My husband and I visited Italy this summer and I have to say that out of all our dining experiences in Rome and Florence, Vini e Vecchi Sapori has been the best Italian food we've ever had! This restaurant is very small and you won't get a table without a reservation because there are only a few tables, totally worth it. On our first night in Florence we went here for dinner and instantly decided that we would return every night for dinner during our stay. The restaurant is family owned and from the minute we walked in we were warmly greeted and served their delicious house wine. The food is all homemade, all simple and delicious Italian dishes. You have to try the duck ragu pappardelle, I still think about it and have to admit that Italian food will never be the same after this dish. Vini e Vecchi Sapori is not only a place to eat delicious Tuscan food while in Florence, but such a fun place to be! Tomaso and friends really made our time there so much fun. Every night we arrived, they remembered our names and promptly guided us to our table, they were awesome! My husband and I agree that we must return to Florence and booking our reservation at Vini e Vecchi Sapori is top on our list. If you plan to visit Florence Italy, you have to check this place out, you will not be disappointed. read more

Today we were lucky, walking past at 1pm we were able to snag a table for 2 & find out for ourselves what all the fuss is about. In a word IMHO the ratings are correct, This is truely a family run gem, serving a daily menu that is varied & authentic. Yes the Duck Paperdelle is all it is raved to be. We had 2 pasta, 2 main course , Roast Veal with Potatoes & Stuffed egg plant & everything was excellent, we also had 0.5L Wine , a large bottle of water & coffee for Euro 50. A real bargin in expensive downtown Florence. The Service was both friendly & professional, as reported elsewhere, the Son deals with the front of the house, Papa helps out everywhere & mama is somewhere in the back cooking, The whole restaurant is 5 tables with room at a push for 20 people, so unless you are lucky like us, reservations are a must. TIP, if you come after 2pm for lunch it seems somewhat easier to find a table. read more

This was the culinary highlight of our trip to Florence and one of the best bites of food we had in all of our travels in Italy. A true family run restaurant. They are incredibly proud of the food they serve and well they should be. Everything we had was phenomenal from the simple raw artichoke salad to the stuffed artichokes which were sublime. The duck Ragu pasta that everyone is talking about is simply amazing. We had a special risotto with zucchini flowers and saffron that was mind blowing. We were there for a holiday and the service was slow but the owner apologized and took care of us himself. When we told him it was our anniversary he was incredibly kind pouring us limoncello. Do not miss the chance to eat in this incredible restaurant. read more

No reservation? No seating! You can't even put your name down for a waiting list. My boyfriend kindly asked if we can come back in another hour or two to see in case of any cancellation.. The worst restaurant service ever in Italy.. read more

During my 4 months in Florence, I ate at Vini e Vecchi Sapori once every two weeks. Hands down this is my favorite restaurant in Florence. I will admit right away that it is really hard to get a reservation. People book this restaurant up roughly a week in advance. After a while they would know who was calling to ask for a reservation which I think helped me get so many reservations :) If you don't speak italian I would recommend having your hotel call for you and make a reservation. The food- Save room for dessert. The raspberry tiramisu...I've never had anything better. The last time I was in florence was 2014 but I still dream about it to this day. They do switch around the menu a lot but If they have the saffron papperdelle on the menu I highly recommend. Pricing is pretty standard for Florence, not cheap but not expensive. read more

I have so many good things to say about this place, you'd be here all night reading my review if I actually wrote them out. Just go and see for yourself! Fantastic food, service and ambiance. We had the crostini toscana, prosciutto with mozzarella, pappardelle with rabbit sauce, and stuffed cabbage. It was so good we're going back again before we leave Florence. It's a casual atmosphere but still fun for a date night in my opinion. Fairly priced especially for the high quality of the food. Definitely call ahead for a reservation, they only have seats for about 16. read more

