Florence & Tuscany

Best and worst restaurants:

Worst: Ichi c'e c'e in Florence
Why: Lousy service and mediocre food and fake atmosphere. The waiter forgot one of our orders, and orders arrived haphazardly. The food was the only disappointing meal we had on our whole three-week trip. The stracotta, traditional florentine beef dish, was clearly microwaved as the heat was very uneven. The proprieter allowed in a flower seller and complained to the peddler that the roses were old. We left disgusted.

bill catlin in st. paul, MN USA 07/12/2008

Best: Ai Quattro Venti - Montepulicano
Why: Enjoyed the food, and service. The bread salad was just amazing. Great wine too! We had the sausage and beans....just delicious.

Shari in Sherman Oaks, Ca USA 07/07/2008

Best: Everything recommended in Florence that we went to was wonderful.
Why: They were as described in the book.

Barbara Prickett in Tucson, Az USA 06/16/2008

Best: Sbragia Pizzeria and Pizzeria Rusticanella, Lucca
Why: Sbragia, via Fillungo, great pizza. Pizzeria Rusticanella, via S. Paolino, has reasonably priced and good menu di giorno.

Ann Prentice in Plymouth, MA USA 06/05/2008

Best: Osteria Pepò in Florence
Why: Regional tuscan food, off the beaten path.

Worst: Anything that is around Plazza Della Signoria
Why: Pasta was under cooked, waiter rubbed himself against my friends back-several times. Very strict about timing of service, close at 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. no exceptions!!!

Ana Miner in Novato, CZ USA 06/04/2008

Best: Trebbio LeMossace Nona Gina
Why: Three fabulous meals. We ate at another Rick rec in Orvieto (it wasn't in our book but we saw the decal in the window and figured that Rick hadn't steered us wrong yet so we went in and had a fabulous meal.

Maggie Flynn in Florissant, MO USA 05/29/2008

Best: La Taverna di Cecco - Siena
Why: Out favorite meal in Italy. This small restaurant had a lovely, cozy atmosphere, filled with locals, and wonderful food. The owner seemed to appreciate that we, as Americans, ordered, or at least tried to order, in Italian, and he approached after we settled the check and offered us a grapa. Definitely recommend! Also, Gatavecchia winery in Montepulciano - the best vino nobile and very friendly owner who in the middle of their busy, afternoon cleaning showed us around and gave us a tasting of their wine and homemade olive oil on their patio with a beautiful view.

Melanie in Houston, TX USA 05/13/2008

Best: Il Centro Supermercati
Why: I couldnt remember how to say "ham & cheese sandwich" in Italian, I was in a panic and froze, then I was rescued by a handsome young Casanova in the deli who happily translated for me.

Julia in San Francisco, CA USA 04/28/2008

Best: Florence Central Market
Why: My favorite. I found panforte there the cheapest and stocked up. Too bad I ate it all on the way home. Second is to buy at the little grocery store.

Worst: Square of San Marco
Why: Overpriced at best any thing there.

Linda in McAllen, TX USA 04/18/2008

Best: Ristorante Guidiriccio in Siena
Why: Just steps from Il campo in Siena, this was a great experience. The owner was very welcoming and made recommendations for the meal and the city. Fantastic!

Lisa Drage in Rochester, MN USA 04/09/2008

Best: "ad-lib lunch in Mercato Centrale"
Why: Not a restaurant at all, but one of my favorite ways to make lunch. The market is amazing. You can practice your Italian with the gentlemen selling cheese and purchase delicious food at a reasonable price.

Worst: Trattoria la Burrasca
Why: As far as price goes, this place was a good value. However, the guidebook notes that very little English is spoken. I feel as if this is no longer the case. My friends and I went to this trattoria and wanted to practice our Italian, but were spoken to only in English.

