Five Florence Restaurants

ABOVE: Florence's Duomo, or cathedral, dominates the city skyline and is within easy walking distance of all the restaurants in this article.

Archived Article
Dateline: 2001

Florence, Italy is overrun with visitors, even during the so-called low season. As a result, you might expect its restaurants to be overpriced tourist traps. But here's the good news: You can eat well in the budget to moderate price categories,  and it's easier than you may think.

On a recent trip to Florence, I dined in five restaurants where the total bill per person was in the L35,000-40,000 range. Here are reviews of three, with brief descriptions of the other two:

Trattoria Palle d'Oro
Via Sant' Antonino 43-45R
Tel. 055 288383 Fax 055 354811

This cozy family-run restaurant near the Piazza dell' Unità and the railroad station was a pleasant surprise--and a complete delight. It's in the heart of the Santa Maria Novella hotel district, but don't let that fool you into thinking that it's a "tourist restaurant." Most of the other guests were Italian (and some of them obviously locals) on the night when I dined there.

The trattoria looks like a snack bar from the street, but once you're inside, just walk toward the back. You'll discover a pleasant dining alcove with a wood-beamed ceiling, cream plaster walls outlined in wood, and hanging lamps over cloth-covered tables. (More seating is beyond, in the next room.) If you're wearing a coat, the friendly proprietor will hang it for you in a closet. You'll then be seated and offered a menu--Italian or English, as you prefer--and given a basket with a nice assortment of bread and rolls.

I started my meal with gnocchi del boscaiolo (L10,000), little potato dumplings in a rich sauce of tomatoes, mushrooms, and black olives dusted with parsley. For my second course, I chose salmon in a sauce of tiny berry-like red peppers (L16,000). A quarter-liter of the house vino rosso cost L3,000, and a bottle of mineral water was L1,500. Portions were generous, and quality was outstanding--especially at such reasonable prices.

I skipped dessert and coffee, so my total bill (including the L2,000 coperto, or cover charge) was 32,500 lire or about EUR 16.78.

Verdict: Good food, great prices, and a friendly atmosphere in a neighborhood where you might not expect to find an authentic Italian trattoria.

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