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Recommended Reviews - Trattoria Mario
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We came here because we wanted to try their Florentine steak. The steak comes out pretty rare but melts in your mouth. It was huge. I normally don't eat my steak too rare but I understand why they would serve it like that. We got a variety of pasta too. The restaurant was very packed so I would recommend getting reservations.
The menu is simple and chaotic all at once, but the food makes you crave more! I have tried steaks from many other steak houses in Firenze and the US, and this is honestly my favorite steak. Stopping here for lunch is always a priority when I'm in the city. While you'll find impressive steak sizes at any restaurant in the Firenze, you won't find one that sears in the seasoning like this one! The meat is tender enough for the dull knifes to cut through. The potatoes were so soft and tasty that we ordered 2 servings, and the vegetable soup was a hearty treat. Let's not forget to mention the prices...Extremely reasonable - just look at the menu in the photos. Do yourself a favor and make a reservation. They are only open for very limited hours and they are always busy. They will turn you away if there isn't room. Also, don't ask about the temperature of your steak. You'll get it rare to medium rare. ngl, if that's not your speed, then you probably want to find somewhere else to eat.
So honored to be a part of local eatery establishment in Florence Italy. Thanks to my friend in Rome for recommending this locals only eatery. The carne beef is the supreme in el mundo! The roasted chicken is excellent and juicy. This place has been around for generations since 1963. So do not expect trendy or fancy.. just superb tasting classic meats and hospitality. It is hard to do find; but one you do, you will return every time you find yourself in Florence, Italy! It is the paradigm for beef, even the Argentines and Brazilians in the know have great respect for this establishment!!!
We had this spot on our list for the trip and was excited to eat Florentine steak here. We had a late lunch and our group was split to two tables. For the Florentine steak, the price is based on the weight and really reasonable. There is a 1kg - 1.5kg minimum depending on the cut of meat. They show you the slab of meat after you order prior to cooking. The meat was so juicy and well seasoned!
We were lucky enough to score a reservation at this well regarded restaurant. It turns out that Alessandro Borghese (who we bumped into in Sicily a couple of years ago) had featured Mario on one of his TV shows. We were seated promptly at noon. Our waitress was very nice. It was a simple space with a nice vibe. The tables are small and the seating was backless stools. We split a very quaffable liter of house red for €11. There was Tuscan bread. Our wives started off with great bowls of ribollita. They split a filet as their entree, which was grudgingly cooked medium rare. My buddy and I split an order of steak Florentine. It was well charred and seasoned. This was the most rare steak that we have had to date. My buddy loved it. I wouldn't have complained if it was on the grill for another minute. The beans were excellent and the fried potatoes were very good. We probably should have ordered the potatoes with rosemary. Lunch was €63.50 per couple, including water and wine- a great deal. We were in and out in an hour. Fun experience, reasonably priced with really good food.
If a place can have a menu that looks like this and is only open for a few hours a day, it has to be amazing! And believe me, it is! The steak cut like butter! But if you're a picky steak eater, don't bother. You get it the way they make it (medium rare) and it's delicious. Anything else will be unacceptable! The servers will be sure to tell you as much too. We went with the filetto and that was a good size. The others one are much more massive. The pasta dishes are also really good. If you're going that route, you might want to do another course or a side because they're pretty true to courses size. And the pasta is always al dente so you know what to expect. They have one small room that leads to another once the first is full. It's very casual, very local, nice and simple. The food speaks for itself!
Trattoria Mario is S U P E R bro-licious! If you're in the area, do a power jump into this tiny hole in the wall for one of the most authentic meals in Florence. Don't worry, Browser won't be waiting for you inside. Instead, you'll be put into a flavor world full of stages to explore. The first block, you may want to hit. The beans. They are the best beans n' olive oil in the land. Trust me, Princess Peach is having these beans delivered to her castle daily! The second green pipe you should travel through is a pasta dish. Don't worry about which one, there are no split bananas that will spin you out. We went for the Super Ragu. It made my taste buds go "let's-a go!" Unfortunately, the Koopas found us after this round (meaning we became full and couldn't try more of the menu - "wawhaa") Finally, the service was as fast pace and electric like the Rainbow Track! It had such energy, as well as, a neat sense of community. You'll feel like you are eating with a bunch of friends in Mushroom Kingdom. BONUS: What's the potential Superstar of this party? We didn't try it, but I'd say just from visuals... the Florentine Steak! "MAMMA MIA!" as Mario would say. So jump up and hit the block, you'll get a tasty Italian powerup worth every coin!
