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    Perseus

    4.0 (114 reviews)
    PriceyTuscan, Steakhouses
    Closed 11:30 am - 3:00 pm, 7:30 PM - 12:00 AM (Next day)

    Perseus Photos

    PERSEUS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

    Recommended Reviews - Perseus

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    Reviews With Photos

    T-bone Steak After
    Melissa S.

    Get the famous T-Bone steak!!! It was grilled to perfection, juicy, flavorful and tender! My husband couldn't get enough of it and proceeded to essentially clean the bone! We had a simple salad and fried to accompany the steak and they were both solid. The service was ok. Not bad but not excellent either. We sat outside in an air conditioned section. It was nice to have the best of both worlds, being outside to ppl watch and enjoy a great meal in air conditioning. Overall, I'd rate Perseus 4.4/5 but the steak by itself is a 5/5! Highly recommend.

    Rosso Di Toscana Wine
    Anthony B.

    This was my first time trying Florentine steak in Italy, and it was hands down the best time of my life! When you are seated you will notice a 1.5 liter bottle of Toscana Rosso to be paired with your meal, it was amazing as well! (You are more welcome to ask for a different wine if you choose to) The service was amazing, and the ambiance was lively and very authentic, I will say....... always ask for Bistecca alla Fiorentina, and please drizzle Olive Oil over it after they cut it for you, its 2 lbs worth of meat, and its a once in a lifetime experience. This is THE PLACE TO HAVE FLORENTINE STEAK IN FLORENCE!

    The steaks aging

    This was recommended by the hotel staff as it was close to our hotel. It's a locals favorite with amazing steaks. It's cooked the Florence way only. But worth it.

    Class. Florentino dinner
    Chris H.

    Wow! Better than Ruth Chris! We started w the avocado shrimp Appetizer and Pinot Grigio. The perfect combination with an olive oil based Ava ado salad with shrimp and I think lime. Then the Bistecca alla Florentine that had so much flavor. Order a kilo per person and you won't be disappointed. The roasted potatoes were okay, but the fried zucchini- amazing! And the wine is great. I prefer the Rosso Di Montalcino. Perfect bold Chianti with steak with wonderful layers for $30 euros And don't forget the edible vegetable centerpiece with their special olive oil. Good idea after a larger portion of steak. The best steak dinner! Better than Ruth Chris, Maestro, Sullivan's, Chart House, LG's, etc. this is a good reason to come back to Florence!

    Cantucci w/ vin santo (€6,00) awesome rep of Tuscan dessert
    Joe P.

    For our last dinner in Florence, we decided to indulge in bistecca alla Fiorentina. A neighbor recommended Perseus (Per-say-us), and after doing a little research, I agreed with his recommendation. The restaurant follows tradition of this famous steak by only serving it one way: Charred on the outside and rare on the inside. The menu clearly states, don't ask for it any other way. The waiter carves the steak table side for you. They start you off w/ fresh veggies to offer some roughage for the steak you are about to enjoy. The waiter also recommended an authentic Tuscan chianti riserva, so designated by DOCG and a black rooster on the label. DOCG signifies its authenticity is gteed. Side note on the black rooster: The black rooster is the symbol of Florence bc in medieval times, Florence and Siena wanted to settle a boundary dispute. Siena chose a white rooster that didn't wake up its knight as early as the Firenze black rooster woke up the Florence knight. The Florence knight was able to travel further West before he met the Siena knight: Florence ended up with more land. We ordered the bistecca for 3 and it weighed approx 2.75 lbs. For our sides we had two orders of fried potatoes (no pic) and grilled veggies. The steak was amazing! You could cleanly taste the meat vs here in the States where the steak is drowned in butter. The rare preparation also added to the richness of the flavor. Likewise the sides were very good, and added a nice contrast to the savory meat. For dessert we indulged in a very Tuscan dessert, cantucci (Tuscan biscotti) w/ vin santo. The light dessert and sweet wine was a great way to end the heavy, savory meal. Regarding the ambiance, they offer al fresco dining as well as indoor seating. We chose outdoors bc it was covered on three sides that help quiet the noise fr the busy street. The service fr our waiter was excellent. He was friendly & attentive, and he made great recs on the wine and dessert. There are many places that offer bistecca alla Fiorentina in Florence. I'm glad we came to Perseus bc they follow tradition, and they combine it w/ comfortable ambiance & excellent service.

    Bistecca Fiorentina
    Rebecca W.