Erin in Tampa, FL USA 03/01/2008

Best: Trattoria Nella (Florence)
Why: Great food at honest prices. But in Tuscany, there were many great eateries I feel I should mention. Florence: I Fratellini and Cantinetta dei Verrazzano both are great lunch stops. Siena: Antica Osteria Da Divo is the best "splurge" meal in the book I found, and Osteria la Chiacchera is a great budget meal. Volterra: Ristorante Enoteca del Duca was, as the book said, a good place for truffles (and wild boar).

Worst: Bar il Palio (Siena)
Why: Great views, worth a long sit with a drink in hand, but the food is not worth it. Eat elsewhere, then return for a drink.

Brian Gulledge in Woodbridge, VA USA 02/11/2008

Best: Osteria Baralla Lucca
Why: Best evening meal in Lucca! Friendly owner.

Ian Turner in Oakes Denver, CO USA 01/16/2008

Best: Trattoria Nella
Why: We ate there twice on our trip to Florence. We rang in the New Year at Trattoria Nella. They served a set menu for 80 Euro/person. We started with an appertif, then crostini, crepes, pasta, lentils, steak with black truffle cream sauce, dessert, wine & champagne. It was all delicious and we had a great time.

We also ate there again before we left Florence. We had a simple dinner of soup & pasta. Everything was wonderful. Since we were there in the wintertime we didn't need a reservation for dinner, but we did need a reservation for the NY's Eve dinner.

Susan in Port Orchard, WA USA 01/13/2008

Best: Golden View Open Bar
Why: We visited on our first night arrived in Florence. Even though we didn't make a reservations, they are friendly and the wait was just 15 mins. They gave us welcome drinks as we were waiting and sat us in the jazz area. The view of the old bridge was amazing and luckily we have live jazz that night! The food was great!!! We had the florentine steak, pizza and pasta. They sell the florentine steak Euro 5.5 per 100g, minimum 600g. Recommend to have reservations online. Their website is http://www.goldenviewopenbar.com/

Amy in Oakland, CA USA 01/02/2008

Best: Trattoria Mario's, I Fratellini, and Ristorante Bibo
Why: Mario's has great food at reasonable prices. Had a great conversation with locals. I Fratellini is very good, cheap, and the brothers are great. The food is good at Ristorante Bibo and we got a 20% discount with the RS book.

Worst: Trattoria Za-Za
Why: Food ok, but overpriced and small portions. Worst service we had in two weeks in Italy.

Michael Sherwood in Prescott Valley, AZ USA 10/29/2007

Best: Ristorante la Lampara, Riomaggiore and Osteria la Congrega in Florence
Why: Food was excellent and the service was friendly. Even got to give the waiter a hug in Riomaggiore. Mahyar at Osteria says hi to you Rick. He was fabulous and we even got a picture with him. He shared 4 year old balsalmic vinegar for my strawberries. It was fabulous.

Linda Cherek in White Bear Lake, MN USA 10/19/2007

Best: Trattoria Icce C'e C'e
Why: Just as I imagined...small, perfect atmosphere. GREAT food. This is the kind of place I would love to be a regular. Loved watching Gino at work - wished we could have made it back here for a second meal, but we will search it out next time we are in Florence! There were several restaurants listed in the book that were closed for August but not mentioned as such in the book - not complaining about this as I'm sure some are last minute "hey lets take a holiday" and they shut down. Just a reminder that you might want to inquire ahead of time OR make sure you have a back up if your choice is closed. We did a lot of walking to find places only to find them closed - but entitling ourselves to an extra gelato later to make up for all that walking! (It's all about perspective.)

