Florence & Tuscany 2013 Guidebook
Best and worst restaurants:
Worst: Near the Trevi Fountain--Restaurante Pizzzeria Sacro e Profano listed in the 2011 Rome guidebook
Why: The restaurant was empty which should have given us a clue. The service was truly lousy (slow, surly), the pizza was almost uncooked and the cinghiale (wild boar) stew terrible. This place may have seen better days once upon a time but the whole experience was actually the worst dining experience we had in Rome! Please take it off you recommended list!
Alexandra Connor in Benicia, CA USA 05/18/2013
Best: Ristorante la Bucaccia
Why: The food was fantastic. Romano was friendly and took the time to take several artistic pictures using our wine glasses. We had fun and wonderful cuisine.
Tricia Perkins in Tucson, AZ USA 05/14/2013
Best: Trattoria Katti
Why: My wife and I ate three fabulous meals, one lunch and two outstanding dinners at Trattoria Katti's. We were surprised that this restaurant was not mentioned in your 2013 guidebook. Both the quality and service were top notch. We were made to feel like family. Also I would like to point out that Katti speaks excellent English and with a little effort on both our parts we were also able to communicate quite well with Maria.
Mark Ferguson in Brentwood Bay, BC Canada 05/08/2013
Best: Taverna San Giuseppe, Siena
Why: As mentioned in the book this restaurant is a local favorite. Yet my family and I were made to feel very welcome despite the fact that we were the only Asian tourists there that night.
Martell, our waiter, introduced a very good Chianti to us for pairing with our steaks and my Bordeaux-loving husband was bowled over.
Your recommendation on panforte (the sweet) was also spot-on. They made very good gifts for friends and family back home.
Sherene Sng Singapore 12/26/2012
Best: La Bettola in San G.
Why: Although not in your guidebook this restaurant definitely deserves inclusion. The food was excellent and the service also. On our second visit, yes we liked it that much, we were served a glass of prosecco before we even got our menus. Just really nice, at-home people.
Worst: vecche muriia
Why: There was nothing really bad about this place but without the view neither the food nor the service warranted a second visit.
Bill in Mississauga, On Canada 11/29/2012
Best: Le Vecchie Mura in San Gimignano
Why: Views were breathtaking. Food was delicious, and service was outstanding.
Worst: Boccadama Enoteca in Florence
Why: Food was fair to good, service was inconsistent and very bad. When we complained, they blew us off. They seem to be overwhelmed by their success.
Nita and Steve Rothschild in Edmonds, WA USA 10/05/2012
Best: 4Leoni and del Duca
Why: Hard to say which was best. Food very good and we also got a taste of the area, because they were really neighborhood restaurants
Mortimer C. Newton in Providence, RI USA 09/12/2012
Best: Self-Service Leonardo in Florence
Why: A hearty dinner for two for under 20 Euro!!
Alison in McNeill, BC Canada 07/18/2012
Best: Grom Gelateria
Why: Great Gelato and great crowd
Worst: Trattoria Za-Za
Why: You need to take this off the list. Treated like a smuck tourist(ok I probable am), but the food was lousy and the service was "get you in and get you out cuz we'll never see these idiots again"
JOHN FALVEY in WHEATON, IL USA 06/26/2012
Best: trattoria Katti
Why: great food and friendly people..The special of the evening was an incredible pasta -- Pacchere con zucchini, gambere, calamari, pommodorini...the best I've ever had, followed by gamberoni alla griglia ... All at an incredibly good price...
merrietta in Fong, Ca USA 06/26/2012
Best: trattoria Katti
Why: great food and friendly people..The special of the evening was an incredible pasta -- Pacchere con zucchini, gambere, calamari, pommodorini...the best I've ever had, followed by gamberoni alla griglia ... All at an incredibly good price...
merrietta in Fong, Ca USA 06/26/2012
Best: Trattoria Katti
Why: The owner was so nice and friendly. The wait staff was friendly, informative, and spoke english. They let us know the specials and what their favorites were. The tiramisu was divine and made by the owner's mother with wonderfully fresh ingredients. Everything we ate tasted wonderful and was cooked to perfection. The decor is modern and comfortable and the price was great.
Monica in Clovis, NM USA 06/23/2012
Best: 13 Gobbi, Florence or Il Sacco Fiorentino, Volterra
Why: The food was excellent in all courses (a chocolate tart at Il Sacco was to die for), prices were reasonabe even though not in the bargain category and the staff did not rush us (we had a sense that some restaurants, expecting tourists to expect quick dinners, were rushing courses at us).
