Florence: favorite restaurant & why.

Everyone's taste is different, but we liked this place: http://www.goldenviewopenbar.com/index.php?lng=2. It was open most of the time, fun, in a great location and had a good menu which you can look at if you use the link. The menu has English translations below the Italian. Some might think it is too touristy, but we didn't hear a lot of English when we were there. However, most of the wait staff we encountered spoke passable English.

Our apartment was across the street from the leather school on the back of Santa Croce. Just a few blocks away, we went to Cebreino as the locals call it or Cibreo Trattoria, not the Cibreo Restaurant. Cibreino shares the kitchen with the restaurant and has the same but a shorter menu. Although you may read some very negative reviews, the meal we had there was superb. Heed the warnings about its popularity, though. They don't take reservations, so you need to arrive early or stand in line. The place is tiny. They don't serve coffee after the meal, but the desserts are great.

We also had a very good meal at Osteria de' Benci.

All these restaurants can be found on Trip Advisor with some mixed reviews. We were in Florence in 2011 and really enjoyed them. I didn't do links to 2 of them because I thought their websites were more style than substance. In addition to Trip Advisor you can Google them for other sources of reviews.

Beware...if you order Florentine steak just about anywhere, it will be bloody, so be sure to ask to have it cooked longer if you don't want a cool red center.

L' Brincello on Via Nazionale, everything homemade, enfatta in casa, fresh, family owned and operated, amazing tastes, and loving caring service, like you are family.

IL Giova on Borgo La Croce, amazing food, fresh, exquisite tastes. Mostly homemade pasta, but if not, they make it taste homemade, and loving caring service, like best friends.

You can Google both ristorante for addresses and hours of operation.

Jennifer,

I enjoyed several nice restaurants when I was in Florence last year.....

• Trattoria I' Cche' c'e' c'e' (Via Magalotti 11r) - I found that both the food and service were excellent. It's in a quiet side street, but not really too hard to find.
• Trattoria Katti (Via Faenza, 31) - attached to the Katti House B&B, and again I thought the food was excellent. Katti speaks good English.
• Trattoria Lo Stracotto (Piazza Madonna Aldobrandini 16) - again, good quality food (IMO) and very attentive service.

Also dined here :Trattoria Katti (Via Faenza, 31)

Hi Jennifer-we really enjoyed Trattoria Sostanza. It's an old school kind of place, very authentic. They specialize in the Chianni beef of Italy, and they do an amazing dish called butter chicken. Our dessert there, a raspberry torte cake, was made that day by our waiter. Great place, reserve ahead of time. I believe they have an early and a later seating, later usually will put you with a more local crowd.
Here's a great write-up on Sostanza:
http://www.elizabethminchilliinrome.com/2011/12/trattoria-sostanza-florence/

The eaters around here did also mention Sostanza. For lunch, the suggestion was Trattoria la Burrasca: small, north corner of Merato Centrale, closed Monday, but too crowded with Rick's readers at dinner time. If you're tired of Rick's guidebook listings, you can pretend that you're British and read the Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/mar/29/top-10-cheap-eats-florence.

Laura, I did a quick check and at least 4 of the 10 places recommended in the British article are in Rick's book.