418151 Thu Jul 05 14:08:51 -0700 2007 20 58 Italy 0 2722090 Hi...I am looking for suggestions for where to go for great Bistecca alla Fiorentine in Florence. Thanks for your help.... Thu Jul 05 14:08:51 -0700 2007 12419 jcooper 1 2722138 sostanza. very few if any tourists, very small, two seatings for dinner, reservations highly highly suggested as the place is small and very popular with locals. you sit at long tables. bistecca alla fiorentina is one of their specialties, along with other traditional florentine dishes. best meal i had in all of florence. the address is Via Porcellana 25r, near borgo ognissanti, between ponte amerigo vespucci and ponte carraia. Thu Jul 05 14:21:44 -0700 2007 2722090 23067 CiaoTerp 2 2737117 Agree completely with Sostanza as a recommendation, but I had to chuckle when I saw the "few tourists" comment. Last week I was in Florence for the day with a friend and we decided to chance it with no reservations when it opened at 7:30 pm. We were second in line and they were nice enough to seat us. Every single person in the place at that hour was an American tourist, except for a table of eight Japanese women. Needless to say the bistecca was great (and the pollo in burro--my friend had that). If you want to eat with locals, though, you might want to go at a later hour. (BTW, just my personal opinion, but I wouldn't order the bistecca any more cooked than medium rare--you'd be wasting your money otherwise, and there is another beef dish on the menu that you could substitute. I just mention this because someone at our table ordered it medium (after being talked out of well-done). He enjoyed it but it certainly didn't look as good as my rare one!) Tue Jul 10 14:52:06 -0700 2007 2722138 10502 MorganSF 3 2739891 about the tourists, we were there at the later seating, which would explain a lot. very few, if any italians eat before 8, at the earliest. most eat dinner between 9 and 10:30 or so but many restaurants take reservations up til 11. Wed Jul 11 11:03:34 -0700 2007 2737117 23067 CiaoTerp 4 2740155 Yes, that's my experience too. Wed Jul 11 12:02:20 -0700 2007 2739891 10502 MorganSF 5 4153614 And mine too! Thu Nov 06 10:26:59 -0800 2008 2740155 103072 Clove 6 4224080 We just returned from Florence and had one of the best meals at Sostanza. We went for the 9 pm seating and were with only two other Americans. recommend reservations. the bistecca is outstanding and big but try the chicken poached in butter!! Cash only, should have known but it was a long run to the ATM. Fri Dec 05 15:34:38 -0800 2008 4153614 246060 MjmChs 1 2728117 Just returned from a trip to Italy - had fabulous bistecca ala Fiorentina at a little lunch place called Trattoria da Mario near the Mercado Centrale. They're only open for lunch, and fill up quickly, so get there around noon when they start serving. The steak is served rare and only in 1kg portions, so its best to share with a friend. It was also reasonably priced - much less than other restaurants we saw the dish at (I believe it was around 3 Euros / 100 grams). Sat Jul 07 17:42:20 -0700 2007 2722090 110359 LGBoston 2 2728511 I second Mario. It is one of the two best Fiorentina I have had, the other being at Il Pozzo in Sant'Angelo in Colle near Montalcino. Sat Jul 07 21:42:18 -0700 2007 2728117 59959 deangold 2 4121740 i agree absolutely! Wed Oct 22 12:40:14 -0700 2008 2728117 15904 rubyyao 1 2733513 We had steak at Natalino which were delicious. They offered single steaks at about €21 and a double for €45 - naturally the double was a bit more than twice the single. I'm trying to remember the appetizers without my notes, but can't right now (I think I had a curried tortellini with zucchini flowers and wife had a pear filled ravioli). They were wonderful. House wine was sufficient. It's all good. Mon Jul 09 15:07:13 -0700 2007 2722090 24421 Panini Guy 1 2736279 One of the best things about eating this at Sostanza is that you can also order their Pollo in Burro, a wonderful duo of chicken breasts in a butter sauce you will never forget. Go with someone and split the bistecca and chicken. Tue Jul 10 11:34:51 -0700 2007 2722090 12044 CJT 2 2738836 OP here. Sostanza couldnàt seat us after 7ç30pm, so we went with the suggestion of the hotel -- 13 Gobbi -- just down the street from Sostanza. It was excellent. We had the bissteak for 2, cooked how they like to do it. Really good. Also had the zucchini flowers, which is a family favorite and excellent. The hose red wine, a 2006 Chianti, was vey drinkable. For 3 people, the bill came to Euros 105. We would go again in a flash. Wed Jul 11 07:04:28 -0700 2007 2736279 12419 jcooper 3 2740190 Thanks for the report! I tried to go to 13 Gobbi once, years ago when I was in Florence for a couple of months and couldn't get into Sostanza one night. It was a busy night for both restaurants, and we didn't have reservations (our fault), but the people at 13 Gobbi weren't very nice to us after telling us to wait for a table. Major attitude. We gave up after a long wait. I'll give it another try (with a reservation). It was probably just an off night. Wed Jul 11 12:09:44 -0700 2007 2738836 10502 MorganSF 4 2746051 With Tuscan food, the simpler, the better. Often cheaper is better, too. We had bistecca for 30E/ kilo (large 2-person portion; easily could serve 3, in fact) at Trattoria Anita (Via del Parlascio 2/r, corner Via Vinegia 16/r, 055 218698). Classic preparation they don't ask how you want it cooked, they cook it alla fiorentia which means charred on the outside, medium rare on the inside. Fri Jul 13 07:07:43 -0700 2007 2740190 16728 kenito799 1 2754634 You might also consider all' Antico Ristoro di Cambi in San Frediano. Order it al sangue. Mostly locals when we went in 2004. www.anticoristorodicambi.it Mon Jul 16 13:06:02 -0700 2007 2722090 112140 LVATarget1 1 2755316 Best restaurant in Firenze for Bistecca,, "La Loggia" Micaelangelo Piazza, overlooks all of Firenze, with a replica of the statute of David in the square. Mon Jul 16 16:33:24 -0700 2007 2722090 112224 bsantoro 2 2771325 Just got home. OUR best Bistecca the entire trip was at Ristorante Toto http://www.ristorantetoto.it/ Sat Jul 21 16:54:06 -0700 2007 2755316 94792 buccibabe 1 4123185 I know this thread is old, but for the record I loved my bistecca at Cafe Italiano - don't know the street name (via Torta? maybe) but it's just down the street from Vivoli Gelateria near Santa Croce. I do have to say that the appetizer we had was less than great, but I'm still remembering the grilled taste of that bistecca! (their casual pizzeria next door is some of the best pizza in the city too!) Thu Oct 23 01:56:39 -0700 2008 2722090 234374 ellene 1 4161326 Have to agree that Mario's has great food all around. BUT, Il Latini has the BEST bistecca!! Hands down. Wish I could go with you! Mon Nov 10 06:50:38 -0800 2008 2722090 201378 frankki 1 4202573 Have had bistecca at Giostra on Borgo Pinti several times and never been disappointed. A neighborhood atmosphere, warm and welcoming. Excellent minestrone and risotto, as well. Tue Nov 25 20:48:55 -0800 2008 2722090 42850 Jane Hyde