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    Irene

    4.3 (25 reviews)
    PriceyItalian
    Closed 12:30 pm - 10:30 PM

    Irene Photos

    IRENE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Upscale
    Classy
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - Irene

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    It was Halloween night
    Markesha E.

    We were starving while in Italy! Lol the food is ummming interesting to the say the least. But when we went to Florence we saw this restaurant Irene. The BEST decision we made! Everything was delicious! The Sea Bass for hubby was so tender and flavorful! My pasta was so good! I literally cleaned my plate! The drinks were so good! Whenever we go out we just try stuff to see what is good. The bartender listened to what we had to say and made the drinks to our liking! Perfecto!!! Hands down a great place to sit and eat and listen to the beautiful Italian music! Ciao

    saffron risotto
    Annie L.

    Read great reviews of this place but I was very unimpressed with this restaurant. The menu had a good variety but the food was too salty and lacked flavours and creativity. The price you're paying isn't worth it either. They even charge 7 euros for a bottle of water which just seems unnecessary and pretentious for a restaurant of this scale. The ambiance is lively as it's situated in the Piazza Strozzi. If this sort of atmosphere isn't for you I would recommend you sitting inside as it can get very noisy and hectic with the swarm of tourists and street musicians. We had a fennel and orange salad to start which was refreshing but nothing new or interesting about the dish, pretty much just put those two ingredients on a plate. Then we had the saffron risotto and the lobster linguine. Both were very average and they did not live up to the reputation this place has. For dessert we had the mint gelato with marinated pineapple. The pineapple was interesting but the texture was soggy and unpleasant. The cappuccino comes with little bite size biscuits and some roasted pecans which was a nice touch. Service was good, the servers are friendly and they do try their best to accommodate your requests. Good for a casual dinner if you're not looking for anything too fancy. However, the overall experience was mediocre. Considering that I prioritize the taste/presentation of dishes, that just didn't live up to their name.

    Chloe K.

    Nice restaurant at the Hotel Savoy, is great for lunch and delicious drinks on the bistro terrace outside or for a nightcap on a banquette at the bar inside. Also, wonderful attentive service.

    Excited to be at #irenefirenze
    Alexandra K.

    The team behind Irene - including Lydia Forte, her aunt Olga Polizzi (Design Director of Rocco Forte Hotels), restaurant director Paul Feakes and art director Felice Limosani - developed a very personal concept for the restaurant named after Lydia's grandmother Irene. The resulting space is a modern "Mad Men", a 1950s décor dominated by Scandinavian design armchairs with a warm lime green leather covering, contrasted with natural linen tableclothes topped with typical Tuscan "carta paglia". Hanging from the high ceilings is a mass of cylindrical lamps in the gently psychedelic colour scheme that we find behind the bar, where bottles are back-lit by a patterned wall. Vintage inspired glassware hosts signature cocktails, though the plates are a classy and local Richard Ginori white. Delicate, fresh ingredients are combined with love, everything is exceptionally light. Fish and sea-food star in many of the apetizers and primi, while meat makes an appearance amongst the secondi. Starters average 16 euro, Primi 18-22, secondi around 30 euros. Fresh desserts are a bargain at 4 euro. Full review at: http://www.arttrav.com/florence/irene-firenze/

    New bistro in Florence
    Georgette J.

    What can i say about Irene other than it is not only the coolest name for a restaurant, ever, but i adore this new retro design and feminine take on a Tuscan menu. I had the pleasure of trying Irene out at their opening, colorful stripes and retro lighting made me feel like i was in an episode of mad men. They use original 1950's glassware and the tables are artfully decorated, you feel like you've entered a cooler new world. The food is inventive and healthy, chickpea pancakes with vegetables, raw fish carpaccio, vitello tonnato, red prawn tartare. It's all good! I especially enjoyed the fried calamari and veggies that they serve with a yummy agrodolce sauce. For dessert we had a traditional Italian zambaione with vin santo (italian dessert wine) and fresh fruits. I actually got to whisk some myself with the master Fulvio whose passion can make any dish into a superstar. Prices are on par with any nice restaurant in Florence, I think for someone looking to celebrate a special occasion or even a nice businesses lunch, this is the place to go. Well done Irene..

    the night's amuse-bouche
    Ed L.

    We saw this while walking by and thought it looked like a good place to try and boy, were we glad we did. First upon entering, we were great by Alberto who asked if we would like our umbrella and coats checked. We mentioned that someone stole one our two hotel umbrellas while shopping at the nearby Massimo Dutti store. Upon hearing this he proclaimed that he would not anything happen to it with much enthusiasm. Thorough out the night he entertained us with his subtle humor and energy. We started with the delicious octopus salad. Next we had the sand dab and the mini veal Milanese. Both very good. To finish we originally were going to share the tiramisu but it was so good we got a second. We also had a couple of nice lemoncellos. Definitely would come back on our next visit.

    Me with my wine and Foie Gras
    Ben T.

    Came here without seeing the yelp reviews and was very pleased. A beautiful outside area it was too hot (hottest day of the year I think at 35 degrees) we sat inside. The staff are very polite and attentive and the connoisseur is very talented choosing us out a great bottle of white. I had the foie gras and duck liver pate to start which was divine (I know it's French not Italian but still). I would suggest that to anyone who is a fan. I then went on to have the veal hamburger which was the strangest thing because I have never seen a veal hamburger (partly why u got it) it was very good indeed, very succulent and thick. Again if you are like me and have never had it before I would definitely suggest it. What is interesting is that the restaurant is actually part of a hotel but that is very well disguised so you do not notice it. I only know because I was told. The dress code is smart casual (for lunch) I'm not sure about dinner. There is a great opportunity for people watching especially with the beautiful view. I'm hoping I can spend a lot more time here in Florence and make sure to talk to Paul for any wine issues you may have, he is the best guy to solve your problems and tell you exactly where the best gelateria in town is. The menu is great as there is a very wide variety of food to choose from and it can suit everyone's needs. It has a really really nice vegetarian selection! Ciao

    Went here because it's my moms name
    Tim E.

    Disappointing. Very expensive for the food quality. Bar is light on the pours. Sea bass was light on flavor and the Beef filet had a spiced taste. Dessert was the saving grace and the only reason I didn't give it a one. Wait staff was a mix between condescending and helpful depending on who it was.

    Spaghetti with tomato and basil. The absolute best I've ever had.

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    11 years ago

    A very good restaurant at a great spot in down town Florence. Professional staff and excellent food. The price is a bit above average.

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    9 years ago

    So amazing. My favorite meal in Florence. The ravioli was AMAZING. Fantastic service and the waiters were so kind.

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    Irene Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Irene

    My family and I discovered this place (via Yelp) on our first night in Florence.

    Mentioned in 9 reviews

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    Trattoria Zà Zà

    Trattoria Zà Zà

    4.2(1.7k reviews)
    0.5 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

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

    Vini e Vecchi Sapori

    4.6(321 reviews)
    0.3 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

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

    La Giostra

    4.2(797 reviews)
    0.6 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

    Irene - italian - Updated May 2026

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