The. Food. Is. FABULOUS. Seriously. Fabulous. We arrived early for our 7:30 reservation. Only 4 or 5 other people in the restaurant. Seated at a table for 4, my husband and I started to think that maybe the place wasn't as good as hyped up... I mean, putting 2 people at a 4 top? Yeah, except that it is as good as the hype. And they pack folks in. Within 20 minutes, someone else was seated with us and every other place was packed as well, with people standing outside. Another good sign was that nearly all the other diners were speaking Italian and seemed to have previous relationships with the staff. So, here is where this review gets less helpful... I can't remember the specifics of what we ate, other than an incredible pasta starter stuffed with mushrooms? Yumminess? Heaven? I don't remember. There were veggies too, and then Osso Bucco- the best we have ever had. And some sort of meringue-based dessert- beautiful and snowy white. Some grappa for one of us. Then we walked home to bed, still talking about the food. read more

Hands down the best food and the best overall dining experience of our entire trip! So good we had to go back a second time (and would have gone a third, except they're closed on Sunday). You have to have a reservation to get in, because it's not very big. Every dish we had was spectacular, especially the osso buco. They have good house red wine, as well as a nice wine list. The staff is very friendly and took great care of us. I'm tempted to plan a trip back to Italy just so we can eat here again!!! read more

This tiny restaurant is a true gem. The chef owner and his family (wait staff) greet you as you are a member of their family. Trust their recommendations as everything we tried was delicious! read more

Zero star. Could not be any ruder! Thankfully my Italian wasn't good enough to understand all of the abuse. The accolades have gotten to their heads. There is too much good food in Italy to waste money and time going here. read more

Best duck pappardelle ever Must try the rasberry tiramisu --- OMG!!! Love the waiter and his family in the kitchen. read more

It is first restaurant I really want to do the review! Me and my boyfriend did not search for anything but we found this place because it look so nice and many people try to go inside. Lucky we got a table( I would recommend to do reservation), although it is quite small but we have really good time there. I am not really drink person but the food here and atmosphere make me drank wine a lot!!! We start with starter and then main menu. Both are really good. I am not really sure which one because it was already many months. Maybe starter with pasta? Then main menu as I remember I ordered meat gulash(kind of) and my boyfriend ordered steak. Anyway I remember only it was one of the best meal in my life. Personally I love Thai food (my country haha) but for this I could say if I go back to Florence I will go there again! :D The stuff are really nice and cozy atmosphere. Oh only one thing, we personally dont like dessert. They were not bad. Maybe I expect too much but we enjoy our meal :) I fall in love with this place :D Absolutely recommend!! read more

This was the best meal so far on day 6 of our Italian vacation. Don't go unless you have a reservation but we were able to get one the day before. Appetizers excellent. Main courses excellent. House wine excellent. Service was very good, friendly, regardless of whether you were a local or a tourist. read more

Lovely family style restaurant, great atmosphere and most of all delicious food.

It is a special place. What make a place special? I suppose it's a combination of great food, atmosphere, smell and little bit of magic. We ate at Osteria Vini e Vecchi Sapori twice at the middle of November which is a low season time. Our neighbors were either locals or "inner" tourists (Italians from other regions). The place is situated at 3 minute walk (literally) away from Uffizi gallery, so when there are half-a-million tourists in town in August what are the chances that they will not be there? Tourists presence as it is doesn't make the place for a tourist trap. The restaurant is very small so expect to be seated with a total strangers which is part of a charm. 10-12 tables covered with paper tablecloth and served by 2 guys (the guy with a glasses is the owner's son). There is a very serious lady commanding other cooks in a small kitchen just beyond the wall. The owner stands on a small cathedra and cut prosciutto, sausages and cheese which are served as antipasti. The house wine is poured from the big bottles just next to them. The whole place is covered with drawings, caricatures, handwritten comments and photos which bring this special family-table feeling when you sit there. You better be on a good terms with the owner which is actually very easy - come in, take it easy, ask for today's recommendation (guys speak English), enjoy the food, smile and then come again. You can check the menus from November 12 and 14, when we ate there. The lists of the first and main dishes are different, so ask what is good today. The food is down-to-earth hearty Tuscan cuisine, little bit on a heavy side warming you up from inside which is great in November. We loved the place. Highly recommended. Reservation is a must unless you know the owner for the last 30 years (like the guy with a gray hair). read more