Worst: Gusto Leo
Why: This is the kind of "tourist" place Rick warned us about - we were so exhausted we just "gave it a try" and regretted it. This is akin to sending someone to Denny's for a "traditional American" meal - worse even! No bread, pasta worse than I could cook for myself - cheap, bland... even the house wine was among the worst I've had anywhere. Do yourself a favor - if you're worn out and not up to finding something in the book, get a slice of pizza somewhere to either tide you over or combine it with a big ole' cup or cone of gelato and call it a day! The way I looked at it is that we had a certain number of meals to enjoy in Italy, and we just flushed one down the toilet - thankfully it was just about the only one we didn't enjoy so there's some comfort in that. :)

Tiphanie in Benoit, MI USA 09/08/2007

Best: Trattoria Nella
Why: The service was friendly, the food and wine were both very good, and the prices reasonable. My girls (jaded teenagers) both wanted to return for another meal. I think they fell in love with Lorenzo.

Doyle Johnson in Medfield, MA USA 08/27/2007

Best: Trattoria Nella
Why: Great, fresh food, nice people. We were one of a few repeat dinner customers.

Kate in Redondo Beach, CA USA 08/11/2007

Best: i fratellini, florence
Why: what a great sandwich shop. freah, tasty, great wine. we went to see these brothers 3 times in 3 days. fantastic!

Paige Woodman in los altos, CA USA 08/11/2007

Best: Trattoria Icche C'e C'e and Osteria del Porcellino
Why: C'e C'e served a delicious and very reasonably priced 11 euro 3-course meal (it was one of the few places in the guidbook where the prices had not gone up since printing). The scene was complete with accordian players and a free tasting of lemoncello when we had to wait a little while for our bill. Osteria del Porcellino had great pasta, especially the ravioli.

Devin in Olympia, WA USA 08/06/2007

Worst: Golden View Open Bar
Why: We asked to be seated in the (cheaper) pizzaria but I think we were duped. We were charged 3 euro each for a cover charge plus 10% service charge. It cost 27 euro for one pizza, one plate of pasta, and one bottle of water. We were not given any bread and our waiter made sure we got out of there as soon as we finished eating. The food was OK but certainly not worth $37. It was our first night in Italy--we learned from that mistake!

Kathy Arcangeli in Oak Ridge, TN USA 08/05/2007

Best: Trattoria Sostanza
Why: This was some of the best food we had in Italy. The minestrone Toscana and the beef and faglioli were excellent. We had the table nearest the kitchen and could watch the cooks cutting thick steaks from a side of beef and grilling them on the kitchen flame grill.

Kathryn Grogman in West Hills, CA USA 07/16/2007

Best: Balducci
Why: Next to Santa Croce - the best pizza in 30 countries and Le Geloterria by Ponte Vecchio - the best gelatto in Italy

Marc in Jersey City, NJ USA 07/14/2007

Best: Trattoria Angiolino and Trattoria Sabatino
Why: T.A. fine food and terrific wait staff. Easy to walk to. Sabatino is worth the walk. A wonderful out of the tourist area trattoria. You will probably be the only English speaking person in the trattoria. Fine food, most expensive item was 6 Euros. Great fun to use phrase book to figure out the menu and talk to the waiter. A great neighborhood eatery filled with locals.

Craig in Salt Lake City, Ut USA 07/11/2007

Best: Ristorante Bibo in Florence
Why: Fabulous food (best in Italy), incredible service and attention and a great discount with Rick's book!!

csw TX USA 06/28/2007

Best: Trattoria Za-Za
Why: This popular restaurant has a covered outdoor patio in its piazza just off the Central Mercado. We came for lunch on a warm, but cloudy day in late May and were easily seated without reservations.

The menu is varied, imaginative and affordable (I actually bought their cookbook). We had antipasti, primi and wine for less than E45 and hung out to people watch in the piazza and enjoy a a group of musicians who played for tips.

The clouds then opened on Florence and the waiters closed the plastic walls on the patio tent and we found ourselves with a happy place to wait out the storm! More wine, please!

Doug M in Portland, OR USA 06/10/2007

Best: Osteria Baralla
Why: A great meal using fresh, local ingredients. If you like game meats and are a bit adventurous, this is the place to go!

