Modern Florence

Published on Monday, April 2, 2007, by Aida Mollenkamp / Edit Post

Modern Florence
Travel doesn’t have to mean being duped by bad recommendations and spending precious vacation time (and money) on a lackluster experience. Or hearing about a not-to-be-missed experience only after you’ve returned home. Here are a few must-misses and must-sees.

OVERRATED

RISTORANTE IL LATINI

Written up in countless guidebooks as an affordable local favorite, Ristorante Il Latini is like a Florentine Medieval Times. Long lines lead to a kitschy interior where you’re served a bottomless flask of Chianti encased in straw and unmemorable food presented quickly and carelessly.

HARRY’S BAR

Burt Lancaster and Elizabeth Taylor partied at this American-style bar. And if lace curtains and geriatric waiters are your thing, then you may want to pay your respects. Just don’t forget your Polident.

OUTLET MALLS

Yes, there are outlet malls in Tuscany. And, yes, maybe a handful of days per year they have good deals on designer clothes. But more often than not you’ll find mediocre deals on fashion old enough to have been designed by the late Gianni Versace.

LEATHER

There are a handful of good, but not amazing, leather shops in Florence. However, with the exchange rate so much to our disadvantage, it’s not worth buying leather while you’re there. The salespeople are aggressive (sometimes even sleazy), and if you’re not careful, you may end up with a pleather jacket that disintegrates in the rain.

UNDERRATED

CHOCOLATE

Florence is no Turin when it comes to chocolate, but there are still many cioccolaterie worth visiting. Don’t miss the gianduja, hazelnut-flavored chocolates, at Rivoire (Piazza della Signoria, 4r), or pretty much anything at Gilli (Piazza della Repubblica, 3r) and Ballerini Panificio Pasticceria (Borgo Ognissanti, 132r).

BISCOTTI

Northern Italy is not as well known for its sweets as Southern, but there are great biscotti, or cookies, in Tuscany. Try almond-filled cantucci alla mandorla or the aptly coined bruti ma buoni (“ugly but good” almond meringue blobs). Stop by Antico Forno Santi on Via Nazionale for these as well as biscotti al cioccolato (chocolate cookies) and cantucci all’albicocca (apricot cookies). They travel fabulously, so pack up a few kilo for your trip home.
ALLTravel
POST A COMMENT |18 Comments

COMMENT

  • My vote is for Il Coriandolo on Viale de'Amicis, I/r. Chef Marco is one of the best. Just tell him Michelle and Raffaele sent you from Boston! You're in for a treat!

  • I was in Florence a few weeks ago and Il Santo bevitore was my favourite restaurant during my entire stay in Italy! Vibrant atmosphere and delicious food. I also liked La Casalinga but it is more a traditional trattoria.

  • My wife and I just returned from Florence and found this list helpful. I will agree, that some of the restaurant reviews are maybe a bit off. We ate at Il Santo Bevitore, and it's good, not great. Maybe even just ok. Maybe it's declined? We certainly ate much better for about half the price elsewhere. (La Casalinga for one, nearby)
    Il Latini def feels like a Florentine medieval times tourist...+READ

    My wife and I just returned from Florence and found this list helpful. I will agree, that some of the restaurant reviews are maybe a bit off. We ate at Il Santo Bevitore, and it's good, not great. Maybe even just ok. Maybe it's declined? We certainly ate much better for about half the price elsewhere. (La Casalinga for one, nearby)
    Il Latini def feels like a Florentine medieval times tourist wise, but the prices aren't high and the food was surprisingly good for what feels like it could just be a churn and burn. I had rabbit, and it was truly excellent. That said, cross the Oltrarno, and find a nice local place that will have the same food, without the tourist hordes backed up at the front door seven deep.-COLLAPSE

  • This made me so nostalgic! I studied in Florence a number of years ago, and have enjoyed returning many times since. I also second what Shape of Lies said about the bread--saltless bread is what makes Tuscan bread famous, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

    I lived in the Oltrarno, and agree that you can't go wrong exploring the area. The place that gets my vote is Borgo Antico, right in the...+READ

    This made me so nostalgic! I studied in Florence a number of years ago, and have enjoyed returning many times since. I also second what Shape of Lies said about the bread--saltless bread is what makes Tuscan bread famous, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

    I lived in the Oltrarno, and agree that you can't go wrong exploring the area. The place that gets my vote is Borgo Antico, right in the Piazza Santo Spirito. It is my all-time favorite restaurant, and I dream of their perfecty thin-crusted pizzas, creative meal-sized salads, and delectable salads. They have outdoor seating for much of the year, and it's the perfect way to enjoy the night life on the piazza.