See all

Worst experience in Florence. I called twice and both times the person who answered hung up on me when I asked to make a reservation. At first I thought we got disconnected but I happened to be down the street so I went to the door. He was already talking to the couple. I waited and asked him could I make a reservation and he told me to wait an hour and come back later. He was so unprofessional and when I told him about him hanging up on me on the phone he just cursed me out. I'm not sure why they have such good reviews I'm assuming they got some business now think it's okay to slack on their etiquette. Lots of different places just as good or better in Florence.!!! read more

We created this account for the sole purpose of reviewing this restaurant. We had the pleasure of dining here on a Saturday night as well as Monday night during our recent week in Florence. Before we left Saturday, we made another reservation for Monday night. On both nights, the food was absolutely delicious. The menu changes everyday but you cannot go wrong with anything they serve. We tried mozzarella e prosciutto, duck ragu, caprese salad, fettuccine pesto, a saffron pasta, fried chicken with zucchini flowers, beef tenderloin and veal osso bucco and everything was fantastic. The raspberry tiramisu is a treat as well. Only recommendation is that if they suggest something, you should get it! Also, this is definitely a place to "eat Italian style" and order a full meal of wine, antipasti, primi, secondi and not to just get a plate of pasta and skip out the door. The family that runs this place is incredibly kind and fun to watch. They seem to really enjoy what they do and that joy carries over into the dining experience. Although we were clearly tourists, we were treated like family on both nights including Saturday night which had a decidedly more local feel where everyone else in the restaurant seemed to know each other. Cannot recommend Vini e Vecchi highly enough. Reservations (day before worked for us) definitely required and worth it. "No pizza, no ice, no take away, no cappuccino!" read more

The food is OK but the service is horrible. We felt like we are doing them a favor to eat there!! Plenty of much better options.

Celibrated my birthday here last year and it was a joy. The people at the hotel recommended it to us because this is not a simple place to find by accident. We had 4 courses and they were all great. It tasted very authentic to me. The highlight was het chickenliver spread on toasted panne. If i ever come back to florence i will visit this place again. Not very modern looking but home-like and intimate lighting. read more

Loved it, small local place, we actually had to share a table but they accommodated us without reservations. Service was great. Fresh pasta, best arugula salad I've had, reasonable prices. read more

Having been in Italy for almost 2 weeks,Florence, Rome and now Sorrento, I am having lots of good italian meals, but only a few great ones. We went to this restaurant our first night and really enjoyed the food and dining experience. It is a small casual place . I now realize that the food is much better than most of the restaurants we visited. Definitely would go here again. read more

This place might just have the best food ever. If you are lucky enough to make a reservation and eat here you will likely agree. If you leave without having the tiramisu you should give up eating. read more

fabuloso - eating pasta - homemade - in Italy - does it get any better than this. charming waiter - setting in cellar styled room was incredible - wine is served like water and delicious but overall experience was amazing - when in Firenze I WILL be back read more

Vini e Vecchi Sapori - Tiny compact but soooo popular - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

The best!! Anything you get here is going to be amazing. Duck Ragu is fantastic! The serves is great and the environment makes you feel at home. read more

Don't know how the food is since the "little tiny man" inside wouldn't give me a reservation for 5, two days out, since we had our two year old with us. It's okay...we found a great spot instead. Little man... read more

Made a reservation, the restaurant sent a confirmation and I even confirmed with our Hotel Concierge. We walked 20 min to find out they are randomly closed. Super disappointed. They should have at least called... read more

We barely got a reservation for this place- the first time we spoke only in English and were told it was completely full. We then called back and used some Italian and we were able to get a reservation; whatever works, I guess! We ended up arriving at our reserved time and as a party of three, we were put at a table with two other guests (table of 5). Not the best experience, but our table guests were friendly so it worked out. Our meals did taste very good, so overall I would recommend this place minus the strange service experiences we had. read more

We passed by this little hole in the wall place around 7:30 and luckily that had a small little table available for us. Make sure to make a reservation before going here. We ate here 3 nights in a row (that should tell you how good the food is) in a city that has so many places with great food to offer. Be sure to try their Veal! I had 2 entrees of it myself and it was well worth the food coma I was in after. ended up meeting the mom that cooks in the kitchen and of course the dad that helps out the son with preparing the appetizers and stocking the wine. The family was very welcoming and we had an amazing experience. Definitely will be back. read more

Vini e Vecchi Sapori - In case you're wondering his shirt says "Legalize Marinara" - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