Christine G. in Chicago, IL USA 05/31/2007

Best: Trattoria Al Trebbio
Why: Some of the best food I had in all of Italy came from this tiny little ally standout. From the house wine to the main course, everything was great. Had the pasta with rabbit sauce for my primi and Lamb for main. Great place with friendly servers. Lots of locals seemed to eat here.

Rob in Tampa, FL USA 05/23/2007

Best: Trattoria da Sergo
Why: The food was good and unlike other restaurants there, the waitresses were helpful and good to talk to.

Worst: Trattoria Sabatino
Why: Simple menu was right, spagetti and ravioli were about the only pastas and they weren't very helpful or attentive. In addition to the above pastas, I had some overcooked zuchinni and my wife some green 'salad' with only lettuce.

Craig Caldwell in Kaysville, UT USA 05/09/2007

Best: Trattoria Icche Ce Ce
Why: Wonderful service and tasty food. This place is a gem!

Worst: Pizzeria Spadforte
Why: If this is the best pizza available on the Campo then it is pretty sad. The service was actually pretty good plus the loaction is nice. But the pizza was probablly the worst I've ever had in Italy. Not actually bad, just very uninspiring. At this quality level I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

Mike Harry in San Jose, CA USA 04/28/2007

Best: Osteria Vini e Vecchi Sapori and Icche C'e C'e, Florence
Why: Amazing food, lovely atmosphere, family friendly, and wonderful hosts. The prices were very reasonable and we were made to feel at home. Both places were just what we needed at the end of a long day with three children!

Worst: Nello La Taverna, Siena
Why: As advertised, the place is artsy and has interesting food, but Mauro is the rudest person we have ever met. We live in Europe, speak several languages, and have been to many places, but never have we been treated this way. There was a mix-up in our order and Mauro brought us an extra/unordered plate of pasta. We explained we had ordered just one plate each and he became very upset, first argueing that we were wrong, then taking the plate away in a huff. He quickly came back to the table and yelled at us (so everyone in the full restaurant could hear) that he would no longer speak English to us, only Italian, so that no one would be confused! We would have left except that we had already started eating, so we finished, then waited in a now empty restaurant for him to bring us the check (about a half hour after asking). He even sat with a friend at a nearby table so we could watch him NOT bringing us the check! The real kicker was that he not only charged us for the extra, unordered meal, he also added a bit to each price and listed them all so we could see it (adding about 30 euros more than we should have paid). We never once raised our voices or behaved in a way to make him act this way, and our children were quiet the whole time. We paid the check only to get out of the situation and leave that horrible place without a fight.

Eva in Brussels, Belgium 04/21/2007

Best: Trattoria Mario's in Florence
Why: Friendliness, good value, tasty food!

Rachele Hemphill in Napa, Ca USA 04/12/2007

Best: Trattoria Nella,Golden View Open bar,
Why: loved the hole in the wall feel of Nella-excellent food (spaghetti diavla, panna cotta)left our camera there and it was saved- one brother is all business and the other is gregarious and playful-kind folks! Golden view was just so beutiful with so many nice touches (wine tasters, lemoncello (sp)amazing pizza! Also loved All'Antico Vinaio street wine bar! Owner was incredibly hospitable.

Catherine Harper in Littleton, CO USA 04/01/2007

Best: Osteria la Congrega
Why: Food was wonderful (highly recommend the combination bruschetta appetizer)and beautifully presented. Mahyar was and excellent host - we spent several fun hours there - it was the best we found in Florence.

Janet Caille in Roswell, Ga USA 04/01/2007

Best: I'ce C'e C'e
Why: Everything tastes wonderful and the owner and his wife are so very friendly and helpful. Very pleasant meal. What a lovely find!

Deb in Livingston, NJ USA 03/28/2007

Best: Ombra Della Sera in Volterra
Why: Excellent mushroom pizza and the Cinghiale (Wild Boar) was very good.

