Such a great place for us very soon after arrival. Food was great and diverse menu options... assuming you like Italian you are in Italy so... Service was prompt and comfortable in English or Italian for speakers. They suggested great items. We sat in like a back area garden- charming. And they had a large TV set up to watch the Azuuri lose miserably to Spain. Fortunately the disappointment among the staff did not hurt the service or food! read more

Had such an amazing time here! I was a solo traveler and I was made to feel so welcome. Had the chicken in a mustard and asparagus sauce that was so delicious but the whole menu looked tempting. Actually had dinner here twice. Wish I could go back again and again to try some more dishes. One of the staff a tall gentleman was just so great at his job and made it such a memorable dinner. I don't know his name but wish I could have thanked him. Hope you enjoy your future snowboarding travels to California. read more

Food, service and company all excellent. A "must go" restaurant in Florence. Reserve a table now. read more

La Cucina del Garga - Wine at La Cucina - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

Amazing amazing amazing. A short 15min walk bought us to this quaint welcoming home feeling devine eatery. We were welcomed by whom we imagine to be the owner who sat us by the window in a room filled with amazing art. Our server greeted us with a complimentary glass of prosecco and polenta appetizer which was I ordered the house special the lemony homemade fettuccini which was like no other taste I ever experienced. Loved every single bite. Everyone's dish was exquisite. And dessert...,omg dessert was, thank you baby Jesus, AMAZING. We had the mascarpone pudding, homemade cheesecake and gluten free choc cake. Nothing bad could be said. From location, to service, to meal -- everything was AMAZING! Highly recommend to anyone in the area. Not a touristy spot -- definitely a small mom and pop homemade everything kinda place. read more

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Innovative, great quality, great service. Marvellous setting and ambience. You are sure to impress your guest(s) by going there. read more

Fantastic place real florentine food. I want to go back soon. Food was the best that I had in Florence.

It saddens me to have to give Garga only two stars, considering how excited we were to come here based purely on amazing Yelp reviews, but our experience was disappointing to say the least. The meal actually started off great, we were welcomed by prosecco on the house, and that was even followed up by complimentary focaccia bread as well, which was delicious. Also I asked for the chicken & avacado dish (which I had read about in a few reviews) only to learn it was no longer on the menu. However, they still have it to me. However, here are the negatives: -Mixed up our reservation, so that we had to wait to return on Saturday after originally booking a reservation on Thursday night -10% "service charge" on top of the meal (highest I've seen in Italy) -Had to wait 20 minutes after being seated to be greeted by our waiter and place and order -We waited 40 minutes between our appetizers and entrees (and even after all that time, they still gave me the wrong one!!) -As stated above, after the waitress talked about going out of her way to bring me the old chicken dish with truffle sauce and avocado that is no longer on the menu, they mixed it up and brought me the new menu item instead. Then although a server corrected the issue for our waitress, our waitress never at any point came over to apologize. -Lastly the spinach ravoli with meat sauce was very subpar (which surprised me considering how fantastic it sounded) Overall two stars: for that price (70+ euros without wine, 90+ euros with wine) you better be getting great service, and sadly it was pretty poor. Won't be coming back. read more

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Can't recommend enough. We found this spot wandering for dinner around 9:30pm on a thursday and walked in seated and all no issues. Nicola, our waiter, was exceptionally kind and we felt very welcome in an all Italian place. The gnocchi ragu special was a dream as well as the codfish. The flavors of every bute were like nothing I've had before in Florence. Nicola recommended the cheesecake and he did not dissapoint. Best one we have ever had by a milestone. Nicola brought us limoncello on the house as we were ready to leave. Amazing service, beautiful food. Will be coming back. Perfect place. read more

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I have to update my review simply because I went three times during my week in Florence. Yes, it's that good. The 2nd and 3rd times I ordered the strozzapreti with pistachio pesto, lime and pinoli, and the fettuccine with shrimp, calamari and clams in olive oil. Both dishes were phenomenal! The pesto dish had such a unique flavour without being overpowering as a result of the lime. The seafood dish was equally delicious, and chef Garga does NOT cheap out on the seafood. There were big shrimp, lots of fresh calamari and tasty little clams. I think there was more seafood than pasta! It was fresh and incredibly flavourful - I don't particularly like calimari so never order this at home, but I can tell you that I ate every single tentacle on my plate. I had the Tiramisu one evening and wow, simply fantastic. I also want to give a shoutout to the owner and staff for being so warm and hospitable - especially when I showed up last night without a reservation. Somehow they found me a table so that I could enjoy my last meal in beautiful Firenze. Grazie Mille, forza Garga! read more