See all

This is a hidden gem off piazza de la signoria. It's always packed because anything you eat there is delicious, and that's delicious for Italian taste buds so you can imagine the explosion of pleasure our American taste buds felt while having dinner there. I go 2 Florence a lot and tho I had many local friends recommend me this place before I never had the time to pay them a visit until this year and boy was it worth it! Most definitely a MUST when visiting Florence! Will come again as soon as I'm in town again! read more

It was tough to get a table at this place without a reservation. We had to make a reservation the day before for lunch the next day and it worked out perfectly. The food was fresh and authentic - you can't ask for anything more. We both had a pasta and it was divine. Also in a great location! read more

The BEST!!!! Must eat in Florence! This was by far the best meal we had during our vacation. Reservations is an absolute must. They open at 7:30pm for dinner. Also open for lunch. The restaurant seats maybe 40 people max. It will be easier to get resy for lunch if they are booked for dinner. We had lunch and came back for dinner the same day. It's that good. Family owned and operated. The mom cooks in the kitchen, the dad bartends/makes appetizers, and the son works in the front of the house/server. Tomasso is awesome. He is the best server. So attentive and funny. He will also tell you what to order. Listen to him. We pretty much had everything from their menu. The veal chop was amazing. The pastas were amazing too. Also leave from for dessert. The merangato is so light and fluffy. The tiramisu was good too! read more

Vini e Vecchi Sapori - Tuscan Near Me - Florence, FI

See all

I feel that I shouldn't review this place because it's already booked like crazy. Reserve well in advance, I mean like a week or so. We couldn't get dinner reservations for 2 days in a row. Also make lunch reservations, it's a small place. I loved the pasta with duck, still salivating about it. The anchovies with butter were excellent too. The lamb chops were ok but I would rather order more pasta dishes. read more

The best lamb I have ever had!! Great service, family feel and amazing food! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who is visiting Florence. read more

Great place to eat in Florence. This place is close to everything but just right around the corner tucked behind a flower store. The benefit of course is the proximity to wherever you've spent the last few hours but also you don't have to pay a 50% premium to eat with a view of a crowd. This hole in the wall is where you want to eat: friendly family run, great local food, cheap wine, quick service (we asked for quick service because we had to get going).... Overall highly recommended. read more

I cannot say enough about this place. I had been somewhat unimpressed with the food in Florence unto I went here. I saw the reviews for here and I decided I would try it out. When I got there it had an hour wait so I went to the Piazza and waited when I got there there was still not a table ready so they pulled the table out from the office so I could eat. First off, the service was absolutely amazing! I was made to feel special and important. Then the food was outstanding! I had the mixed salami plate and the duck ragu. Rey were phenomenal! I wish I had only eaten here for my time in Florence. I will be back! read more

Love love love this place. The service was good and the food was to die for. We had the fried zucchini blossoms. Yum!! I'm not a dessert person but I can eat the Tiramisu any time a day. Bring it! A must go to place in Florence. Make sure to make a reservation in advance though and let your taste buds dance. read more

Small little space with the best dinner we had in Florence! We wish we knew about it sooner and not on our last night. We shared a bruschetta, the pappardelle with duck and the filet (med rare) with peppercorn sauce (melted in your mouth!!!) you won't regret it and the staff was super nice! read more

Visited my sister in italy and this was one of my favorite restaurants! Great service and great food. I highly recommend!!!

This restaurant was so amazing, we booked a reservation for the very next night when we were done with our first dinner there. It is a family-run operation and everyone is very hospitable. It's the kind of place where you can tell everyone working there loves to be there, making people happy with their food. Their menu is hand-written and changes often, but all of the pasta dishes were fabulous, especially the pappardelle with duck ragu. The osso bucco was our favorite entree, and the raspberry tiramisu is so creamy and delicious... Be sure to make reservations the night before if you want to get a table! They also had a great house red wine! read more

Reservations necessary but we called 20 mins before we wanted to eat and got in. The food is simple and extremely well made - this is not tourist fare! We had the pate, the salami, the pappardelle with duck, the ravioli, and our secondi was osso bucco and lamb. All of it incredible. Highly recommend. Very centrally located. read more