Jeff Lucas in Goose Creek, SC USA 03/27/2007

Best: La Congrega Osteria
Why: Friendly service, Excellent food, best steak I've ever had, wonderful wine and olive oil - from the family vineyard, we bought a bottle of each to bring home. We enjoyed talking and visiting with the owner, ate there twice, and on our second dining experience the owner sent a dessert medley to the table with 4 fantastic desserts on the house while we sipped cappuccino and grappa!

Jimmy in Fairhope, AL USA 03/08/2007

Best: Trattoria Nella
Why: Great place - ate there twice. Reasonably priced and great food. House wine is good too!

Kathy Mooney in Ashland, OR USA 02/07/2007

Best: Ristorante Bibo, near Ponte Vecchio, Piazza Santa Felicita 6, Florence
Why: Fabulous food and service, good house wine, the most amazing lemon pasta we'd ever tasted...and the waiter was happy to explain to us exactly how the dish was prepared. The waiter would say, "No, no...you will like this much better...or you will love this..." He really cared about taking care of his diners. It was such a fun experience. The portions were generous and the prices extremely reasonable. The restaurant was full of locals greeted warmly by the staff. (In fact, once a couple came in to show off their new baby and the entire crew dropped everything to surround them and coo over the baby.) It kind of felt like we were part of a big, Italian family. All together, it was a great value, and a lovely, cozy evening, one of our nicest and most romantic in Italy.

Worst: Osteria la Congrega, Florence
Why: Maybe because of all the good reviews, we went in with too high of expectations. But this was the one and only time on our trip to Italy where we felt totally ripped off. Our party consisted of myself, my husband and 2 teenage daughters. Here is the ENTIRE list of our food: 1 bottle of house wine, 2 bottles of water, 1 small soup, 3 small pasta dishes and 2 shared pudding desserts. The portions were the smallest we'd seen in Italy (could have easily fit on a dessert plate) and the food was just OK...nothing especially flavorful or memorable. The bread had a smoky, almost burned taste that my bread-loving daughters wouldn't eat. We were pretty much ignored by the staff throughout the meal and had great difficulty in getting their attention. The restaurant itself was cozy and romantic (although it had black mold growing in a large area near the ceiling). The bill for the evening? Over 111 EUR-(about $148!!!) We even requested the menu to make sure there was no mistake (we discovered in small print that there was a 20% charge...even on top of the $2.00 per person cover charge...because there was some guy playing a guitar and singing for a short while during our meal.) Another American couple beside us (and I mean, really right beside us...the tables were crammed together so tightly that it was difficult to get up without bothering eveyone around you) was also in shock over their 75 EUR (almost $100 bill) as they had received very little to eat, too. (This restaurant seemed far more impressed with itself than we were with it. A TOTAL waste of money.

Terry Miller in Bend, OR USA 01/06/2007

Best: Osteria la Congrega, Florence
Why: Great food (risotto with peas and prociutto) and friendly, efficient service. Great atmosphere.

Worst: Osteria Santo Spirito, Florence
Why: Good food, slow, appalling service. They stuck us in a corner, and then complained that we were in the way of the servers! Bad attitude!

Susan Hall in West Vancouver, BC Canada 12/23/2006

Best: Osteria al Giardino
Why: Your book said the food was near gourmet and I would say that it was the best on the trip and could compete with any fine restaurant anywhere. The bread was outstanding, service great, and everything was prepared with attention to details as a fine chef would. The chef was a fine chef!

s j erickson in Woodbury, MN USA 12/19/2006

Best: Ristorante Bibo
Why: off the beaten track

Sue Hall in Wilson, WY USA 11/29/2006

Best: Trattoria da Leo, Lucca - 10/18/2006
Why: We made reservations about 5:30 pm and arrived a little before 7:30 pm - everyone was waiting - on a wednesday rainy night - they had a name tags on the reserved tables - best in the house - food was wonderful, exceptional menu featuring harvest specialities - the service was attentive - a laid back staff, totally into serving wonderful food - the best place we ate - better than florence.