La Cucina del Garga - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

Fantastic! Do yourselves a favor and visit Garga. Whimsical restaurant with delicious food. We were first greeted with prosecco, and fried polenta with cheese. Nice starting treat! We ordered the Carciofi al Salto (sautéed artichoke with pistachio and parmesan), which was great. Large portion with great flavors. The artichoke rests on a bed of arugula. The blend of flavor between the large pieces of parmesan, pistachio, tomato and arugula was delicious! For dinner we had the "trofie con salsa di pistacchi y pomodorini" and tagliatelle de "magnifico". The trofie was light and full of flavor. The pistachio gave a nice crunch to the dish. The tagliatelle was magnificent (pun intended)! The layers of flavor were unexpected but welcomed. Lastly we ordered the cheesecake which was w a wonderful ending. The yogurt cut through then sweetness, and the crust was fresh and crumbly. Highly recommend! read more

La Cucina del Garga - Delicious mascarpone cheesecake with yogurt top. - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

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I had really high hopes after reading many good reviews, but my dinner at La Cucina del Garga was very disappointing. Ate here on a Tuesday night with my boyfriend. We had a reservation, but we definitely did not need one as the restaurant was empty aside from 1 other large party. We were greeted with some prosecco and a starter of fried polenta which was actually one of my favorite parts of the meal. For dinner we ordered the "Tagiatelli del Magnifico" which was a fettuccine in a creamy brandy sauce with orange, mint, lemon, and cheese on top. Strange dish, which i probably would have enjoyed more had the noodles not been overcooked. We then ordered the Chianti style pot roast, the meat was very tender but it didn't blow me away. I wouldn't recommend this restaurant, but perhaps my experience was just a bad one. read more

Visited while on vacation, the food was delicious and the service was great, considering most service in Italy is quite snooty, the staff was warm welcoming. read more

La Cucina del Garga - Fettuccine - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

LITERALLY the best meal Ive had in my life. And an incredible dining experience. The staff was so friendly and let us know we had chosen the best dishes. Definitely order the orange brandy tagliatelli and the truffle chicken. What an incredible night. Literally closed my eyes for about 30 seconds with the first bite of the orange flavored tagliatelli. Even the chef came out to greet us. Very artsy with local artists covering the walls of the quaint but fine dining establishment. All for sale of course. If you're in florence, this has to be on the list. read more

I'm drooling just thinking about it! This is my friend's sister's husband's restaurant and my husband and I, as well as a couple friends of ours were lucky enough to eat here when my husband and I were on our honeymoon in Europe. I do not have a single negative thing to say about our dining experience. This was, hands down, the best meal I have probably EVER had! From the warm, welcoming decor, to the delicious food and drink, I still often think about how perfect the experience was. Visiting La Cucina del Garga was absolutely the highlight of our time in Florence. Make sure you don't forgo dessert either! We had the gluten-free chocolate cake and the cheesecake, both of which were to die for. Don't forget to make a reservation! read more

Actually not a review for the restaurant itself- we had a private cooking class with the owner at her house. It started with a walk through the market to select local, seasonal ingredients. Then she showed us how to make an appetizer (sautéed artichokes with greens), pasta (handmade ravioli with ricotta and mint), main dish (chicken with cream sauce and avocado), and dessert (lemon tart). The food we cooked was wonderful and we learned all sorts of tips and tricks to try to replicate at home. The experience of being with a local chef and learning all about the food and culture of Florence was spectacular. Sharon is so sweet and speaks English and Italian so you get the best of both worlds. I would highly recommend the class if you have a free morning and early afternoon. read more

Great place to eat if you can find it, a bit off the beaten path. If it was not for Guy Fieri and Pinterest, I would not have tried this restaurant. If was great. Opens at 7:30 and we were the first ones there. A welcome glass of Proseco was a nice touch as well as a free appetizer, polenta with a soft cream cheese spread. So tasty. Our main courses were Clam linguini and Chicken with truffle cream sauce. Both were delicious. Waiter recommended the cheesecake and it did not disappoint. Eclectic decor and warm, friendly waitstaff made our experience enjoyable. Definitely recommend this restaurant. read more

If you are visiting Florence, don't miss this little gem. The food was beyond fabulous! Their signature lemon tagliatelle was so delicious that it was a total pleasure to your taste buds. They started out by giving us a glass of Prosecco and an appetizer and continued from there. read more

