time. I don't know if I can have that happen again. Antonio finished the meal with biscotti and Vin Santo. If you have never had Vin Santo, it is a very sweet liquor that you dip the biscotti in that acts as a digestif and palate cleanser. Wonderful! My uncle and I had to catch the train out of Firenze to get back to our hotel. Antonio called us a cab and let us know when it had arrived. All in all, this was an amazing experience that I want to do again - next time without a time limit. read more

Most amazing restaurant in Florence, the steak is to die for! Make sure you have a reservation or line up early to get in.

My recent experience at Il Latini nearly ruined the evening. We'd been in the past and were looking forward to revisiting, but upon arriving on time for our (reconfirmed) 8pm reservation we were met by a very rude hostess. Rather than greeting us and asking our name etc, she accused us of not showing for 7:30 in a very uncivil and discourteous manner. I was shocked at her behavior as she would not even give me an opening to explain her misunderstanding of the situation. She poisoned the atmosphere so much that we felt unwelcome and left. Luckily, 13 Gobi very graciously accommodated us and we salvaged the evening. After half a dozen earlier visits, we won't be back until she is gone. The waiters, however, are wonderful. read more

This place has lots of reviews but I wanted to add my two cents. Let me first start by saying we had a fabulous time and left full in our bellies and in our hearts. And second with some persuasion they were able to accommodate my garlic allergy. So why only 3 stars? (Which is a rating I rarely give, because I usually LOVE a place or I HATE it). Okay here are my reasons: 1. Everyone tells you that you must dine her which is always a very big res flag for me. The last place I want to be is at a tourist trap. I prefer to be in a place that has a nice mix of locals etc. 2. They only have two seatings; 7:30 and 9:30. Another big red flag. Why? This tells me that the food is plated banquet style to accommodate huge crowds. This is not my type of restaurant. 3. When we arrived "on time" as we were so urged when making the reservation (must NOT be late - we were told) the doors were closed and there was a horde of tourists waiting to get in. I almost turned around and left but thankfully we found a little caffe nearby to grab a drink while waiting. When they did let us in finally they herded us like cattle. Ew. 4. We were shown to our table and our waiter was direct and to the point. But luckily - we are two cute ladies, who speak some italian and are charming. 5. I informed him of my garlic allergy which was definitely problematic for many of the dishes but we promptly ordered a few primi: the prosciutto, the cheese and a caprese salad as well as paté crostini. All of which were dropped immediately on our table within a matter of seconds. This makes me very unhappy. I like to take my time. Please. Sadly the prosciutto was not of a good quality. Dry and old. But the tourists don't know any better. 6. Here is the kicker - the couple next to us enjoyed a 4 course meal and were in and out from beginning to end, paid the bill and walked out within 30 minutes. Wha what?!?!? The food was mediocre and the dining experience rushed for them so why would that be appealing to anyone? 7. It's expensive. This couple probably paid about 35-45 euro per person. After a while, things began to turn around. A bottle of red house wine is provided on the table for you to pour at will - no idea how much that cost be we drank it all. When the waiter asked if we wanted to order a main, i said no bc everything had garlic. He then said "wait a moment". This is where things changed for us. He went into the kitchen to find out if they could make me some special main course meats without garlic and came back to say yes. We order a mixed grill of beef, rabbit and chicken. It took a good while to prepare which was great bc we had all these primis on our table and wine. So we were happy to take our time and engage in conversation with a new couple from sweden who happened to be a "walk-in" and were seated next to us. As we charmed our way through the waitstaff and had lovely conversation with the couple next to us and then waited for our special made food - things really became better. Our waiter warmed up to us and we ended up having fun. Of course the wine was flowing as well as the limoncello and the vin santo in the end. The actual mixed grill was good. Not great, but good. When we finally left around 11p we left smiling and laughing and drunk, and noticed that by this time the restaurant had flipped to almost all locals. In short - its more about the experience and if you can communicate in italian and are charming your experience will be way better than just a regular tourist. Just saying tourists - check w me - i can recommend at least 20 other restaurants with better tuscan cuisine, better atmosphere and better prices. Good luck! read more