    Perseus is a local spot. I had been here 10 years prior with some friends in my study abroad program, and it had not changed one bit! The staff was friendly despite us being tourists and we made a reservation in advance so we didn't have to wait. We used google translate on the menu and it helped us decide how thick our bistecca fiorentina would be! We ordered some bruschetta as an appetizer, while we waited for the main event! The steak arrived and they cut it tableside for us. We were all amazed at how thick and perfectly rare it was. The first bites were in silence as we all experienced this wonderful Florentine specialty. Followed by some of the best cooked local spinach, white beans, and roasted potatoes I've ever had. The assortment of desserts were unexpected but we gladly ordered tiramisu, pannacotta, and gelato. An overall enjoyable and delicious experience!

    Dawn C.

    I am able to compare this place to another 4.3 star on yelp and 4.5 on trip advisor and I have to tell you this place had the best tasting florentine steak and not as expensive as the other two. We planned to go back due to them being the best we had tried and they were closed on a Sunday! Why???? I'm leaving very heart broken! I already planned to get my own steak and not to share with my husband. Lol..... the dessert is superb too. Tiramisu and pannacota hit the spot for us. This place was recommended by our tour guide in Rome and he definitely had good taste. bravo!

    meat showcase
    Donna S.

    I came here to try the famous Florentine steak and it was amazing! They really know their meat here! We were recommended here by our airbnb host and it sure did NOT disappoint. In addition to the steak, I tried the roasted veggies (meh) and a mushroom pasta. It was really great flavor!! The pasta noodle was a bit on the hard side for an American (eye roll, I know.. yeah that's me.. I'm American but what can I say..I don't know any better ::shrugs::). If you go right at the start of lunch, there is plenty of empty tables and for you to score an authentic Florentine steak! nums!

    Elle C.

    Local recommended and was told we have to order the 4 inch steak, not 1, not 2, not 3 lol so we ordered the 1.7kg bistecca florentine. They only served it rare btw, but this is the best steak I have ever eaten. We only stayed 2 nights in Florence and we had to eat it twice while we were there.

    Brian L.

    Perseus is pretty well known for 1) Slicing off the head of Medusa and 2) Serving tender and rare porterhouses. You'll see the big bald guy from Andrew Zimmern's delicious destinations where this she keeps saying, "No no, that's impossible" when asked about having the steak cooked medium or medium rare. It is true you have no option other than eating a piece of rare steak. So rare it felt like the cow was just hacked up in the back and served out front. You can almost hear the screams of the cow on each chew. Was it tender as hell? Yes. You can barely tell you're eating a half dead cow. That's how fresh the piece of meat was. Was it flavorful? Ehhh Yeah I guess. Meat was delicious and great quality and the seared sides were salted nicely. Best steak in the world? Afraid not. Between wagyu or hidagyu served in Japan or even Lugers and Wolfgang's in NY, I'm sorry Perseus, There is no match and not even a close fight. Oh yeah, we also had the ravioli is that's even worth mentioning. Also, I didn't even know the crazy vegetable plant full of carrots and stuff was even for us to eat. It looked like a centerpiece for the table. Overall, it's not all that.

    Menu!
    Mark S.

    This is one of those "more sizzle than steak" places I look to Yelp to avoid. Charged a 5E cover pp that negates the whole "no tip necessary in Europe" philosophy (20E on a 100E meal was a hefty 20%). This place is a total tourist magnet, and service has adjusted to this new reality (which is to say, "don't expect good service). I can overlook service issues for great food, but my florentine porterhouse for 2 was ALL strip and NO mignon, which was a huge disappointment for someone who knows and appreciates steak and expressed a degree of knowledge to the waiter. I make a way better steak at home, by starting with a well seasoned ribeye, and cooking to my preferred level of doneness (I accept that here it's "rare or go home", and for a great steak I'll accept those terms, but this was not the greatest - I couldn't wait to floss). I think a person would have a great meal here by starting with a pasta (these were very good), and then having one of the many steak options that were NOT the famed florentine for 2 or 3 (and it would be less expensive too!). These are listed right below the main attraction on the picture of the menu I posted (you'll have to do some homework translating them, but the homework will be worth it).

    Idan D.

    I have never had a better steak and risotto in my life. This man next to me is a master butcher and I will always be a lifetime visitor. This is a MUST in Italy. All serious for the meat and smiles for the camera. A perfect restaurant in a great location. 5/5 stars every time! ... oh and check out the restrooms for a good laugh ;)

    Bread and veggie bouquet
    Jenny H.