Eric Hagelstein in North Bergen, NJ USA 10/28/2006

Best: Oltarno Area
Why: We were staying in an apartment in that area and always found great places to eat.

Allison in Suffolk, England, UK 10/23/2006

Best: Osteria del Porcellino
Why: On our last night in Firenze, we went to Osteria del Porcellino. We commented to the waitress baout our hotel helping us to locate them. She asked which hotel and had they referred us. Hotel Pendini, but no refferral, Rick Steves', which brought a big smile. After an evening of great food, wine and atmosphere, I paid our bill with my Mastercard and we left. 10 minutes later back at our hotel, the night clerk told us the restaurant had called and my travel wallet was there. We hurried back to recover my wallet, credit cards and US cash, all intact.

Needless to say we highly recommend Osteria del Porcellino not only for their fine food but the friendly and honorable staff.

A few days later we were again in Firenze and enjoyed another wonderful evening of wine, veal with asparagus crean sauce, risotto and of course dolci.

We highly recommend this restaurant and thank Rick Steves' for the advice.

Skip and Annette Lee

Skip Lee in De Pere, Wi USA 10/15/2006

Best: Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco
Why: Found this restaurant while looking for ones listed in the 2006 guide. Located in Oltrarno not far from the Ponte Vechio on Via Borgo San Jacopo. Excellent food; had to wait to get a seat but was worth it. Had boar in a rich sauce with polenta; white truffle pasta and fried zuchinni blossoms. Menu includes many Tuscan specialities.

Dorothy in Winter Park, FL USA 10/13/2006

Best: Cafe Fiaschetteria Italiana
Why: We had a tuna,caper and tomato on foccacia that was so tasty, we wanted to eat the entire display!

Jennifer Detzel in Wyoming, MN USA 10/02/2006

Best: "La Congrega" osteria in Florence
Why: EVERYTHING they serve is OUTSTANDING! I've been there 3 times, with family and friends, and have recommended it to many friends heading to Florence - all (10+) report the same thing: Hands down the best dining experience in Italy! The house wines are incredible (from the family vinyards - yes you can buy bottles there - I bought several). The Bruschetta is perfect (and only 2.5 Euro). They use their incredible house Olive Oil produced by their family (exported to Napa Valley CA for $40 a bottle). The Greek salad was fresh and lively with great olives cheese and onions, I had the best Spaghetti of my life there, even the bread was fantastic. The pasta (tortellini with ricotta I believe) with truffle sauce was incredible - small but paked a powerful punch and filled me up. The best reccommendation in your entire book! It probably helps to be located 1/2 block from the farmers fresh produce in the central market.

Worst: "Trattoria de Leo" in Lucca
Why: It has the worst vino rossa della casa in Italy!! Neither my brother or I could stand more than one sip! The pasta was totally overcooked (a cafeteria would be embarrassed by it), and the salads were awful (old tasteless iceberg lettuce). And thanks to your book, its overrun with large groups of tourists (not locals as you claim in the book). Never again- strike one, Steve.

Pete in Bartos, VA USA 08/18/2006

Best: Trattoria Za-Za, Florence- near the Central Market
Why: We had some amazing meals her! We went two nights in a row. I loved the ravioli with truffle sauce and the Greek salad was incredible!

Another great Florence restaurant, not in the book, is Acqua al 2 (2 pronounced doo-ay). It's near the Bargello-- just ask around-- that's how we found it. You MUST have reservations. This appears to be one of the most popular places in town. We found out the hard way when we showed up right at opening, and found out the earliest seating available was 11pm. We made reservations for the next evening and I'm so glad we returned. One of our best meals in Italy! The balsalmic steak and dessert sampler were SO good! Phone: 055-28-41-70.

