Our Florence airbnb host was a flake. He didn't show up to meet us as scheduled and when he did show up he left us with the wrong set of apartment keys. He was managing upwards of 75 rental units and doing the job poorly. When we found his list of restaurant recommendations in the apartment we were skeptics. Could we rely on this unreliable man to point us towards good food? We could and we did and all was (almost) forgiven. When you sit in Osteria De' Benci for any length of time you'll hear the phrase "welcome back" uttered often. It was said to us on our return visit, several days after our first visit, and I heard it said many more times while there. This is a place whose food and attitude inspires a return visit. A specialty in Florence is a Florentine Steak, here so enormous that the staff brings it out to show you in an "are you sure you want all of this?" gesture. The table beside us on our first night, sisters from Boston, first agreed then rose from the table 5 minutes later to cancel that order. On another night the table of 4 beside us looked satisfied that they'd agreed to share it between the table. As delicious as it looked, I couldn't handle that volume of meat. Instead, we began with a cheese plate which, by volume alone, made us giddy; This could have been a meal in itself. Accompanied by honey and a spicy compote made of red bell pepper and jam (delicious), the offering was glorious but that was only the beginning. Next up was fresh pasta with cherry tomatoes and parmesan. Split evenly between two plates, my son and I could not stop raving about this dish the entirety of our trip. This pasta was so fresh that it tasted unlike any pasta we'd ever before tasted. From there we moved on to a beef dish, perfectly prepared and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. This was food of the gods. We knew we must return here. Osteria De' Benci is casual and reasonably priced. Their wait staff are friendly and welcoming. On our second visit, we consumed exactly what we'd had on our first, but my son also ordered something they're supposedly known for, a pasta cooked in red wine. Truthfully, this dish was one-note, didn't excite us at all, and I'd not get it again. Why bother? What we'd already discovered on their menu was pure perfection. We loved this place. read more

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We had a much anticipated lunch here. We stopped by but it was closed. So we started calling to see if and when they'd be open. After a few days of trying them each evening, one afternoon at lunch time they answered - so we jumped at the opportunity. Probably built up too much for us to accurately review. But it was okay. I had the Eliche del Profeta which had pasta tossed with so much ricotta and olive oil with some herbs, tomatoes, and some other kinds of cheese. It was way too rich. Mr. R had the Spaghetti dell'Ubriacone which is a deep red colored pasta due to being cooked in (or made with?) red wine. He liked it fine, but nothing we'd go back for. Probably too heavy for lunch. read more

Osteria De' Benci - Menu - Osteria De' Benci - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

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My favorite in Firenze. The small Osteria close to church Santa Croce is very nice. The two guys running these restaurant are friendly, helpful and have good recommendations. Most of the guests are local people. Their special is the "Spaghetti dell'Ubbriaccone", which means drunken Spaghetti. They are cooked in red wine. Unbelievable good. Also the Bruschetta as the starter is fresh and tasty. Their risotto is excellent. Finally the wine menu is top. You need a reservation as in every restaurant in Florence. read more

Osteria De' Benci - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

This restaurant was recommend by a coworker who went 1 month prior. It's a cute place with good quality food! We arrived right at 7pm and the restaurant was empty but within 20-30 mins it was full. Almost all the tables were ordering the Florentine steak however as I was just with 1 additional person we knew we wouldn't be able to finish it so if you do have enough people I'd suggest ordering that as everyone looked quite happy! We shared a bruschetta with white beans & garlic, tagliatelle with Ragu & I had the tagliata with rucola and parmigiano (a good choice if you don't have enough people the florentine steak. Also I made an update to the map of google. The restaurant is now located at the end of the Borgo Santa Croce street, right before it meets Via Antonio Magliabechi (as they moved establishments). read more

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I dined here when I last visited Florence back in 2007 and kept the business card from them. On our recent trip back, I made sure we dined here for dinner. We ordered the antipasto to share. The hubby got a salad and the steak. Let me just say that the steak was amazing! Cooked in balsamic vinegar, it was very good. I ordered the drunken spaghetti because I remembered how good it was all those years ago. Unfortunately it took a long time to be served. They did let me know while I was waiting that it would take longer than usual. The hubby was pretty much done with his steak by the time I got my spaghetti! Time delay aside, the drunken spaghetti was as good as I remembered. read more

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We found this place in our Fodor's guidebook and decided to make a reservation. We came at 8:30, and the restaurant was almost empty. We thought that was strange for a Saturday night. The food was just ok, we ordered pasta and tagliatelle. The steak was very good, but the pasta was so-so. Definitely not the worst meal we had in Italy, but not a super memorable experience. read more

