Rivalta is the ex-Capocaccia and ex-noir located on the river near Ponte Santa Trinite, and has…read morerecently opened this summer. Modern and slightly art-deco this is a fancier aperitivo spot that fits in well with its swanky location. The outdoor seating area is almost always full so if you want to grab a spot, come early. Otherwise we were able to find a table inside after 8:30pm without any problems. Being that they have recently opened they have informed me that they do not have their menu's printed yet (we are in Italy!) so to give you an idea of the prices. Beer & wine are 6 euros, long drinks are 8 euros and cocktails such as mojito, caprioska alla fragola, caipirigna,cubano,moskomiuller and Long Island Iced Tea cost 9 euros. This is of course with your aperitivo buffet which I found to be really good! Lot's of creamier salads, fresh cut veggies, and farro when we went last night. All in all I think it has taken over this historic location quite well and I would certainly go back again, I was devastated when Noir closed because they had a truly spectacular aperitivo. Lets hope Rivalta can continue the tradition!

We made reservations at Osteria Pastella knowing it was a popular spot, and the whole experience…read morefelt like stepping into a well-run little performance. Everyone lines up outside, and once the doors open, the entire restaurant is seated at the same time. It's unusual, but somehow fun -- like the curtain lifting on dinner. We were greeted with a welcome drink, which set the tone perfectly before the main event: the famous cheese-wheel pasta. They prepared it right in front of me, swirling the hot pasta through a giant wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano until it turned silky and glossy. Then came the fresh truffle -- and I mean fresh. Easily the most fragrant, delicate truffle I've ever had in my life. Absolute heaven. For dessert, their tiramisu wasn't the classic layered version; it was more of a deconstructed, airy éclair-style creation that still delivered all the right flavors. We finished with limoncello, a bright little goodbye that wrapped the whole experience in a perfect bow. Yes, Osteria Pastella is a bit of a tourist vibe -- but the food does not miss. The quality, the flavors, and the whole tableside ritual made this one of our most memorable meals in Florence. I'd recommend it without hesitation.

A really great dining experience. Booked weeks in advance and for our time a lot 7-9pm, people were…read morelined up 10 minutes early to be let in. They brought us all in as a group (checking reso names) and sat us at individually tables. Then the "show" began with welcome prosecco, wine orders, etc. We got the squid and pork screwers as a starter and thought the flavors were just okay. The complimentary cheese bread ball and regular bread was super tasty. For mains, we got the truffle pasta (with the famous cheese wheel) which was fun to watch. The pasta itself was very solid, but not best ever. Also got the beef/boar pasta and it was better than the truffle pasta in my opinion and cheaper. The deconstructed tiramisu was yummy. Overall a good dinner with good service and pretty good food! An easy spot to recommend to others!

The Florentine steak was very good and the burrata with pesto was delicious! It was a perfect…read morenight with wonderful service, except that the waiter tried to upsell us wine. The waiter didn't like my initial pick, attempted to talk us into a different one at twice the price by giving us a taste--after we agreed he then attempted to substitute another bottle that was 100 euros a bottle. I caught it and they were very pleasant about it, but something to beware of. Despite all of that, I'd return--we had a great night.

Chaotic, family run, can't miss opportunity for good food in a relaxed environment even if a bit…read moreloud. Must get a reservation.

This restaurant is absolutely a MUST visit when in Florence. We felt taken care of from the…read morebeginning to the very end. The restaurant is casual, cozy, has a warming vibe and the people are one of the nicest people we ever met in the restaurant. They have nice selection of wine to start off the delicious dinner. The amuse bouche given from the chef was definitely nice touch and was an essence of meat sauce flavor. For the start we took selection of Tuscan meats which was deep in flavor, well cured and different textures of meat. Il Vezzo as many Florence restaurants offer famous Steak a la Florentina which was undoubtedly one of the best steaks we have ever had. It has its distinctive flavor thanks to the cows being pastured in that specific area. One steak should serve two people as a main dish of the dinner. We laso tried their artichoke witch chickpeas an potato terrine which was fantastic. I liked the way of serving which was a traditional dish constructed in the modern way. Make sure, since place is not big, to make a reservation ahead and the place is quite popular. Definitely a must visit again :)

Great meal in Italy! Definitely recommend…read more Ambiance is casual, rustic, intimate. My husband and I shared the scallop appetizer, ravioli, and Pappardelle. Everything was delicious. My husband said it was some of the best pappardelle he has had. The tiramisu was just okay. The bottle we shared of red was delicious. My only reasons for 4/5 was the a/c was out which honestly is uncomfortable when you're eating. The two gentlemen working were very nice but they were clearly busy because they could hardly check in on us. Guests adjacent to us had their pasta portions split for them but we didn't which I also would've much preferred. I would give them a 4.5/5 if I could. All in all, great food and experience. Would recommend you make a reservation!

We were part of a group of 20 and had a nice lunch here. They brought large pizzas to share of our…read morechoosing, so we got three: a margherita, a mushroom with salami and onion, and a veggies pizza. They also brought us salad and dessert. The food was great however I'm not an Italian food expert, so I can't tell you if it's authentic or not. However the wine came from 13 miles away.

Pizzas are amazing here…read more We were part of a tour group that stopped in for pizza lunch. Salad was included and the portion was large and olive oil and balsamic was really good. Margarita pizza was amazing. Tomato sauce was extra delicious on all their pizzas. Ham and mushrooms next, then Veggies. All were excellent. The service for our large group was done with perfection. The restaurant is extremely large with great rest rooms and amazing desserts. Worth a stop

Very tasty and affordable lunch or dinner option! I was inspired by my friend's sutzukaki pita…read more(beef meatballs) and ordered the same, with the beets tzatziki and spicy hummus. It was made to order and took maybe 7 minutes. I had planned to eat it at our Airbnb but ended up finishing it on the walk back! Each time we went the cook was different, guessing they're husband-and-wife team, both friendly and courteous.