Worst: Trattoria al Trebbio, Florence
Why: We thought that the food quality in all courses was inferior to other restaurants (including Trattoria da Giorgia, a bargain delight that you recommend) and it was one of the restaurants that rushed us.
Keith Stotyn in EDMONTON, AB Canada 06/13/2012
Worst: Taverna il Grappolo Blu - Montalcino
Why: I can't say "worst" since we had no meal there. But we had stopped in based on your recommendation that mentioned it was, among other things, "friendly." A man---it appeared the owner--was notably UNFRIENDLY in tone and manner in telling us that "No, we have no outside terrace . . . but, in any case, we are closed." After that reception, we would not have gone back--even if time allowed.
William R. Meyer in Portland, OR USA 05/11/2012
Best: Trattoria Katti
Why: Trattoria Katti is located on Via Faenza 31 Red. I like there wide selection of Tuscan Recipes! It is important to add this jewel of a restaurant to your Italy 2013 Guidebook.
My favorite is Tuscan Farro Bean Soup, a wide selection of Florentine Steak!
Mangia! Jason B. San Francisco, CA USA
Jason Bloom in San Francisco, CA USA 04/22/2012
Best: Trattoria Katti and Trattoria la Burrasca
Why: My wife and I had a great lunch at Trattoria Katti. Family run very friendly, enjoyed complimentary glass of Spumante to start and great spagetti carbonara and house red. Also excellent Trattoria La Burrasca-need reservations, great steak, and bruschetta.
Scott in Fremont, CA USA 04/17/2012
Best: Trattoria Katti and Trattoria la Burrasca
Why: My wife and I had a great lunch at Trattoria Katti. Family run very friendly, enjoyed complimentary glass of Spumante to start and great spagetti carbonara and house red. Also excellent Trattoria La Burrasca-need reservations, great steak, and bruschetta.
Scott in Fremont, CA USA 04/17/2012
Best: Osteria Vineria i'Brincello
Why: Loved everything from the handprinted specials hanging from the ceiling to the warm and friendly staff, and especially the food--homemade pasta and the best Tiramisu I have ever tasted.
Lorri Tsarev in Lexington , KY USA 04/17/2012
Best: Ristorante del Fagioli
Why: As advertised, great food, great people, great prices
Worst: Trattatoria 4 Leoni
Why: Crowded, expensive - we found better
Pat Leathrum in Corvallis, OR USA 04/01/2012
Best: Ristorante del Fagioli
Why: Best dining experience of our trip. Small and intimate, owners very accommodating with us whose Italian was poor (he spoke English well), food was fabulous! Definitely need a reservation.
Rory Robb in Kittery Point, ME USA 04/01/2012
Best: 3: Ristorante Belvedere in Monterosso al Mare; Trattoria Papei and Ristorante Guidoriccio in Siena
Why: The amphora soup in the Belvedere was fabulous and the seafood antipasto was impressive. Papei was busy and lively with American tourists and locals. Guidoriccio was quiet in late March, only two tables so the host had time to chat with us about local cuisine, the return of wildlife to the surrounding farmland, and the value of the Palio in maintaining a sense of local culture.
Worst: Not a complaint, but
Why: during the daytime Ristorante Alla Speranza has a sign listing it as a Cafe (don't remember the name). The glass walls still have Alla Speranza, but it was confusing whether they've changed operations/management.
Warren Lo in Columbus, OH USA 03/31/2012
Best: Trattoria Katti, Florence, Italy
Why: The food is fantastic with good portions at a reasonable price. I ate here in May 2011 when it first opened and returned February 2012 and it's even better now with an extensive menu of Florentine specialties and an incredible 12 Euro menu of the day with a first course and second course. Everything is fresh and cooked to order to perfection and beautifully presented. The meats are so moist and tender, they can be cut with a fork. I had the best pork with roasted potatoes that I have ever had. The atmosphere is pleasant and comfortable for a woman traveling solo. It is spotlessly clean including the restrooms. Service is good and everyone in this family owned and operated trattoria is friendly and nice. Trattoria Katti will not disappoint.
D. in Mountain View, CA USA 02/27/2012
Best: Trattoria Katti
Why: I had the pan-fried chicken which was recommended to us by Katti herself. It was one of the best meals of my life. Her mother, Maria, bent over backwards to make this a fabulous meal for us and we will definitely go back.
Hank Koster in Redmond, WA USA 02/13/2012
Worst: Panetteria Antiche Tradizioni in Pisa
Why: Quite possibly the worst food we've ever eaten. We were waiting for our turn to climb the tower and decided to grab a slice of pizza. We ordered off the menu. The pizza was gooey and impossible to eat. We could have spooned it up. The dough seemed raw. The owner noticed that we did not eat more than a bite or two and gave us half-off one of the slices. Horrible experience!
