Please help me decide on my Florence meals

[jessabella617]

I will have four dinners in Florence and I desperately need help narrowing down my selections. I would like one meal that features the bistecca, could do one dinner around $100 euro and otherwise am looking to stay under $50 euro for dinner and wine, I have found it difficult to figure out the prices of dishes so Id love any guidance in that area. I am looking for places that are accessible without a car and I will be dining alone so am happy to sit at the bar if people think that may be the best seat for a single diner.

Im thinking...

Due G

Casa del Vino for wine

Trattoria Cibreo

Sostanza

Osteria Antica Mescita

Osteria del Cinghiale

Cipolla Rossa

Other questions

Anyplace that I can find bistecca for one? Favorite places for bistecca?

Is butter chicken a must try?

Best tripe stand?

Thank you!

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Cibreo
Via Andrea del Verrocchio, 8/r, 50122, Florence, Tuscany 50122, IT

Sostanza
Via della Porcellana, 25, 50123, Florence, Tuscany 50123, IT

Casa del Vino
Piazza San Vincenzo, 3, Isera, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol 38060, IT

Cipolla Rossa
Via de' Conti,53, Florence, Toscana 50123, IT

[florenceinsider]

And just one more thing...
Sostanza is becoming far too touristy. It is very good, but very PRICEY. If you want to spend that kind of money, why not go somewhere where the service, decor, location is also top notch? And the food- equal in quality (if not better)

Restaurant Borgo San Jacopo (part of the Lungarno Hotel). Simply divine.

http://www.lungarnocollection.com/en/...

[rosespot]

Hi Florenceinsider,
Is Sostanza really not worth a visit now? Is the quality of the food still worth going for? when you mentioned PRICEY, how expensive is it? just want to get an idea..... trying to finalize our 3 dinners in Florence (please see my other post), and am having a hard time. Too much good food, not enough time. :(
Any other comparable (to Sostanza) suggestions??
Thanks a lot!!
Rosespot

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Sostanza
Via della Porcellana, 25, 50123, Florence, Tuscany 50123, IT

[florenceinsider]

Ciao Jessabella,
Here are a few places that serve delicious traditional Tuscan at reasonable prices that are not on your list (and less touristy):

Il Santo Bevitore
Coquinarius
il Contadino
Fagioli
Palle d'Oro (very good peposo, which was Brunelleschi's favorite dish)

and for TRIPE, try Nerbone- they make wonderful tripe- very traditional. The stalls outside (like the one in S. Lorenzo and S. Ambrogio serve lampredotto, which is the 4th stomach of the cow. TRIPE, on the other hand, is the first and second stomachs and they are attached. Very different flavor and consistency). The third stomach, "Centopelle" is not as popular here in Tuscany as it is in the south of Italy.

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Nerbone
Via dell'Ariento, 87r, Florence, Tuscany 50123, IT

Il Santo Bevitore
Via Santa Spirito 64r, Florence, Tuscany 50125, IT

Coquinarius
Via delle Oche, 15, Florence, Tuscany 50122, IT

[lowtones]

My family and I ate lunch today at Nerbone and it was WONDERFUL. We each had a bolito with beef, with salsa verde, and we shared a plate of the pappardelle, which was today's pasta. AMAZING! I think the total was around €30 for 6 people. There are some tables and we managed to snag seats, which was a pleasant surprise.
After lunch we wandered around the market and had perfect coffee and fantastic peaches from one of the fruit sellers. There are not really enough superlatives to describe the entire experience.
Later on we went to Perché No for gelato and sorbetto and, again, I need some new superlatives. One extra bonus for us, since a couple of us are lactose intolerant, was that they offer delicious non-dairy sorbetti in cones that contain no milk, and they are very attuned to the lactose thing as well as vegan requirements.

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Nerbone
Via dell'Ariento, 87r, Florence, Tuscany 50123, IT

[Ruby16]

We ate at Due G last month & it was one of our favorite meals of the trip. For two it was around 75-80 euro and we were very well fed! The bistecca was amazing, but the wild boar pasta might have been the best one dish we had in all of Italy.

[amysuehere]

I'm with you. Only a few days, a loooong time since I've been abroad and want to make the most of my limited time.

[minchilli]

You've made some great choices! If you're alone, then none of these will set you back $100.
As far as getting a smaller bistecca, your best bet may be Due G. Last time I was there I saw many local business men - alone - digging in.
But I also loved bistecca at Cipolla Rossa, but they have an amazing grilled bistecca of pork that is incredible: covered in red onions.
Best tripe stand: I love Lupen e Margo, the stand right outside of the San Lorenzo Market. on Via del Ariento.
One place that isn't on your list, and that is great for lone diners is Zeb. Everyone sits at the counter for traditional soups and stews.

www.elizabethminchilli.com

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Cipolla Rossa
Via de' Conti,53, Florence, Toscana 50123, IT

[jen kalb]

For one person, you should not have trouble staying below 50E at most places unless you go for a steak (with multiple other courses, unlikely) or a whole fish.

We didnt like Cinghiale Bianco, excessively touristy.and differential service.

We did like Del Fagiole and da Mario, both traditional local places, Of the two Il Fagiole would be better for a solo eater. h, simple dishes like soup (acquacottta, etc) are most recommended.

also adding link for Zeb

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Del Fagioli
Corso dei Tintori, 47R, Florence, Tuscany 50122, IT

Trattoria Mario
Via Rosina, 2, Florence, Tuscany , 50123, IT

Zeb (Zuppe e Bolliti)
Via San Miniato, 2r, Florence, Toscana 50125, IT

[CJT]

We've often seen single diners in dining rooms of Antico Fattore (just off Uffizzi courtyard). We enjoyed their pici and gnocchi in black truffle sauce.
I agree with Db Cooper above on Sostanza - try either the bistecca OR the butter chicken since you are alone. You might try Sostanza for the chicken and another restaurant for your bistecca. Give some thought to having a dinner at Teatro del Sale, which is a few doors away from Trattoria Cibreo (but run by the same family) - it is an unusual dining experience in that it is a self-serve buffet, but what they provide to eat may really amaze you (and wine is included in the price).

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Cibreo
Via Andrea del Verrocchio, 8/r, 50122, Florence, Tuscany 50122, IT

Teatro del Sale
Via Dei Macci, 111/R, Florence, Tuscany 50122, IT

Sostanza
Via della Porcellana, 25, 50123, Florence, Tuscany 50123, IT

[Db Cooper]

I personally found Florence to be one of the easiest walking cities in the world so I wouldn't worry too much about needing a car. Assuming you are staying somewhere central, you shouldn't have much of an issue.

IMO, and most on this board, Sostanza is the best place to go for Bistecca Florentine. You'll find you'll eat more of it then you think. It's that good. They are also famous for their butter chicken. I'll say that it is good, but I'd go with the steak before the chicken. That's just me and since you are eating by yourself, you will probably want to choose between the two or go back a second time

For lunch, you can't, just can't miss Nerbone in the Mercato Centrale. Their panino con il bollito is amazing. They also have tripe which is also good, but I preferred the beef. Have them drip the bread in the juices and top it with their salsa verde.

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Nerbone
Via dell'Ariento, 87r, Florence, Tuscany 50123, IT

Sostanza
Via della Porcellana, 25, 50123, Florence, Tuscany 50123, IT

Centrale
piazza 6 Dicembre 9, Enna, Sicilia 94100, IT