This spot is for sure a locals spot. Make a reservation via phone, it's open for lunch everyday but closed on sundays and has dinner Thursday and Friday. This restaurant appears to be a local institution, it's been around since 1953. We were the only non-Italians in the restaurant. Almost every table ordered the florentine steak and the prices weren't horrendous for it. I prefer my steaks closer to medium and medium rare instead of closer to the pasture. Wifey wasn't feeling pasta and got the bollito since it was delicious at da nerbone in central market. It was fine, the salsa verde wasn't very flavorful so the dish falls a little short. The beef stew is cooked in Chianti and was fall apart tender. The only issue I had was the wine wasn't cooked down enough. The potato side we ordered was great. The potato tasted almost like a hybrid of a yuca and potato fry. My rating is a 3.5 based on what we ordered but I think if we ordered the duck ragu and a Florentine steak, it would improve the rating.
Make a reservation! This place is super packed. The food was wonderful. I can't really tell you why Florentine steaks are so good. But they're so good. Food comes out in a timely manner too. The environment reminds me of New York. And it was super casual. Get your receipt and pay in the front.
Our absolute favorite. Most recent trip, we came twice (first times with two kids) and they were so wonderful -- they had a high chair set up for our one year old, and both of our kids loved their pomodoro pasta. For us, it's still the ragu that will keep bringing us back forever (this is a dish so great that it's still almost surprising how incredible it is no matter how many times we get it), but their steak is also among our very favorites. We also got to try some new (to us) stuff this trip, including their beef stew, which was absolutely phenomenal.
made a reservation through ig dm haha. no tables without reservations. the florentine steak is massive. 1 kg nice crust. cooked nicely rare. some really good bites, some okay bites florentine steak is not world class for me. BUT at the price of 45 for this is amazing value. read more
1 month ago
I've been to Florence before but didn't get a chance to try a Florentine steak. My husband and I made it a point to definitely get one for dinner on our first night in the city. I went to the internet for the best Florentine steak and Trattoria Mario consistently popped up as highly rated. I reached out to the restaurant via email to make a reservation for a Friday. I wanted to get the earliest reservation possible, so the restaurant reserved me for 7:30pm, which was when they open. I was advised to show up on time - even a 2 minute delay would make me miss my reservation. I can see why Trattoria Mario was strict on reservations. They open on the dot, and then a staff member calls out each reservation at 7:30pm like a roll call. Seemed to me that if you don't have a reservation then you're out of luck, because there was no waitlist and the restaurant small and space was limited. Service was great. Our waitress was highly attentive and got us in/out of the restaurant quickly, which was what we were going for. Food came out in a timely manner. We ordered the penne al ragu, salad misto, and a Florentine steak to share. The penne was perfectly al dente, and I liked the meat sauce. I did find the pasta sauce salty, but it could've came from the grated parmesan. The saltiness was not a fluke. The Florentine steak was just pure beef and a ton of salt... too much salt for my liking. I also decided that I'm not a fan of Florentine steak in general. read more
3 months ago
I won't lie....I couldn't wait to get to Firenze.... yes....the "cradle of cradle of the Renaissance" ....but as a carnivorous..... getting back to Trattoria Mario , one of Florence staples for the famous " Bisteca a la Florentina "....and being able to reserve a table in this "mecca " of meat.....wow......like the soup nazi..... no ketchup lol....no "medium well" or whatever...just one way.....rare.... and why? Cause this is all Uber fresh super quality meat from the ranch 10 minutes away....salt, rate... that's it! And the taste? ..... pure unbelievable pleasure! read more
We came here because we wanted to try their Florentine steak. The steak comes out pretty rare but melts in your mouth. It was huge. I normally don't eat my steak too rare but I understand why they would serve it like that. We got a variety of pasta too. The restaurant was very packed so I would recommend getting reservations. read more
Reservations are highly recommended (via phone or email)! Service was great. Our favorites were the florentine tripe and ravioli with meat sauce. Not a fan of the florentine T-bone steak and crostini unfortunately. Love the house wine too. read more
1 year ago
The menu is simple and chaotic all at once, but the food makes you crave more! I have tried steaks from many other steak houses in Firenze and the US, and this is honestly my favorite steak. Stopping here for lunch is always a priority when I'm in the city. While you'll find impressive steak sizes at any restaurant in the Firenze, you won't find one that sears in the seasoning like this one! The meat is tender enough for the dull knifes to cut through. The potatoes were so soft and tasty that we ordered 2 servings, and the vegetable soup was a hearty treat. Let's not forget to mention the prices...Extremely reasonable - just look at the menu in the photos. Do yourself a favor and make a reservation. They are only open for very limited hours and they are always busy. They will turn you away if there isn't room. Also, don't ask about the temperature of your steak. You'll get it rare to medium rare. ngl, if that's not your speed, then you probably want to find somewhere else to eat. read more
