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[Regions of Italy]
Melissa Mulliken recently asked if Florence's Enoteca Pinchiorri is still as good as its reputation -- to which I replied that I cannot say since I have never eaten there. However, it was ranked 3rd in the annual restaurant roundup printed in Civilta' del Bere, Italy's leading wine magazine (they considered the ratings of this year's editions of the major restaurant guides, among other things). This is up from 4th last year, so she will be in excellent hands.
She also wondered where else I would dine in Florence, if I wanted to enjoy a memorable meal. I haven't been everywhere, but the people doing the restaurant guides presumably have. Firenze Spettacolo recently went through them and drew up a top ten list:
1 Enoteca Pinchiorri (traditional and innovative cuisine, perfectly prepared, with an incredible wine cellar) 055 242777; closed Sun-Mon-Tue lunch
2 La Tenda Rossa, in Cerbaia (ten miles outside Florence, near San Casciano) 826132 (4 star, innovative); closed Wed-Thurs.
3 Cibreo (traditional Florentine recipes in a modern key), with a cheaper first-come-first-served room round back 2341100; closed Sun-Mon
4 Don Chisciotte (especially fish) 475430; closed Sun-Mon
5 Oliviero (innovative presentation of traditional dishes) 212421; closed Sun
6 Il Salotto del Chianti (in Mercatale, about ten miles out of town)
7 Il Delfino, in Artimino (ten miles from Florence) 8718074; Closed Mon Tue
8 Dulcamara, in Sesto Fiorentino (about 5 miles, within city bus range) 4255021; closed Mon
9 Taverna del Bronzino 495220; Closed Sun
10 Caffe' Concerto (gets a star of academic merit and 3 normal stars from Panorama) 677377; closed Sun
11 Le Murate (Panorama guide says it's romantic); closed 240618 Mon lunch
Most of these except Pinchiorri and La Tenda Rossa are 2 or 3 stars.
Another possibility if you're looking for something very Florentine is Alla Vecchia Bettola, in Piazza Tasso; 224158 (closed Sun-Mon). The food's good, and you'll be seated at a bench where you can talk with your neighbors should you wish.
La Baraonda, in Via Ghibellina (2341171; closed Sun-Mon) is another classic Tuscan place, and a third is Coco Lezzone (the filthy cook; closed Sun), in via del Parrione, tel 287178. Finally, there's the Cantinetta Antinori, in palazzo Antinori, which is quite nice (Closed Sat-Sun).
If you're interested in a quick meal with a glass of good wine you should walk over to the Enoteca Fuoriporta (Via Del Monte alle Croci 10/r, just outside Porta San Niccoló, on the road up to San Miniato,
2342483; closed Sun). They have excellent cold cuts, cheeses, and pastas, and about 20 different wines by the glass, as well as an incredible selection of bottles. All the phone numbers here are area code 055.
To subscribe to Cosa Bolle in Pentola ("What's Cookin'"), the informative email newsletter that produced these suggestions, go to http://italianfood.about.com/blbol.htm and sign up.
Here's what one In Italy reader thought of some restaurants mentioned above.
I commend you on the accuracy and completeness of information. I recently returned from two weeks in Florence and Milan. The information you provided was most helpful and made my trip more enjoyable. However, I do want to pass on the one real clunker among the nuggets of good information about restaurants-Enteca Pinchiorri in Florence. The service at that restaurant was most ostentatious but very ineffective. Lots of people hovering but little service. The food was expensive and bad. They served us a slab of Lamb for $138 raw and dripping blood. When I suggested it needed a little more time in the oven they smiled made no comment and whisked it off to the kitchen, twenty minutes later it came back burnt to a crisp and inedible. No apology just formally dressed stares of arrogance looked down at us I must admit the wine selection was excellent and very expensive, but the atmosphere made drinking the wine less than comfortable. By contrast Le Murate just down the street had excellent service, fine food and a great choice of good local wines reasonably priced.Claude G.
I just read some of the comments about this over-rated overpriced and needed to chime in. I ate there two years ago, when everyone was singing its praises, and I thought that it was the most disappointing meal that I had in two weeks in Italy. While the food was certainly better than many of the restaurants I ate in, the atmosphere made it extremely difficult to enjoy. The service was pretentious and arrogant. My wife, who has dietary restrictions, asked for a simple green salad as a starter. You would have thought that she had asked the waiter to flay (or filet) the chef. It took 5 minutes of grovelling before the waiter finally relented and agreed to provide her with a simple green salad. The restaurant seemed to have perfected the knack of turning an otherwise excellent meal into an unpleasant experience. I am happy to hear that I was not alone in my disappointment.
[Regions of Italy]