Buongiorno,
My family and I are going to be spending a week in Florence this summer, in early June. That timeframe encompasses my birthday, and I would love to get an excellent steak Florentine for my birthday treat. Where should I go? Locale is not everything, but we will be staying very near the Casa Buonarroti on via Ghibellina.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
Oh, and if there are any vegetarians out there. My wife and son are NOT carnivores. Any good places near us?
Ristorante Giglio Rosso ristorantegigliorosso.com
Grazie, Ray. Grazie.
La Fettunta on via dei Neri. Cant say whether or not they do the best steak in the city - all I know is it was the best steak I've ever eaten IN MY LIFE. No exaggeration. It's a little hole in the wall rosticceria/ristorante, but don't let it's appearance fool you. The food is excellent. The steak is at least 2" thick, and the smallest will easily feed 2 people. Their house wine is a very nice Chianti.
Molto bene. Grazie.
I usually go to Perseus, but this is the latest ranking by the Florentines.
Il Parione won
Pandemonio came second
I’Brindellone came 3rd.
My Perseus came fourth.
Buon appetito.
Would it be acceptable if you ordered your steak "medium rare"?...Or would that be frowned upon?
Would it be acceptable if you ordered your steak "medium rare"?...Or would that be frowned upon?
Why do you think it would be frowned upon? It's more likely to be frowned upon if you ask for it well done. A properly cooked Bistecca alla Fiorentina will be very rare.
As it is I don't think much of Italian beef particularly the Chianina breed typically used for Bistecca alla Fiorentina. I don't think it has the taste or depth of flavour that other beef breeds have. The best beef I've eaten has been British and Argentinian whilst the best steak I've had was in the US.
I was a bit disappointed with my steak in Florence, I was expecting much more considering all the hype.
Ristorante Toto is not far from the Ponte Vecchio and the Uffizi.
http://www.ristorantetoto.it/en/
They serve Bistec alla Florentine in the traditional huge hunk o'meat fashion, but my preferred version, and we had it twice, is sliced like a London broil over a bed of arugula dressed with some beautiful high-octane balsamic vinegar and cracked black pepper. Just fantastic.
The famous Monti of the Hotel Alessandra recommended Hostaria Il Desco on Villa del Termi to us back in 2014. I got a seafood dish on our first visit, and we liked the place so much we went back on our last night in Florence. I had some misgivings about the rareness of the bistecca alla fiorentina, but it truly was the best steak I ever had in my life.
We had a memorable dinner at Trattoria Casalinga. The waiter showed us the cut of Chianina beef before cooking. It was a really fun night!