5 months ago
Had the best steak of my life there!! The workers were really nice as well. Will definitely be going back! read more
So honored to be a part of local eatery establishment in Florence Italy. Thanks to my friend in Rome for recommending this locals only eatery. The carne beef is the supreme in el mundo! The roasted chicken is excellent and juicy. This place has been around for generations since 1963. So do not expect trendy or fancy.. just superb tasting classic meats and hospitality. It is hard to do find; but one you do, you will return every time you find yourself in Florence, Italy! It is the paradigm for beef, even the Argentines and Brazilians in the know have great respect for this establishment!!! read more
1 month ago
We had this spot on our list for the trip and was excited to eat Florentine steak here. We had a late lunch and our group was split to two tables. For the Florentine steak, the price is based on the weight and really reasonable. There is a 1kg - 1.5kg minimum depending on the cut of meat. They show you the slab of meat after you order prior to cooking. The meat was so juicy and well seasoned! read more
We were lucky enough to score a reservation at this well regarded restaurant. It turns out that Alessandro Borghese (who we bumped into in Sicily a couple of years ago) had featured Mario on one of his TV shows. We were seated promptly at noon. Our waitress was very nice. It was a simple space with a nice vibe. The tables are small and the seating was backless stools. We split a very quaffable liter of house red for €11. There was Tuscan bread. Our wives started off with great bowls of ribollita. They split a filet as their entree, which was grudgingly cooked medium rare. My buddy and I split an order of steak Florentine. It was well charred and seasoned. This was the most rare steak that we have had to date. My buddy loved it. I wouldn't have complained if it was on the grill for another minute. The beans were excellent and the fried potatoes were very good. We probably should have ordered the potatoes with rosemary. Lunch was €63.50 per couple, including water and wine- a great deal. We were in and out in an hour. Fun experience, reasonably priced with really good food. read more
If a place can have a menu that looks like this and is only open for a few hours a day, it has to be amazing! And believe me, it is! The steak cut like butter! But if you're a picky steak eater, don't bother. You get it the way they make it (medium rare) and it's delicious. Anything else will be unacceptable! The servers will be sure to tell you as much too. We went with the filetto and that was a good size. The others one are much more massive. The pasta dishes are also really good. If you're going that route, you might want to do another course or a side because they're pretty true to courses size. And the pasta is always al dente so you know what to expect. They have one small room that leads to another once the first is full. It's very casual, very local, nice and simple. The food speaks for itself! read more
Trattoria Mario is S U P E R bro-licious! If you're in the area, do a power jump into this tiny hole in the wall for one of the most authentic meals in Florence. Don't worry, Browser won't be waiting for you inside. Instead, you'll be put into a flavor world full of stages to explore. The first block, you may want to hit. The beans. They are the best beans n' olive oil in the land. Trust me, Princess Peach is having these beans delivered to her castle daily! The second green pipe you should travel through is a pasta dish. Don't worry about which one, there are no split bananas that will spin you out. We went for the Super Ragu. It made my taste buds go "let's-a go!" Unfortunately, the Koopas found us after this round (meaning we became full and couldn't try more of the menu - "wawhaa") Finally, the service was as fast pace and electric like the Rainbow Track! It had such energy, as well as, a neat sense of community. You'll feel like you are eating with a bunch of friends in Mushroom Kingdom. BONUS: What's the potential Superstar of this party? We didn't try it, but I'd say just from visuals... the Florentine Steak! "MAMMA MIA!" as Mario would say. So jump up and hit the block, you'll get a tasty Italian powerup worth every coin! read more
This spot is for sure a locals spot. Make a reservation via phone, it's open for lunch everyday but closed on sundays and has dinner Thursday and Friday. This restaurant appears to be a local institution, it's been around since 1953. We were the only non-Italians in the restaurant. Almost every table ordered the florentine steak and the prices weren't horrendous for it. I prefer my steaks closer to medium and medium rare instead of closer to the pasture. Wifey wasn't feeling pasta and got the bollito since it was delicious at da nerbone in central market. It was fine, the salsa verde wasn't very flavorful so the dish falls a little short. The beef stew is cooked in Chianti and was fall apart tender. The only issue I had was the wine wasn't cooked down enough. The potato side we ordered was great. The potato tasted almost like a hybrid of a yuca and potato fry. My rating is a 3.5 based on what we ordered but I think if we ordered the duck ragu and a Florentine steak, it would improve the rating. read more
3 years ago
Make a reservation! This place is super packed. The food was wonderful. I can't really tell you why Florentine steaks are so good. But they're so good. Food comes out in a timely manner too. The environment reminds me of New York. And it was super casual. Get your receipt and pay in the front. read more