A casual, typical Italian, meal but very good and not for the generic tourist. There were definitely more internationals than locals but it did not feel like a tourist trap and the ingredients were all very fresh. I tried some of the more unique items on the menu and had a great meal. Service was excellent. If you go you should order Sharon's cheesecake for dessert, excellent spin on what we are used to in the US. Moderately priced, make a reservation read more

Delicious! Our group of 5 were very satisfied with the meal and experience. The magnifico pasta was unusual and addicting, the antipasti were delicious, the pistachio pasta was very good, the chocolate cake with rosemary and sea salt was decadent and the cheesecake was a creamy masterpiece! Something a little different than the typical traditional meals and well worth the visit! Highly recommend. The only thing that wasn't amazing was the pot roast; thinly sliced and a little dry, although the sauce was very good, the meat wasn't the best. read more

Came without a reservation on a Wednesday in the off-season and were seated right away. This is a very elegant restaurant, white tablecloths and walls filled with art. It's romantic and would be a great place to go if you're looking to err on the side of fine dining instead of casual trattoria. We got their house wine which was lovely, but more expensive than other house wines in Florence. We are cheapies and like the places that give you a liter in a carafe on the table but this more of a fancy "wine list" kind of establishment. To eat we first had Fagioli all' uccelletto, which was beans with sausage and sage in tomato sauce. Followed that up with Tagliatelle del "Magnifico," fettuicine with citrus zest and mint in a creamy sauce, and Osso Bucco (veal shank simmered with chianti). Also a side of chard with roasted garlic (simple but yum!) Everything was good, but the only memorable dish was the pasta. The beans and the veal are quite rustic dishes, and nothing they did to them here reinvented the wheel. As well they shouldn't, but you could get the same dishes at a trattoria for much less money. But the pasta is certainly worth a taste. It was so creative and full of the most inspired flavor! My recommendation is to order something that sounds unique, something you haven't seen on other restaurant menus in Florence. Look for something you can only get here and get it - anything else will be just as good and cheaper elsewhere. Get elegant food to match your surroundings and you'll feel you are getting your money's worth! read more

Very nice meal. If you feel like it, definitely splurge for the €60 Fiorentina bifsteak (largely enough for 2 people!) It is amazing. The side of spinach (€4) was good even if a bit salty, and the cheesecake (€7) was amaaaaaaaaaazing. Only downside: even though the waitresses were super nice and the restaurant clearly aimed at making customers feel comfortable (it's amazing to get pens to draw on the tablecloth ;) ), it was a bit too quiet - we were only 5 tables occupied that night though, I'm sure it is often livelier! read more

Del Garga was an interesting eat while we stayed in Florence. We sat in the painted room. Which isn't quite the frescoes that cover the surrounding churches. This was more abstract but interesting. The service was great! The food was a blend of odd combinations of flavors. Lots of citrus flavors, lime, lemon, orange and so on. This made for some whacky sounding dishes, but overall the food was good. Would I go back to this restaurant yes. Is it a must when visiting Florence again in the future, I don't think so. read more

Really enjoyed this restaurant. The service and food were excellent. As a fun little addition they leave water soluble markers on the table so that you can draw on the white table cloth. Not generally my thing, but we saw other diners taking advantage of the fun so we participated. Three of us shared a massive Steak Florentine. It was cooked perfectly to medium-rare and was over 45 oz. We also shared a salad and pasta to start. Service was good and included as a separate line item in the bill as is sometimes the case in Italy. It is not inexpensive, but not crazy expensive either. About 40 euros a person excluding the wine (which of course will vary a lot based on what you buy). If you just want pasta you can surely find cheaper alternatives, but I thought this restaurant was worth the price read more

This place was a joke. Services was the slowest I have ever seen. Yes I'm in Italy and expect to take my time but this is ridiculous. I wasn't the only one this night. At least 5 other tables got the wrong order. No food some even just left. Food was very salty they screwed up my wife's order and basically took another 20mins to being something out the rest of the table was already done. This was a friends recommendation for our first time in Florence and this was a total miss. I do not recommend this place at all. I don't give many reviews but this place deserves it. Waste of time with all of these good places to go in town read more

I ate well in Florence and this restaurant was no exception. The perfect resturant for our last night in Florence! First or all the atmosphere is on point - as you can see in the photos. They greeted us with a glass of prosecco - like Italian version of champagne. They also gave us an appetizer on the house before the one we ordered. They gave us a lightly fried polenta cake with cheese on top and we ordered the buffalo mozzarella app that had eggplant - both were to die for. My mom had the pasta with calamari, my sisters had the steak and the veal chop, and I ate the fried cod. We also had steak the night before and we all agreed this was amazing! Our chianti was great - only 18 euro. And then we finished with the best cheesecake we had ever had. Do yourself a favor and go to this restaurant! read more