    One of my favourite steakhouses. I would even recommend visiting Florence just to try out the steaks at Perseus. I have been to a couple of high end steakhouses in New York, Chicago, and Toronto but none of them has even come close to the meat at Perseus. The waiters here know a bit of English but I recommend all visitors to download a translator app just in case as knowing a bit of Italian helped me order our dinner. Upon entering you will be served a beautiful bouquet of veggies and warm bread. We ordered the Florence Steak and it tasted delicious. The service is on the slower side but this is expected for European style meals. Prices are reasonable given the sizes of the steaks. We have not been able to finish the entire meal before because there were so many pieces. Overall a must visit if you are in Florence!!

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    2 years ago

    The best filet fiorentino! It's actually the best steak I've ever had hands down! The staff was very nice.

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    Best Florentine steak ever! I was here 10 years ago and loved the meal so much I can back during my recent travels

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    Page 1 of 3

    Perseus Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Perseus

    While spending time in Florence, i was apprehensive on trying the Florentine steak since it is cooled rare.

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

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    La Buchetta - Linguine in clam sauce

    La Buchetta

    4.8(309 reviews)
    1.9 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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    Trattoria Zà Zà

    Trattoria Zà Zà

    4.2(1.7k reviews)
    1.1 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

    Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco - Steak Florentine

    Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco

    4.6(365 reviews)
    2.1 kmPalazzo Pitti
    €€

    Beautiful inside, about of twists and turns and we were in the patio , at the back of the…read morerestaurant. Amazing experience ! I highly recommend this restaurant as a stop in Florence . As recommended by Stanley Tucci , we had to stop here and enjoy their amazing delicious dishes. Reservations are highly required! The staff goes out of their way to make sure you have the opportunity to enjoy your meal in Florence . Everything was delicious from the veal lombatina to the pappardelle cing, to the onion flan , to the filetto Chianti ....just delicious . Of all of Florence this was my favorite restaurant.

    Believe the hype. And trust me, I was incredibly doubtful at first, afraid it would be overrated…read moregiven the absolute fandom around this being one of Stanley Tucci's go-to. On top of the pain of securing a reservation (they only take these over the phone; no online system), the only slot I could secure even as a solo diner was as soon as they opened, at 6pm, and via a bar seat. When I arrived, I was immediately greeted by several of the staff, all warm/kind. One of them offered me a table, even though I humbly mentioned I'd be fine with whatever was convenient to them. I looked around and saw what seemed to be majority American tourists so I had very standard expectations. Well, what commenced...my god. I'm getting chills now thinking about the entire experience. Just the absolute perfect dinner my first night in Florence. Everything on the menu looked fantastic and I was even tempted to order 2 Primi (pastas) but my server discouraged it, said they were quite large. Instead she guided towards the "must" appetizer, the "onion flan with pecorino cheese and truffle" followed by their signature pasta, "pappardelle with wild boar ragù" The appetizer literally brought me to tears as soon as I took a bite. I didn't think I liked truffle but this was life-changing. And the pasta was served piping hot and also to die for. I complemented the meal with a delicious glass of white and red and ended with the utterly divine tiramisu. I will be dreaming about this meal for years to come. So epic.

    Photos
    Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco - 6pm (1st seating upon opening was only reservation I could secure)

    6pm (1st seating upon opening was only reservation I could secure)

    Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco - Pappardelle with wild boar ragu

    Pappardelle with wild boar ragu

    Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco - Delicious Vermentino wine

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    Delicious Vermentino wine

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

    Vini e Vecchi Sapori

    4.6(321 reviews)
    1.7 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

    Trattoria Pallottino - Chicken and potatoes

    Trattoria Pallottino

    4.4(132 reviews)
    1.6 kmDuomo
    €€

    Second time in two years and yet again a wonderful experience. This time we took our daughter who…read morewas studying abroad in Florence and her friends out for dinner. House wine, starting with a few pastas to share and then a nice thick Bistecca Florentino cooked perfectly. This is the place to go for an authentic, unrushed, Tuscan night out.

    Bad experience with rude and disrespectful owner, severe lack of customer service skills. Some…read moredishes were ok. while my meatballs were not fully cooked, the ground meat was raw/bloody inside. Filthy bathroom! Small place, nothing fancy. 1 star because there is nothing LOWER to rate this place!!! FLINSTONES ERA!!! We were getting ready to pay the bill and leave, when the owner noticed that I have not eaten the meatballs. This man who spoke English, insisted on wanting to know what was wrong with the meatballs, I said I do no eat raw/bloody uncooked meatballs. He started raising his voice very loud and stated that "that's the way they like the meatballs there and they have done it the same way over 100 years. FLINSTONES ERA!!! Other customers look scared at him yelling at us, which was a totally unacceptable behavior from this man. I stated, 'that was my preference to eat fully cook ground meat,". He continued raising his voice at all of us and said, he does not take the price off the dish off the bill, no matter what. Which we did not even ask for. Obviously, his only concern was the money, rather than offer to cook the meatballs until fully cooked and to behave in a professional and respectful manner, since he chooses to serve customers from all over the world where customer service skills are absolutely necessary and his behavior was unacceptable.