Julie in Santa Barbara, CA USA 08/08/2006

Best: Trattoria Za Za, Florence
Why: Don't be afraid to sit inside! Sitting in the back room at the Trattoria Za Za was a wonderful experience and we didn't have to wait in a long, hot line. I had to close my eyes twice during this meal because what I was eating was so wonderful. The three of us sat at a small corner table that was very comfortable. Everything we had (three courses each plus dessert, and no two things the same) was very good This was one of those long, slow, late Italian dinners that was the perfect ending to a long, hot, busy day.

R. Pepper in Chicago, IL USA 07/30/2006

Worst: Osteria del Porcellino
Why: Cold food poorly prepared plus marginal (at best) service.

Henry Beckmeyer in Grand Blanc, Mi USA 07/29/2006

Best: Osteria del Porcellino
Why: A little hard to find but well worth the search, this pleasant eatery almost offset the negative impression of Florence given by our hotel. Food was excellent and staff very helpful met several locals who were regular patrons and had an enjoyable evening.

Charlie Gaetze in Sioux Falls, SD USA 07/28/2006

Best: Vivolis
Why: Vivoli's had the BEST gelato we had in any city that we visited in Italy. Don't be shy - politely ask to try an unusual flavor. You can't go wrong here.

T. Koons in Forest, VA USA 07/22/2006

Best: Ristorante Guidoriccio, Siena
Why: The proprietor, whose name we neglected to get, was extremely friendly and personable, and the food was wonderful.

Worst: Locanda Garibaldi, Siena
Why: Food was almost inedible; service was perfunctory.

Karen and Jim in Memphis, TN USA 07/09/2006

Best: Osteria la Congrega
Why: Although there were no locals at this restaurant, the place was cozy and full of ambience. Our waiter spoke excellent English and the menu was in English, too (although we had been practicing our Italian). Not only did we drink a liter of wine, we each bought a bottle of the vino della casa rosso (made by our waiter's father) to take with us. It was a little pricier, but we were able to share our secondi and had some nice variety in dinner.

Worst: I Fratellini
Why: The sandwiches were small and the wine glasses smaller. There was nothing special in the sandwiches (not that they weren't edible, just boring). I would prefer stopping at any tavola calda over this.

Stephanie in Aviano, Italy 07/09/2006

Best: Mario's in Florence /
Why: Great local food / Great folks. Ate there three times in three days.

Worst: Za Zas
Why: Bad food / Bad service.

Ellen Walters in Jacksonville, Fl USA 07/08/2006

Best: Trattoria 13 Gobbi, Vivoli Gelato
Why: Great food, few tourists. As a solo traveler, I was seated with a bussinesman from Genoa and we traded lives during dinner. A nice experience.

Bonnie Lurie in Jensen Beach, FL USA 06/24/2006

Best: Paoli
Why: In Florence, very good food, great price. Nice atmosphere.

Joyce Dittmer in Atlanta, GA USA 06/20/2006

Best: Osteria Nonna Gina (Siena)
Why: Fabulous food, attentive staff, reasonable; nice setting. We ate there twice. Try the ribbolita if it's available. Note that the menu is created each day and is written only in Italian. The staff is happy to explain the items, though. After we paid our bill the first night, a bottle of grappa and a bottle of amaretto were placed on our table--a nice end to a wonderful meal.

Jeff in Pittsburgh, PA USA 06/02/2006

Best: Osteria Vini & Vecchi Sapori
Why: This was exactly as Rick describes. Only around the corner from the crowded square you feel like you've left the tourists behind. They seated a single Italian diner at our table and joked that he would pay for our meal (I think that's what he said, my Italian is not the best - haha). The crostini misti was fabulous and the portion sizes were generous. The prices were very reasonable for the location. One of the highlights of my trip to Firenze. One odd thing, the posted hours were 11am but when we arrived at 1230 we were told it would be about 10 minutes before they opened.