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Garga was recommended to us. We were a large party (7) and it took two days of waiting for us to get a reservation. We were really looking forward to our culinary treat! When we arrived days later our first disappointment was having to wait at least 15 minutes beyond the appointed time for our table. When finally seated, the table felt cramped and the odd assortment of chairs uncomfortable. The food was served in fits and starts with the last entree being delivered a full half-hour after the first one was. The air was stuffy and the food was just ok - not anywhere near as good as I had hoped. Finally, it once again to forever to get our bill and pay it. By the time all was said and done, we just wanted to get back to our hotel and go to sleep. The experience sucked the very life from us. read more

Wow!!! Incredible food, incredible service and awesome locale. I had the fried baccalao with spicy sauce! What can I add! Just incredible. For dessert I had the mascarpone pudding -- well, let me add that it was even better than incredible!!! There wasn't one thing our group ordered which wasn't top notch. Highly recommend this gem. read more

La Cucina del Garga - Baccalao with spicy sauce! - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

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Having a bit of a nightmare today. Wrong drink. One wrong main. V v long wait. Not given an ETA. So were most of the other diners. Food was good though. But not worth the wait. read more

This place is spectacular. Their signature dish pictured above is a lemony pasta. It's incredible. You won't find a dish like it anywhere. The artwork on the walls is eclectic and interesting. Love this place. read more

Our waiter offered us a glass of prosecco and grilled polenta appetizer gratis. The service was attentive without being over breaking. The dining rooms are full of interesting art, they look like galleries. read more

It seems that this is a restaurant whose staff has very questionable ethics. We saw something incredibly shady take place which left us feeling rather uncomfortable. There was a party of 6 sitting in the same room as our table, and one of the members seemed a little different, perhaps as if he had Asperger's or was somewhere on the spectrum. It was by no means disruptive, but noticeable to anyone who was in the room, regardless of which language you spoke. Towards the end of the meal, the boy ordered a slice of cheesecake. He then decided he didn't want the cheese cake, so the table called the waiter back to cancel this request. The male waiter who had been serving him was upset by this, but agreed to cancel the order. He walked back into the other room past our table and told the female waitress to hurry up and serve the boy the cheesecake and refuse to take no for an answer. She did just that and it caused a whole scene in the restaurant. The customer told her that he had just cancelled with the other waiter and the woman pretended that she didn't understand what he was saying. She placed it on the table and insisted that they pay for the cheesecake. By now, the boy was nearly in tears, so the older man at the table, who we assumed was the father, gave up and said that fine, they will pay for the cheesecake. This is all over an €8 slice of cheesecake that you know costs about 50 cents to make, and was most likely prepared in bulk, earlier in the night before orders even come in, and sitting in a refrigerator somewhere. I felt like I was in an "What Would you Do?" episode, and now regret not having pulled the waitstaff aside to reprimand such behavior. I understand if it was a group of obnoxious drunk people who exhibited a pattern of ordering and then changing their mind at the last minute because they are too inebriated to make decisions, but this was a young boy with special needs whose night they just ruined (along with the nights of everyone else in the room) for a measly €8. This was not the review I wanted to be writing for this restaurant when my meal began. But unfortunately I can't frequent a business that is so lacking in ethics. read more

Sorry folks or maybe an off night but for the record: We had reservations for two and were seated promptly. The waiter took our orders. We found the selections to be refreshingly differed . we ordered some apps a pasta dish and for a main dish octopus and a chicken dish. The apps came right a way but we waited a 1/2 he for the pasta and it was not all that busy. It was the broad noodles with a pesto that had mint and pine nuts , again very good. The bad: it then took almost an hour to get our main course. When it came, the octopus was excellent, however the chicken breast was dry and lacked any flavor. No one came to check if everything was ok and we could not find our waitior. Finally the person who cleaned the table, asked if we were finished. When I said the chicken was dry, she asked if we wanted to take it with us. Hello McFly!!@ Our waitor finally asked what the problem was, we explained and he apologized. Ok fine and we asked for the check, but after 20 minutes no check so I had to go find the waiter to settle up. Too many great restaurants in Florence to give it a second try read more

