Trattoria Pallottino

Via dell’Isola delle Stinche, 1r
50129 Firenze
Tel. 055 289 573

www.trattoriapallottino.com

Open Tues. - Sun. for lunch and dinner
12:30-2:30pm and 7:30-10:30pm
Closed Monday

Located a few steps from Piazza Santa Croce, this restaurant has been open since 1911!

With an open kitchen, long wood tables, and antique windows with views onto the cobbled streets, this is classic home cooking in Tuscany.

Over a century ago, owner Amedeo Pesci opened this small olive oil, wine, cheese and salumi shop that served a few small plates. Today, it has transformed into a proper trattoria, serving antipasti, primi piatti, secondi piatti, and desserts while maintaining its gastronomical traditions of using the freshest local ingredients.

This area is known for its little trattorie as well as for the big, luxurious restaurants known worldwide. In addition, it is the site of the Mercatino delle Pulci (flea market) that takes place every third Sunday of the month, putting on display the wares of more than a hundred merchants.

The long, wood tables inside the restaurant make this a great location to have a large party, something that is difficult to find in the tiny restaurants in many cities of Italy. Tiles and old photographs on the walls give this place even more retro appeal.

The food is hearty and typically Florentine, reminiscent of a different era.

The crostini are crispy, brushed with the most flavorful local olive oil and topped with a variety of delicious things, from sautéed kale to white beans to chopped tomatoes with basil and garlic.

The primi are the real standouts here, comprising wide egg noodles with porcini mushrooms, succulent beef-and-ricotta-filled lasagna, oversized rigatoni “alla Pallottino” and many, many more. These dishes are not for the faint of heart; creamy, topped with cheese, and served in family-sized portions, the pastas are made to share.

The secondi include classics like melanzane alla parmigiana (eggplant parmesan), bistecca alla Fiorentina (Florentine beef), and saltimbocca alla salvia (veal with prosciutto and sage).

To sweeten your day, try the panna cotta (literally, “cooked cream,” similar to the consistency of a flan), tiramisu or, for a bit of an unexpected flavor, the torta di cioccolato amaro (bitter chocolate cake).

Trattoria Mario

Piazza Pitti, 16
50125 Firenze
Tel. 055 212 704

http://pittigolaecantina.com
info(at)pittigolaecantina.com

Reservations highly recommended.

Located near the Ponte Vecchio, this tiny, charming enoteca (wine shop) has some of the best, most carefully selected wines in Florence.

Making it even more special are the traditional and modern dishes created to complement those wines.

The shelves of Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina are lined with high-end, limited production wines that meet their high standards.

Most often, these special wines come from little-known, family owned vineyards in Tuscany. The owners have even created a wine club to deal with the demand for these small winery products outside the country! Membership grants you access to their exclusive shelves and delivery to your door.

Don’t forget about the food! Chef Marzia Sassetti artfully combines fresh, local ingredients, creating both traditional and modern Italian dishes.

The pastas are handmade and so fresh, it’s as if the very ingredients were made just for you.

The selection of accompanying cheeses and salumi is ample and of the highest quality. Check on what’s seasonally available to sample exquisite dishes such as the local cured ham with gorgonzola, or slow-roasted pork with fennel.