    Photos
    Trattoria Pallottino - Seating is super tight

    Seating is super tight

    Trattoria Pallottino - Lasagna

    Lasagna

    Trattoria Pallottino - Main restaurant

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    Main restaurant

    Trattoria dall'Oste

    Trattoria dall'Oste

    4.3(402 reviews)
    1.5 kmDuomo
    €€€€

    Probably the most popular steakhouse in Florence. We gotta try the Florentine steak. After…read moreconsulting the server, we got the local Italian beef (forgot its name, but the fattier one). The steak came out with great presentation. Sizzling on a hot plat. Giant piece of meat. We easily finish all the meat, so it was good. The steak tasted normal though - not as beefy as dry aged beef, or not as flavorful at some other places i have tried (Porteno in Sydney), Just regular red meat taste. A little not salty enough. For sure not the best steak i have ever eaten. Probably due to the simple way how Florentine steaks are cooked. The tiramisu was also mid. Servers were somehow all non-Italian (Indians), so that gave me a touristy vibe. But whatever lol. Anyways, it was still a good dinner date overall, so just want to leave it at a positive note.

    Trattoria dall'Oste is a popular restaurant in Florence and there are multiple locations to choose…read morefrom. Restaurant is known for its for its steaks and pasta. Since we knew we couldn't finish the gigantic Florentine steak, we opted for the rib eye steak. I was particularly impressed with the steak. It was surprisingly tough considering it was rib eye. Did not notice much marbling on the rib eye either. On the other hand, I did enjoy the Beef Ragu as it provided tender chunks of beef in a tomato and carrot based ragu sauce. Very tasty and the pasta was tender and good bite to it. The service was subpar and uneven for us. Nobody even acknowledged us for 10 min after we sat and I had to flag someone to help us. The waiter seemed disinterested and just asked whether we are ready to order. Seems like they didn't know who was supposed to serve my table. Oh well. Guess I won't be coming back give all the restaurant options in Florence.

    Photos
    Trattoria dall'Oste - Interior

    Interior

    Trattoria dall'Oste - Spaghetti with Clams

    Spaghetti with Clams

    Trattoria dall'Oste - Wagyu steak

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    Wagyu steak

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

    La Giostra

    4.2(797 reviews)
    1.3 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

    Trattoria Giovanni - Tiramisu

    Trattoria Giovanni

    4.6(219 reviews)
    2.3 kmPalazzo Pitti
    €€

    Cozy restaurant! I had ossobucco (lamb) and my son had fresh pasta with beef cheeks, both were…read moredelicious!! We also had dessert and white wine! Staff attended us well. We would go back again!

    We had a lovely dinner at Trattoria Giovanni. We loved how cozy, spacious, and genuinely local it…read morefelt, like eating at your grandma's house. It's close enough to the lively, bustling part of Firenze to feel connected, yet just far enough to escape the city's never-ending wave of tourists. The service was incredible, and the owner (I'm pretty sure it was the owner?) brought so much energy that he single-handedly turned the whole place into an eclectic little spot during the "rush hour" of the evening. The menu was solid, if a bit "generic" at times. While everything we ordered was delicious, nothing at Trattoria Giovanni felt like a dish you couldn't find elsewhere... and honestly, that's perfectly fine! It was traditional, comforting, and exactly what we were craving. The plate of cured meats and cheese was phenomenal, a great start to the meal. The pastas were really good as well, though one of the meat dishes had a slightly off texture, with the chunks of meat a bit overcooked. All in all, we loved our meal and would definitely recommend this spot if you're in Florence.

    Photos
    Trattoria Giovanni - Exceptional service with great music selection! Every moment in this restaurant felt like being with a party of friends.

    Exceptional service with great music selection! Every moment in this restaurant felt like being with a party of friends.

    Trattoria Giovanni - Bistecca alla Fiorentina Chianina

    Bistecca alla Fiorentina Chianina

    Trattoria Giovanni - Bisetecca Florentino YUM!!

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    Bisetecca Florentino YUM!!

    Perseus - tuscan - Updated May 2026

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