Stephanie in Aviano, Italy 05/23/2006

Best: I Fratellini, Firenze, via dei Cimatori
Why: After working up a hunger trekking around Boboli Gardens, we joined the locals for a vino e panino. There were lots of local businessmen having a quick bite to eat.

The sandwiches and wine were so yummy, that we had two each. A unique lunch experience.

Worst: Trattoria la Burrasca, Firenze, via Panicale 6B
Why: This is actually based on the 2005 book. If it has not been removed yet, it should be. Or move it to the list of restaurants that should be avoided like the plague.

Described as "Flintstone chic" in the book, we probably would have had a better meal if the Flintstones had cooked for us. Anna and Antonio certainly did not serve us with any passion whatsoever, and the food was not cooked with any either. We had the worst meal, (the only bad one in fact), of our 2005 trip throughout Italy, at this establishment

We were the first patrons to arrive, and after a rather cool reception, the restaurant quickly filled with people ALL carrying a Rick Steves book.

Since Florence is famous for Chianti beefsteak, I decided to splurge and ordered that. Using your guide for ordering steaks, I ordered Med/Well hoping for Med/Rare. When my steak finally came, the steak was so unevenly thick that the one edge was well-done, while the rest was esentially blue. I sent it back, and waited and waited and waited whilst listening to pounding sounds coming from the kitchen.

While I waited my husband ate his expensive, tiny grilled lamb, which was tough and tastless. Being that he was still hungry after this, he ordered a tomato salad for 5 euro. When it came it was an ugly half-ripe tomato sliced on a plate. We almost thought it was a joke. Then when my husband had finished his meal, my second steak finally arrived. It was charred on the outside in a nonstick frypan (I could taste the residue). It was at least cooked on the inside this time, but it was so full of gristle that I could barely cut it let alone eat it. I then realized what the pounding sounds coming from the kitchen had been. They had obviously tried to tenderize the steak, something which authentic Florentine beef does not require. I had to leave the 18 euro beefsteak largely uneaten on the plate.

The service by Anna, was gruff and unfriendly. We were never once asked if we wanted anything. We kept having to wave our hands in the air, which I don't like to do.

An absolutly horrendous,and expensive dining experience. Terrible wine. At least I had a lot of room left for gelato from Vivoli's gelateria.

Michelle De Martin in Harrison Hot Springs, BC CANADA 05/23/2006

Best: Trattoria Nella
Why: As Rick had noted, great food at affordable prices!

Susan and Tony Recce in Lawrenceville, NJ USA 04/30/2006

Best: Leonardo Cafeteria in Florence
Why: It was great - convenient, cheap, easy, good food.

Jennifer Hinckley in Brooklyn, NY USA 04/17/2006

Best: Trattoria Icche C'e C'e
Why: VERY FRIENDLY, to die for salmon. Cute, and quaint. My favorite restaurant on the whole trip.

Leigh Thomas Hamann in Minneapolis, MN USA 04/14/2006

Best: Trattoria Za Za
Why: Simply the best meal(s) we had on our recent 2-week trip to Italy and France. We enjoyed it so much the first time that we came back again 2 nights later. Their specialties are grilled meats--and they were WONDERFUL. Their pastas and soups were also outstanding. This place is deservedly popular. Either make a reservation or arrive before 8 pm if you don't want to wait.

Steve Heinen in Tulsa, OK USA 04/11/2006

Best: Florence -Trattoria Alfredo Via dei Leoni 14
Why: Great food at reasonable prices, and very friendly service. We felt like family and ate there twice.

J in HONOLULU, HI USA 03/30/2006

Best: Trattoria Nella
Why: Great food, locals, a perfect spot for a neat lunch or dinner.

Scott Shapiro in Pleasanton, Ca USA 02/20/2006

Best: Giglio Rosso
Why: Great food, Great service,Good prices, Really good wine! I would recommend making a reservation they were very busy and were kind enough to accommodate us the first night, went back the next night with reservations.

Tricia in Shakopee, MN USA 01/05/2006