What a great spot! Riso alle fragole (strawberry risotto) was out of this world and a must. Perfect combination of flavors and balance between sweet and savory. Perfecto! read more

Osteria De' Benci - riso alle fragole (strawberry risotto) - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

My husband had been dreaming of a Florentine steak for years, so of course we had to get one our first day in the city. This place was recommended by a friend, and it was every bit as good as they said. I got a roasted chicken and potato dish that was so flavorful as well. Friendly service and spoke English. read more

Osteria De' Benci - Florentine Steak - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

This restaurant was a recommendation from a coworker. The place is located in the city. The servers and owner were super welcoming and super friendly. The Florentine steak was the best I have ever had. I came back the next day and ordered the sane thing. I definitely recommend this place if you love steak! I want to thank the owner and the staff for making this experience wonderful. Ciao! read more

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During our 1.5 week stay in Italy, this was one of my favorite restaurants to eat at. Delicious food! I had the "paste" pasta - basically a bolognese mixed with cheesy cream over penne pasta. It was DELICIOUS! Also had the house wine, which was very good. The prices are very reasonable. We got there right as it opened and within minutes the entire place was packed with locals (which, to me, is always a good sign). I would've given them 5 stars except the service was somewhat questionable - because we are tourists the waiter tried to add additional items to our bill acting like we had ordered them, once he "remembered" we dind't have those items he blamed his boss - really weird and clearly trying to pad the check. The waiter incident left a bad taste in my mouth in terms of service but the food completely makes up for it. I recommend going if you can just be sure to triple check your bill and have them explain (and re explain) each charge.... read more

Osteria De' Benci - " le paste" pasta. Bolognese mixed with creamy cheese over penne. DELICIOUS - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

Our favorite dinner stop on our whole Italy adventure. Amazing drunken pasta and incredible steak. Started with cannellini bean crostini. Had a carafe of the Chianti. Loved the atmosphere, the privacy, and the food. This place is one to add to your list of must-eats! read more

Was recommended by a friend and has the most savory pasta dishes in all of Florence! Il mio favorito! My recommendation is the red wine soaked pasta, spaghetti al'ubriaco! Or, if you're feeling a little more adventurous, the strawberry risotto! read more

Osteria De' Benci - Spaghetti all'Ubriaco! My recommendation for a first-timer. - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

Just another mediocre osteria that caters to the tourist hordes who cannot distinguish inferior from good Italian food. Atmosphere and service were great but the food was disappointing. read more

The steak was amazing! I was very excited to try the Florence steak. It did not disappoint. The service was great here. This place was recommended by our hosts. They did not steer us wrong! Wish we had one more night in Florence. If so, we would have been dining here again! read more

Osteria De' Benci - Florentine steak - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

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1.2 kg Florentine Steak was absolutely amazing. Would definitely recommend checking out this hidden gem while in Florence. read more

Osteria De' Benci - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

Decent food, except for the hair baked into my food. Otherwise good location, no wait for seating, wait staff speaks English, menu also translated. read more

Osteria De' Benci - Hair in eggplant Parmesan! - Italian Near Me - Florence, FI

A friend of mine suggested this place and it didn't dissappoint! Since the restaurants in Italy tend to open a bit later, my friends and I stopped by a wine bar on the same street, and the workers there also recommended this restaurant. Coming from a local, we were excited to try the food here. We ordered their drunkhard spaghetti, balsamic sirloin (its cooked medium, not super bloody as menu suggests), and bruschetta. The meat was tender and tomatoes on bruschetta were super fresh. My friends did mention there was a sour taste to the spaghetti, but it was still good and we finished everything. Im guessing it varies based on the type of wine used for the pasta dish, bit if you like that sour like vinagar taste you'll love this dish. Can't really say anything about the drinks though, we just ordered water. Our meal came out to €55...this is including a service charge. Just keep in mind the location change. I posted a photo and tip as well, but you can zoom into the map and find it just down the street from the old location on Borgo Santa Croce. Definitely recommend, we enjoyed it! read more

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Good food, nice service. Ordered the really expensive steak for 2. It was a ton of good quality meat, but don't really see the purpose in spending so much even though you do get a lot. 2 pasta dishes were okay but not very memorable. Not a must stop place, but if you're in the mood for a steak, this is probably one of the better places to go. read more

