I am having to look back online to remind myself of which Italian place we ate at for which day / meal. I see that this Florentine place is actually part of a small chain in the area. We found it when looking for a lunch spot near the Duomo. It was well regarded online.
This establishment is an amalgam of businesses - a coffee shop, a small bakery / pizzeria, a mini grocery and wine shop, and a sit down restaurant (that was in the back or upstairs, and which opened at some point after we'd arrived and eaten). We ate from the bakery / pizzeria place.
A bit of background - this was about a week into our trip. At this point (traveling for 7 days), my reserve of goodwill is usually running low. I just wanted a decent, relatively quick meal. I initially thought about rating this a '3' due to my own frustration, but in retrospect I'll assume that it was more on me than them.
I was still looking over options when my wife made her choices and proceeded to pay. All I saw was that she got some sort of paper card from the pizza area and went back up towards the coffee shop to pay. I wasn't sure the paper was even involved. I went up to the same cashier and requested to pay for a slice of pizza. She motioned me back to the bakery. I went back, but the baker lady motioned me back up to the cashier... I picked up one of the pieces of paper and presented it (not understanding why). I was then directed back to the bakery. I ran out of patience and just gave up. I had decided to skip lunch entirely, out of pure spite.
I was challenged on this point and convinced it would be easier to eat than argue. So, I went back to the bakery. The baker lady then got involved and actually scribbled something on the paper, which I then took to the cashier. I was thus able to pay for the slice of pizza, which I then obtained from the baker lady (after she heated it). This isn't the most efficient process, but it is at least understandable in retrospect.
The pizza itself is a thick, bready yet airy crust topped by tomato sauce and whatever ingredients you chose. It was pretty tasty, actually. I wasn't in the best mood to appreciate dining at that point.
I think I'd have enjoyed this much more if I'd understood how ordering worked from the outset. And again, I think part of my exasperation was just being confused by this scenario after seven days of travel. It might have been easier to take on day 1 or 2.
If you are hungry and want a light but tasty meal near the Duomo, this isn't a bad choice. read more