Our absolute favorite. Most recent trip, we came twice (first times with two kids) and they were so wonderful -- they had a high chair set up for our one year old, and both of our kids loved their pomodoro pasta. For us, it's still the ragu that will keep bringing us back forever (this is a dish so great that it's still almost surprising how incredible it is no matter how many times we get it), but their steak is also among our very favorites. We also got to try some new (to us) stuff this trip, including their beef stew, which was absolutely phenomenal. read more
4 years ago
3 years ago
Great local food at amazing prices. However, you MUST make a reservation! Don't wing it! We had the house (fiasco) wine. Orders the bean soup which is really more of a paste but tastes well, good for cold weather. Then the pasta pomodora was good but better at Osteria Santo Spirito across the river. But the big big taste was the special of the day; the beef stew! So tasty. So mouthwatering good!!! If you feel like the soup nazi on Seinfeld has approved you, then you get a bit of that here. Worth it!!!! read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
Had a wonderful experience at Trattoria Mario with my family. We ordered everything on the appetizer menu and two large steaks. First things to know about Italians they do not eat meat well done, at best it's medium to rare so don't bother asking for anything else. The charcuterie plate had the Salami, Cheese, Prosciutto, Liver Pate on bread. The ravioli and pasta bolognese was delicious. But the steaks where absolutely stunning. We had so much food that I would highly recommend you share plates. And the staff was the best you could ask for. Enjoy this family restaurant please. read more
2 years ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
2 years ago
Before arriving in Florence, google told us Florence is known for their T-Bone steaks. After talking to some locals, we knew we had to come to a more traditional Florentine restaurant. With the help of Yelp, we found Trattoria Da Mario, a very very local restaurant that is really high rated, and best part? Very close to our B&B. We ordered the Beef Tripe in tomato sauce, a huge steak for 21 Euros (I forgot the size, but it seems to be smaller than their typical steak) and half a liter of house red wine. First of all, without going directly to the star of the show, the T-Bone steak, the house red wine, was SO CHEAP! 1/2 Liter for only 4 Euros. Easily shareable by 2 people, cheaper than water....so definitely opt for the Wine, you may need to ask the waitress for some help though as all of their menu isn't in English. The tripe in tomato sauce was really tender and flavorful, and the tartness/acidity of the sauce really balanced out the tripe itself. After a couple of bites if the flavor gets tiring, simple go in with the bread (complimentary!) and make it a nice tripe spread. Lastly, the steak. The legendary Florentine T-Bone steak. When you ask for it, their default option was a huge steak for 45 or 40 Euros, which is a little expensive for us, but after opting for the cheaper option of smaller portion we were surprised when the steak still showed up raw initially to be sized and examined to be huge! After they grilled the steak, the fat was beautifully rendered, and I loved how the sizes were a little crispy. The only only downside is that due to the size of the steak, the fat on the inside close to the bone was still a little too chewy, but I'm guessing most people don't eat that part anyways. Note: Internet recommended to let the chef decide how raw you want it, but when they brought it out while it was perfectly cooked for me, it might be a little raw for the average person. read more
Our Airbnb host recommend Mario and said that many of her guests really thank her for this one. The restaurant was closed on May 1, as it is a major holiday in Italy, so we got there a little past opening on May 2nd. There were already tons of people seated, but we got in no prob. We ordered the Florentine steak, which is only served medium rare - not a problem for us. They show you the raw steak before they grill it, I guess to show you that it's 1.5 kg until it shrinks down with cooking. Parts of it were tough, some parts were straight up fat (I'm not one to complain about that though), other bites didn't have much flavor. Sure, the price is a steal when compared to what other Florentine steaks may cost, but I'd rather pay more for quality. The salad was literally just lettuce with some wedge tomatoes. I'm not sure there was even any dressing on it. The search continues for a satisfying Florentine steak! read more
7 years ago
I went to Trattoria da Mario for my first meal in Florence. After spending an entire month in this beautiful city, I can honestly say Trattoria da Mario was my favorite lunch spot. This small eatery had a line out the door due to its popularity and short window of hours. The menu is handwritten daily on a piece of paper, ensuring only the freshest ingredients. If the ingredients aren't fresh, they aren't serving them that day. From the rest of my trip, no place compared with price or value. The prices were extremely affordable, especially compared to the rest of the city's lunch spots! It was mainly locals inside, with a little bit of tourists. I normally am not too big of a fan of ravioli. I like it, but I get sick of it easily. I decided to take a chance and order the ravioli and oh my goodness. It was the best ravioli I have ever had! No exaggeration. It was so fresh and felt so light. It truly redefines clean eating. It was different than anything I've ever had in the States. My only complaint about this place is that it's so small that you will most likely share a table with strangers, which was more than fine in the end. It's a small price to pay for a slice of Heaven! The owner and waitstaff were so kind and tried their best to give us the best experience possible. I'll remember this place forever! read more