Deborah in Edwardsville, IL USA 01/23/2012
Best: Ristorante Trattoria Katti, Florence
Why: This restaurant is owned by the same people who run the Katti House hotel. The restaurant (and hotel) is a real family enterprise - mother, father, daughter, and daughter's boyfriend were on hand to wait and clear tables and to make sure everything ran smoothly. I had wonderful pesto pasta, and side dishes there, and my husband's bistecca was amazing. The chef walked the huge T-bone slab from the big refrigerator at the back of the restaurant to the kitchen, and whacked off the steak for the grill. It was tender and delicious!
Marlys in Mahomet, IL USA 01/11/2012
Best: Osteria i'Bincello (Florence), Trattoria Casalinga (Florence), Trattoria La Torre (Siena), La Lanterna (Assisi)
Why: I tried a number of Rick's recommended restaurants in Tuscany and they were all good. La Lanterna in Assisi had excellent pizza in a nice setting. La Torre in Siena was just like Rick described it. The owner came over and rattled off all the food they serve. We found it to be fun. And the food was tasty and in a central location. Tattoria Casalinga was busy and crowded for lunch, but the wait was short and the food was great. It appeared to be a favorite of locals and I could see why. We went to Osteria i'Brincello twice for lunch. It is a little away from the center of Florence, but it kept tourists away and made it feel like a place where the local people eat. The pastas and daily specials were excellent, the house wine was good, and the servers spoke good English.
Worst: Osteria Baralla (Lucca)
Why: It was not really bad, it just was not as good as the other recommendations. The restaurant itself is nice and the food and service were OK. It just did not stack up to the service and food in other cities.
Jim in Atlanta, GA USA 12/04/2011
Best: Trattoria Casalinga & Trattoria di Mario
Why: Loved the atmosphere and food! Also, great price.
Worst: Caffe Ricche on Piazza Anto Spirito
Why: Service was horrible and food was mediocore.
Rachel in Washington, DC USA 11/08/2011
Best: Trattoria Katti
Why: Maria is exceptional. The food was piping hot and the service was wonderful. I had the penne pompodora, the caprese salad, and a glass of house wine (chianti). The food was delicious and the price was unbeatable. Very authentic. Has outdoor seating perfect for people-watching. The restaurant is clean and seating was immediate. I highly recommend including Trattoria Katti in your future guidebook!
Jennifer B. in Evanston, IL USA 10/19/2011
Best: Trattoria Katti House
Why: Fresh, piping hot plate of penne pompadoro with the caprese salad and a glass of house wine was a great way to end my day. I sat outside and took in the rustic feel of Florence. Service was good. I'm going back again tonight; this time I'll be ordering dessert!!
Jennifer B. in Menasha, WI USA 10/19/2011
Best: Trattoria Katti House
Why: Excellent authentic Tuscan cuisine!!! The food quality is excellent. We would recommend this to be added to the list of recommended restaurants in the Florence and Tuscany guide book.
Mike in Raleigh, NC USA 10/07/2011
Best: Trattoria Katti
Why: Even though this restaurant was not mentioned in the 2011 Rick Steves Italy book, it should be. The food was excellent! the service was special because the staff had very good english language skills. I know I would reccomend this place to my friends and anyone who asks for a awesome and authentic Italian restaurant seething with the flavors of the Tuscany.... Please put this Restaurant in the next edition of your book. Enjoy!
Janice Brzoticky in Wolf Creek, MT USA 10/03/2011
Best: Katti Trattoria
Why: Delicious food and affordable, excellent service, and gracious people.
Pamela Robinson in Chico, Ca USA 10/03/2011
Worst: Ristorante Paoli
Why: The food was not very good and it was expensive. We wound up wishing that we had gone back to Trattoria Nella for the third night in a row!
Roland Klassen in Oakville, ON Canada 09/25/2011
Best: Guidoriccio - Siena
Why: Outstanding local cuisine in a quiet, romantic, and very unique restaurant! Try the Pici or the Gnocchi with the cheese and meat sauce - INCREDIBLE!
Todd & Mary in Hastings, MN USA 08/14/2011
Best: restaurante
Why: Real authentic fresh food with great service!! like you are at home!
