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RESTAURANTS

What and where to eat. Courses, menus, charges and tipping.

The restaurants are not as concentrated as they are in Rome, and prices are noticeably higher, making Florence an expensive place to eat and drink. Meat dishes are popular, particularly beef and pork. One of the most typical is tagliata di manzo, rucola e parmigiano. This comprises thin strips of rare beef marinated in basamic vinegar on a bed of rucola (rocket - a peppery salad green) and parmesan. This is Chianti country, with Classico reckoned to be the best.

Trattoria Antiche Fatto

Very close to the Uffizzi you can find the Trattoria Antiche Fatto, Via Lambertesca, which has been patronised by artists and intellectuals since the 1920s and is still associated with the award of a literary prize. Fried courgette flowers, a Roman speciality of Jewish origin makes a good starter. I can recommend the veal in porcini (mushroom) sauce, or the sautéed pigeon, either accompanied by asparagus in butter and parmesan.

Between the Piazza della Signoria and the Duomo you will find the the Birreria Centrale 1898 in Piazza dei Cimatori near the Via Dante Alighieri, which specialises in grilled meat, including flame grilled wild boar steaks, and, of course, beer.

Further west try the Trattoria Coco-Lezzone, Via del Parioncino. An eccentric but rewarding experience contrasting utilitarianism and quick service with excellent gourmet food. It's cash only and no coffee. We had delicious local white bean soup followed by rabbit stuffed with parma ham and eggs. A little rich and salty but washed down with the excellent house red served in plastic beakers. Strange amalgam of utilitarianism and culinary excellence. And hello to that delightful couple from Georgia (USA) who shared our table!

Zà-Zà

To the north, the Piazza del Mercato Centrale houses quite a few cafes with indoor and outdoor seating. We finally got to try some excellent crostini (a local speciality) in the Wine Bar Osteria Flexo. This was followed by a good spaghetti vongole whilst my wife eat fettucine con funghi porcini. They also serve birra rossa. We returned in the evening to the better-known Zà-Zà for beef steak in a rich cognac and peppercorn sauce.

Come down from the Piazzale Michelangelo via the pretty municipal Rose Garden and the Via di Monte Alle Croci and just outside the city gate you will pass the Enoteca Fuori Porta. This looks rather grim when it's closed, but comes to life with customers. It specialises in offering different wines by the glass, and a huge selection of crostoni. These are not to be confused with crostini. Crostini are small pieces of toasted bread with toppings like tomato and basil. Crostoni are large pieces of toasted bread (focaccia?) with melted cheese and toppings. I had gorgonzola and spicey sausage: my wife had some other cheese with artichokes.

COURSES

A word of warning here. If you are a couple and one selects a pasta from the 'prima piate' (first course) and the other selects a meat dish from the 'secondi piati' (second courses) they are most likely to be served in succession. It is quite permissable to share them in succession, but if you want them served simultaneously, you will have great difficulty in achieving this. My Italian isn't quite up to this yet, but English will certainly be understood in Florence. Indeed, it is difficult to use Italian without eliciting a reply in English.

MENUS

Most menus are in Italian (challenging) or bilingual (helpful), but beware of those solely in English if only because you may find it quite difficult to work out quite which Italian dish is actually being referred to by the English description.

CHARGES AND TIPPING

Most restaurants levy a compulsory cover charge for which you will be given some bread. Tables are generously supplied with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Most restaurants will also add a 12 (or 10) per cent service charge. If service is not included I usually give the waiting staff 10 per cent in cash. You can also do this if there is a service charge, as it is probably going to the restaurant owner rather than the staff. However, this is not necessarily expected.

Rik - 26 March 2003

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