3 years ago
Words cannot describe how good this place is five stars hands down here if you want to get out of the heat, best place ever great red wine lots of water very very kind people and amazing atmosphere read more
Popular destination amount food lovers who wants to get a taste for good Tuscan food. Food was food. Had higher expectations. For those that do not like their steak rare, do not order Florentine steak. It's cooked to rare - medium rare, depending on your definition of medium rare. It's the way they do things here so don't ask to have it cooked well done. Crust is flavorful and salty, which goes well with the red center. But is it anything great? No. Tripe was good with its flavorful tomato sauce but feels like there are better elsewhere in Italy. Pasta of the day was a colorful noodle with a bit of ragu. Delicious but not mind blowing. Overall, a worthy visit. read more
Tight seating area but cozy. Fast and friendly service, in English too. Their specialty is what people come for and this specialty flies off the shelves. Bistecca alla Fiorentina (T-bone steak Florentine style). Which is a well seasoned T-bone steak that is cook on open fire grill, chard on the outside and super rare on the inside. They'll cut it in to sections before serving. You'll need to like your steak cooked that way because there is no telling them how you want your steak cooked. Florentine style is Florentine style and that is it. They ask how many people will eat the steak to determine the weight you'll need and then show you your steak raw before cooking it. For me I thought it was delicious!! I couldn't have enough of this well seasoned meat with the char and the raw of the steak balancing each other out. They also sell pasta dishes and French fries and other sides. They also have a great house chianti in stead of a bottle brand. Accepts credit card! read more
If youre looking for bistecca Alla Florentina or Florentine steak, look no further than Trattoria Mario. Located near the mercato centrale, this spot has perhaps some of the best steak I have ever had. It's 35 euro per kg (2.2 lbs), but you can get it in various sizes cuts. Very friendly vibe, to the point where you'll share tables with randoms. Mostly tourists when I went, but it was a weekday and it still lived up to the hype. They only do a rare/rare-plus here, though I saw someone successfully ask for medium to the laughter of the cook (just do the rare, it's worth it). Steak was a super tasty, thick cut that was so so good. Reminded me of chi spacca in LA but at a fraction of the price. Credit cards allowed. read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
7 years ago
A good restaurant with a good price. The steak is very nice. The beef tripe stew is good but not a fan of any kind of livers. It has very strong tomato favour which is good. The Parmigiano cheese on the top makes the whole dish a lot better. I was going to give a five star due to a good price and good taste. After tasting the €7 sandwich in Siena, I willl give a 4 star. read more
3 years ago
I had been in Italy for roughly 7 days until I finally found the "home" Italian cooking that I was looking for. The service was amongst the best as we were served within the first 20 minutes of sitting down. The crowd is a mix of locals and tourist and it's hard to get a reservation, but if you're able to manage it - it's to melt for!!! read more
4 years ago
This is THE place to go for lunch in Florence. It's only open for a few hours each day and once they run out of something they just cross it off the menu. It's small and there will be a line so get there early but it's so worth it. The meat sauce is where it's at! I regularly think about how amazing these meals were. Can't wait to go back! read more
For me it was overall a 3 star place. But it's not because the food was bad. I just think what we ordered was not my cup of tea... So I can't give this place more than 3 stars... This place is super popular and super busy all the time. My friends and I went in around 3pm and it was still crowded with people and people kept coming in and out. The place is on the tiny side and seats are close together so it can get tight. We ordered the Florentine Steak which is seriously HUGE! It's literally a huge piece of rare steak. They season it w salt and pepper and give you lemon on the side. I'm personally not a fan of rare steak but still ate some. It was good just not my cup of tea... I can see how rare steak lovers would love this. My friends and I also ordered the Pasta w Meat Sauce which was just ok for me. Personally I'm not a big fan of meat sauce pasta so it didn't do anything for me. But other friends loved it and kept talking about it on our trip so it must be good. If I'm ever in Florence again I would go back and try some of their other dishes. Overall an ok place in my book! read more
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More info about Trattoria Mario
Via Rosina 2R
50123 Florence
Italy
Santa Maria Novella
Directions
055 218550
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http://trattoria-mario.com/Site-2013/index.php
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Trattoria Mario - tuscan - Updated July 2026
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