Delicious and such a cozy atmostphere! I came here for my last night in Florence, at the end of a semester spent studying abroad. To start, we had plenty of the provided bread with oil and vinegar. We also had a few bottles of the house wine which was good. Some of my friends also got the crostini with pate which they loved. For dinner, I got eliche del profeta. It was so so yummy. Curly pasta was covered in a creamy ricotta sauce, studded with fresh tomato and oregano. It was unbelievably flavorful, rich yet so fresh tasting. Some of my friends also got the bisteca which was also delicious (I tried a bite). Overall, a very welcoming and nice spot for a rustic Italian meal. read more

Simple and very good traditional Tuscan food. Many Florentine people eat here at lunch, staff is friendly and the location is very convenient if you are visiting the center of the city. One of the best place right in the city. read more

This is one of Florence's hidden gems. Our AirBnB host recommended it, and it was well worth the walk. The tourists don't flock to it, the prices are very reasonable (€35/kg), and it was DELICIOUS. read more

Wonderfully quaint restaurant located right off of Piazza Santa Croce. Very reasonably priced, incredibly friendly staff, and everything we tried was excellent. read more

Decided to go to this restaurant, as it was mentioned in the Tuscany guide. The Osteria looked traditional, but with a young crowd (Not over 45), with modern music and waiters with dreadlocks. Opted for a T-bone steak to share between 2 - the smallest one they had was 1.4kg! It was served rare with rocket and Parmesan. Rather delicious. Didn't try much else, as this filled us up nicely ;-) read more

One of my favorite places in Florence - romantic, amazing food and very very italian...we felt like locals. Everyone treated us like locals- even tho we clearly were not. I cannot wait to return :) read more

One of the best places I've been at in Florence thus far. Very delicious and friendly staff!

The bistecca florentine was incredible here. The rest of the cuisine was delicious as well and affordable prices. House wine kept pouring and the ambiance and service were both great. read more

Best Italian food, I have ever had. Great service... nice quiet low key place... the pasta with meat sauce to die for....

Found this by accident and fell in love! Every dish tasted like authentic Italy like my nonni's family. Casual, intimate italian family atmosphere - We felt like we were guests for dinner! Cozzomo was our waiter and he is so kind and helped us order just the right things. Food is incredible. Staff is incredible. Just the right size inside or eat at the outside tables - so beautiful!!! Order the pasta with meat sauce (it's authentic!) or the meatballs -It's simple and cooked to perfection. My heaven on earth restaurant! Grazie!!! Loved it! read more

Very simple, rustic, restaurant in Florence. I think I ate here three times during the week I was in Florence. I first tried the drunken spaghetti--a nice twist on spaghetti, probably only garlic, olive oil, red-wine-tossed spaghetti for the first course. If you like tasting pasta for pasta, then the red wine and garlic was a subtle but interesting great combination. Then had the Bistecca alla Florentina, delicious cut and very filling (for two). May have been slightly catered to since I had become friends with the chefs there during my time, but hey, whatever--still a great restaurant (when they are open, they typically open 15 to 30 +/- their "open time."). read more

I dream about this place. After our last foodie tour of Italy a few years ago (and many, many amazing meals), this was literally the ONLY place in Firenze that we insisted on repeating this time around. And man are we glad we did. The eliche piccanti al parmigiano e guanica is truly a dream like pasta, what with that perfectly cooked pasta dancing in oil and bacon and just the right amount spice -- and the la "paste" strascicate (like a penne in meat sauce) is everything you always wish that dish would be at every other place you've ever ordered it - but it never was. The drunkhard spaghetti is super unique and also very tasty. Osteria De' Benci is not fancy - it's perfect for lunch - but if you are someone who just wants to sit down for a casual bite and imagine for the briefest of moments what life might be like if you were a discerning Florentine local - while eating the literal pasta from your dreams, go there, and stat. read more

I ate here when I lived here in 1999, and it's wonderful to see that it's still in business and serving reliably wonderful, unfussy but inventive food. The spaghetti cooked in red wine is not to be missed. read more

We came here for lunch unplanned, as we did most days while in Italy we would just look for somewhere that looked good for lunch, then do a quick internet search to make sure the reviews weren't horrific. We had to wait a few minutes for a table, always a good sign. The place was full of Italian-speakers, also good! The restaurant was very homey and comfortable, and the service was friendly. We each started with a pasta (both were good) and shared their Florentine steak. Not inexpensive, but VERY good! Probably the best steak we've ever had, served extremely rare but very flavorful and tender. We ate the whole thing, even though it was huge. We just had the house red wine, which was good. We shared tiramisu for dessert, also good. I'd definitely recommend this place for an enjoyable, non-touristy lunch near Santa Croce, and a great place to try the steak. We really needed our hike up to the Piazzale Michelangelo after lunch! read more