Honestly, Italian food is why we came here to Italy but this was the exact break we needed. Not…read moreonly was the food AMAZING, light(er) and flavorful, the guy cooking up the dishes was charming, helpful and so nice. Truly the best meal to switch things up. Grateful it was so close to our stay, but even more appreciative of the service and quality of the meal! 10/10 would recommend!

Ok, first off, the name and address of this place were incorrect. The name is Bella Toscana and…read morethe address is 20 Piazza del Mercato. There is a small inside dining room, but they have three, large, glass encased, outside dining rooms - one where we ate a fabulous meal. Our server was Aldo, and he was a young, handsome and charming Italian, and attentive. He also spoke perfect English, which helped with my Italenglish! We took our time and had a slow, one dish at a time, Italian-Tuscan meal. We had bruschetta, the tagliatelle with porcini mushroom, a salad with cannellini beans, olives, tomatoes and carrots, and an amazing steak - Florentine T-bone chianina, and a regional dessert of biscotti with liqueur - Cantucci con vin Santos! Wow! I mean wow! Each course topped the one before it. The pasta and steak stole the show, but it was all good. The pasta was fresh made and the porcini sauce light and flavorful. The steak came on a sizzling platter, just seared and sliced, and we could turn the pieces over to cook to our preference. So good. It was the best meal to date in Florence.

9.10.16: We fell in love with this place, seriously! I"m not a big meat eater but the the huge ass…read moremeat upon their counter table for everyone to see was eye catching. Everyone would stop by this bar-like setup for the restaurant and just stare... At this time we had no idea they had an upstairs seating. We looked over the menu and couldn't believe how enticing it was to get the Florentine Steak. Florentine Steak was way too big for us to order. It was obviously tempting because other people were eating it and it looked so juicy and good. The Florentine steak unfortunately only comes one size and that is 1kg. That's 2.20 lbs or 35 ounces for $55 Euros is a deal. Yup that is freaking huge right? So instead we opt for the 500 grams of meat called the Costata. The Florentine steak includes 3 parts, ribeye, filet, and something else. Costata if I remember correctly is the ribeye and filet part. Anyhoo, the food came out looking amazing. I had no idea that they actually cut the meat up for you. Interesting. It's cut but still has the steak shape. The meat was perfection. I have not had this good of a steak in awhile. I can't believe how perfectly cooked it was. I also can't believe how they were able to char that fat and make it delicious tasting and crispy versus it being soft, mushy, like fat. hahaha. The service was great, the lady behind the bar was very patient and I'm glad she let us know that Costata is more than enough for the both of us. That was 500 grams equaling to 17 ounces of goodness. I couldn't finish my portion and the hubby was happy to finish it for me. We couldn't help but to stare at the cooking process. The put it in a oven like thing, then take it out when both sides are charred, then cut it up in pieces and then put it back in. Like wow! I understand how it cooks so perfectly. It was just that good. $45 Euros. Yes I know $10 more Euros and we could have double the meat. Good idea for you meat eaters who can eat all that in one sitting. After we finish eating we noticed there were stairs next to it and realized there were more seating. So if you don't feel like sitting on bar seats, go upstairs for your sit down tables. Love the convenience of it being at the Central Market. Must must try! When in Florence.

If I could give more than 5 stars, I would. Easily the best meal of my life. What a wonderful…read morediscovery of this 2 Michelin-star treasure on a Florentine side street. The calamari was light, airy and unlike I'd ever had. The seared tuna melted in my mouth. My husband's salmon was incredible. We shared a bottle of rose and followed it all with the pistachio tiramisu and millefoglie with chantily crème. Absolutely incredible, and wonderful service, too. We went on a Tuesday night and largely had the place to ourselves. I would absolutely recommend and if I am ever in Florence again, you'll find me there at dinner time.

The best meal we had in Firenze. We arrived at 7 PM and they were gracious about seating us. The…read morefood was delicious fresh, the kind of seafood that you wish you could have every day we had a cuddle fish appetizer that was wonderful the spaghetti al dente with clams was wonderful. I would highly recommend this restaurant.

Was looking for a change-of-pace from consecutive days of Italian cuisine. Had a sneaking…read moresuspicion that Greek food might be better in Italy than it is in the States, and I was spot on. Super nice staff greeted us when we walked in, and the interior looks small but inviting. We ended up ordering carryout (or, "takeaway," as they say here), and the food was a pleasant surprise. The Greek salad doesn't have lettuce, but the tomatoes, feta, capers, olives, onions, etc. are very fresh and delicious. The tsatsiki is creamy and tart, and is a a excellent complement to the Greek chicken souvlaki. And...the souvlaki is so flavorful and so fresh, that it was a unanimous hit. If you are in the mood for something other than pasta, give this place a try!

My daughter and I had our favorite meal in Florence here. The food was so delicious - we had the…read morebaked eggplant with caramelized onions, tomatoes, and feta and chicken skewers with tzatziki, salad, and roasted potatoes. The eggplant dish was the best I've ever had in my life - and I'm 54. The service was excellent and our friendly, helpful waitress was fluent in English and generous in answering our questions. The front of the restaurant has a countertop and is brightly lit, but the main seating patio in the back is quiet, pleasantly dark, and small but roomy (there is plenty of space between the tables which we found was not often the case in crowded Florence). I highly recommend this hidden gem!