When friends from back in the States come to visit, they always ask for my restaurant recommendations. I usually throw out a few favorites, but Garga is the only place that is consistently on my list as a MUST--for every age group, every budget, every palate. The service is exceptional and without a doubt the friendliest I've had at restaurants of this caliber in Italy. Your wait staff will be attentive and kind, but they won't rush you. If you want something super fast, go to a pizzeria--La Cucina del Garga is best when you're leisurely lingering, catching up with friends or as the climactic closing night of an Italy vacation. Head chef Alessandro Gargani is an internationally-minded Florentine and he has the menu (and cooking chops) to prove it. You'll find classic Tuscan staples like ribollita, Florentine steak (the best in town) and fagioli e salsiccia (sausage and beans) but there are also more adventurous choices like the to-die-for tagliatelle del magnifico (creamy citrus pasta that will rock your world), chicken with avocado and truffle sauce, and more. Personally, I can never go to Garga without ordering one of the seasonal salads, too--the classic "insalata del Garga" is delicious (hearts of palm, tomatoes, arugula, pine nuts and more) but I also love the sauteed artichokes served on a bed of rucola which I am pretty sure are served at the heavenly banquet. For desserts, everyone loves the cheesecake (including me) but I am also a huge fan of their chocolate cake with olive oil and rosemary (don't question it, just order it). I really don't want to associate this place with the Olive Garden because obviously Garga exists in a completely different universe, but I just have to say it: "When you're here, you're family." Don't miss this place!! If you're interested in learning a little more about the history of the place and one of its main faces, check out this article: http://www.theflorentine.net/articles/article-view.asp?issuetocId=9640 read more

My boyfriend and I got engaged here in January on his birthday. It was a birthday dinner for him and a total surprise for me that he proposed that night! The food was amazing and the service was outstanding! I had emailed earlier to make sure everything was just right, but it turns out my boyfriend had secretly visited the restaurant after sightseeing that day. They were so accommodating in letting him pick out the exact table, bringing the champagne when we were seated, and at the end of the night, the Gargas (father & son) sent us home with a little engagement parting gift! They are such friendly people and made us feel so very special that day. The food was equally impressive - we had the Florentine steak served on a wooden platter, it made all the difference in keeping the steak warm and juicy! I would highly recommend this restaurant! We also split a salad and pasta, and then split them for us on separate plates. read more

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Outstanding Restaurant Experience. We walked into the restaurant to a blast of color, art objects, sculptures and paintings. The host, Coronado, greeted us in a warm, inviting manner. Service was a leisurely pace so we could enjoy the ambiance of the restaurant. Excellent bread & bruschetta with a glass of Prosecco to start. We ordered a salad and mixed crostini (pate, fresh cherry tomatoes and tomato/cheese/greens)...all delicious. Had roast pork with applesauce (double pork chop size) and included potatoes and vegetable (not always included at other restaurants). Mascarpone pudding with fresh strawberries for dessert. Excellent. Purchased a cookbook that included information about the founders. Chef Alessandro is their son. Best restaurant I've visited in Europe and one of the best I've had the pleasure of dining in. read more

We went with great expectations but hearing the chef yell at his workers in the kitchen throughout our meal really put a damper on things. The young men in the kitchen looked so tense it seemed as if they were working in a nuclear reactor. This kind of tension drifts right out to the dining room. This is not lovingly prepared food. There is anger in every dish. read more

An absolutely terrific restaurant and the best food we had on our 10 day trip. The "magnifico" pasta with lemon and orange zest, as well as the grilled octopus, were both unique and delicious. Excellent service as well- they snuck us in without a reservation, but we'd definitely made it a must-stop on our next visit to Florence. I'd strongly recommend it to everyone. read more

Best dining experience! It's been a while since I last went to a finer restaurant but La Cucina del Garga is really one of the kind! The waitresses are super attentive and very knowledgable at making good recommendations. Awesome people and great smaller restaurant environment. Also, the food was awesome! Highly recommend the steak and their cheesecake. You won't be disappointed read more

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We went here on the recommendation of our hotel and had a wonderful meal. Service was very prompt and the dishes were a nice mix of traditional dishes with a contemporary flair. read more

Make reservations if you want a seat! My friend and I were lucky enough to get a table without reservations, but people were waiting for a very long time and I think some were even turned away. We were seated in the drawing room, which I found was fun and unique. It helps pass the time when you're waiting for your food. They even use the really good drawings. Being able to see through to the kitchen and watching who preps/cooks your food and how it's being made is always nice. I ordered the seafood pappardelle and omg, it was heaven! So delicious. I've been wanting more ever since I've eaten it, but there's no place that I've been to with this type of meal. Still will be searching, but I would go back to Florence just for this meal. read more