Xochitl in Oseguera, CA USA 08/06/2011
Best: Trattoria Katti
Why: My wife and I found Trattoria Katti to be an excellent place for dinner. The food was fresh, unique and the prices were very reasonable. We met Katti and her mother Maria who pride themselves on only serving was it fresh, local and never commercially produced. We had a three course dinner on a budget, which included the home-made Tiramisu and a half-bottle of one of the best Chianti's I have had (no expert here, just enjoyed it thoroughly). Katti's recommendations were great, and this restaurant provided us with an unforgettable experience. Most definitely worth your time to check it out.
Matt in Boston, MA USA 07/13/2011
Best: Giostra in Florence
Why: Amongst several good family restaurants, they were a little more expensive and worth every extra euro.
Peter Showler in Ottawa, ON Canada 07/11/2011
Best: Trattoria Katti
Why: 2 months ago Katti's bother, Mario (a chef with 30 years experience in Tuscan cuisine) opened a restaurant below the hotel. They feature terrific food, great location, clean/fresh accomodations and moderate prices. Give it a try!!!
Ann Hansen in Kenmore, WA USA 07/07/2011
Best: Trattoria Katti
Why: The food was wonderful. I stayed in their nearby hotel. They really treated me like family. I would stay and eat here again. Rick please add this restaurant to your your list. The food was great and the price was right. For 25 euro I had an amassing meal. They are very friendly to Americans. I complimented the chef and he brought me into the kitchen to see where the magic took place. A wonderful experience.
Salvatore Cacciato in New york, Ny USA 06/30/2011
Best: bello
Why: Trattoria katti una abbiente molto pulito rilasante eccellente cucina tradizionale toscana con un ottimo servizio del personale il mio piatto preferito e stato ravioli con spinaci con la ricotta con un buon bicchiere di vino chianti raccomando se vi trovate a firenze di non perdere l' occasione per un buon pranzo a un prezzo giusto
giuseppe in matera , it italia 06/30/2011
Best: Trattoria Katti
Why: This is a new trattoria in Florence, on Via Faenza, with a unique decor, mixing old world with a modern touch. It is a family owned trattoria which offers traditional Tuscan dishes at a reasonable price. The family and other employees are all very friendly, welcoming, and have excellent customer service! I highly recommend eating here while you are in Florence.
Ilya in Carmichael, CA USA 06/25/2011
Best: Trattoria Katti
Why: Amazing service, inexpensive but very good quality, fresh food! I highly reccomend it if you're looking for very good toscan food!
Hanna in San Luis Obispo, CA USA 06/22/2011
Best: Ristorante Enoteca del Duca - Volterra
Why: Wonderful food in a wonderful atmosphere. The service was impeccable! The tasting menu was superb and we could definitely understand why the wines from the Marcampo vineyard were award winning. Our experience was so enjoyable that we ate here twice.
Ann Kressin in Overland Park, KS USA 06/14/2011
Best: Trattoria Katti
Why: as above
Tim in Crossland, oh USA 06/13/2011
Best: Trattoria Katti
Why: This is a new restaurant that is connected to the Hotel Katti. They serve a great Tuscan menu with doc Bistecca Fiorentina, beans, tortina with artichokes and many fresh pasta dishes. The owner is very friendly and she works alongside her husband and daughter, and her brother is the cook who has more than 30 years of experience cooking Tuscan cuisine. It's newly remodeled on the inside and if it's hot, you can sit outside and watch the foot traffic on Via Faenza. It's great entertainment. All in all a great experience for reasonable prices.
Anne R in San Francisco, Ca USA 06/06/2011
Worst: Ristorante Tortuga in Monterosso al Mare
Why: the view was fabulous, the food was good but the service was terrible. Our waitress was abrupt and at times abrasive. When we told the proprietor of Locanda il Maestrale, he knew exactly the waitress we spoke of as other guests of the hotel had similar experiences.
John Franklin in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA USA 06/01/2011
Best: Trattoria lo Stracotto
Why: This was the best meal we had in Italy and that is saying something. The restaurant is beautiful and the food was different and delicious. Service was very polite and pleasant. Rick had eaten there the week before. We highly recommend this restaurant.
Allison Garth in Little Silver, NJ USA 05/17/2011
Best: Trattoria Lo Stracotto
Why: Reasonably priced and absolutely delicious. I've never had anything like the Tuscan salami appetizer, and our waiter was so helpful and friendly. Modern, small, great location. We'll definitely be repeat customers.
Jen in Vicenza, Italy 05/14/2011
Best: BROM
Why: OK, so this is just Gelato...but by far the best gelato we had in all of Italy! After trying, we went at least once a day. wonderful!
Sarah Menkhus in St. Louis , MO USA 05/13/2011