    Trattoria Garga was always one of my favorite places to splurge, and I don't think I ever had a bad meal there. Their house salad was always one of my favorties--basic, but a perfect melding of flavors.

    I love this article as a guide, and also a way to reminisce, and hope to see more in the future!-COLLAPSE

  • I'm a bit surprised by the articles description of the bread. My goodness, ss foodies you guys should know better.

    Tuscan bread HAS no taste, that's how it's made and what makes it so unique. It's why it's so good in the bread soup, and why you can make a delicious sandwich with one thin slice of prosciuto or lay a layer Nutella on it for a full chocolate cake flavor.

    As a lucky student who...+READ

    I'm a bit surprised by the articles description of the bread. My goodness, ss foodies you guys should know better.

    Tuscan bread HAS no taste, that's how it's made and what makes it so unique. It's why it's so good in the bread soup, and why you can make a delicious sandwich with one thin slice of prosciuto or lay a layer Nutella on it for a full chocolate cake flavor.

    As a lucky student who lived with an Italian family in Siena, we ate that wonderful tasteless bread with every meal.
    I've been trying to find that tough spongy bread in the USA ever since. Turns out you can only get it in Tuscany and the quality has to do with the milling process.

    So don't be dis'n my favorite taste memory. You'll never have a better experience than a picnic with Tuscan bread, olives, cheese and ANY local wine. Yum, wish I could join you.-COLLAPSE

  • Going there in the Fall, thanks for the article!

  • You completely missed the point about Il Latini. No matter what you order, the cost is the same. The Bistecca is close to the best in the city, and yes, the wine is lousy, but the atmosphere great, and it is a fun night. Order the steak, and you will have the best prie/quality ratio in the city.

    Also, some of the observations on other restaurants are, to say the least, controversial.

  • I'm super picky about food and can tell you that IL LATINI is very good for its humungous steak. It's excellent.

  • It might help some to know that the Italians do not call it Florence. To them it is Firenza! Beautiful town and the Ponte Vecchio bridge is a wonder to behold. You might like to know that they have built a replica of the bridge in the new community of "Lake Las Vegas", an upscale community and resort built on an artificial lake in the Nevada desert. It was formed by building a 900 foot dam and...+READ

    It might help some to know that the Italians do not call it Florence. To them it is Firenza! Beautiful town and the Ponte Vecchio bridge is a wonder to behold. You might like to know that they have built a replica of the bridge in the new community of "Lake Las Vegas", an upscale community and resort built on an artificial lake in the Nevada desert. It was formed by building a 900 foot dam and piping in water from lake Mead! It's only 17 miles from Vegas!
    Harry-COLLAPSE

  • Excellent guide to the high...and low lights of Florence! Thanks for the insightful recommendations!...Looking forward to my next visit.

  • My wife and I have been to Florence 4 or 5 times -- we like it for hanging out -- when our kids (25 and 27) joined us they liked it for the excitement and adventure of a city this large, active and beautiful -and- for hanging out all night...they found some fun clubs and piazzas...the piazzas for them were more fun than the clubs since they met people from all over the world while there at night....+READ

    My wife and I have been to Florence 4 or 5 times -- we like it for hanging out -- when our kids (25 and 27) joined us they liked it for the excitement and adventure of a city this large, active and beautiful -and- for hanging out all night...they found some fun clubs and piazzas...the piazzas for them were more fun than the clubs since they met people from all over the world while there at night. I am glad to see you highlight cities like Florence...and -- for your readers to share their thoughts and experiences about their trips to these cities.-COLLAPSE

  • This is fantastic! I'm traveling to Italy for the first time next month - thank you!

  • Wow, very well written article. I hope more cities can be profiled like this.

  • Thanks! I will def use this fabulous info for my next trip!

  • Good info and nice design!
    I never heard about Chow before, but a friend told me about it and it seems all my friends knew about Chow except me:)
    Thanks

  • nice....... makes me wanna go there. tx

  • Outstanding and incisive review for the vicissitudes of a classic destination.The article is a paradigm to update travelers on the newest attractions.Thanks for the infoJ

  • WOW!! What a extensive and informative article... I printed it immediately for my next trip to Florence... Even though, I have explored Florence before, there were many new ideas and tips, which I will include in my next visit..

    Thanks
    M