GLADIATORS SPIRIT'S IS STILL ALIVE Calcio storico Fiorentino Take 2 from Brice Ansel on Vimeo.
MODERN GLADIATORS - CALCIO STORICO from David Battistella on Vimeo.
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Trattoria Omero in Florence is characterized by a rustic yet elegant environment, offering two spacious dining rooms of each 70 seats and a magnificent terrace with another 45 seats during summertime. Both dining rooms and terrace face splendid views of the surrounding hills.
The menu offers simple but tasty dishes prepared according to the best of Tuscan traditions which include freshly homemade pasta, stuffed pasta, whole wheat pasta, such as "penne strascicate", "pappardelle" pasta in hare sauce, grilled meat, fried dishes, the traditional "bistecca alla fiorentina" steak and "pollo schiacciato" chicken, venison specialities, home made desserts and much more.
LOCATION: Via Pian dei Giullari 11r, Firenze
TELEPHONE: 055 22 00 53
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Frommers review of Fuori Porta:
You can dine out on the sidewalk in nice weather, or sit on the benches at tiny wooden tables inside to taste the excellent pizzalike crostini here. Start with the pappa al pomodoro or gnocchi with broccoli rabe and sausage. The crostoni are divided by cheese -- mozzarella, sharp pecorino, creamy goat-cheese caprino -- along with a list of the toppings to accompany them. My favorite is caprino con prosciutto arrosto e pomodori secchi (with goat cheese, roasted prosciutto, and sun-dried tomatoes). The wine is a key part of the meal; the list draws from the more interesting vineyards in Tuscany and beyond. This place is a bit out-of-the-way but worth the trip.
LOCATION: Via del Monte alle Croci 10, Firenze
TELEPHONE: 055 234 2483
EMAIL: info@fuoriporta.it
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Antica Mescita San Niccolò is a traditional osteria in the district of San Niccolò where you can order wine with a plate of cold cuts and cheeses, bruschette and carpacci, and you can also savor other uncommon plates from the best of Florentine tradition. Guendalina always greets you with a smile as if you had entered the dining room of her own home. The osteria is also suitable for vegetarians with the best zuppe e minestre (soups). Taste the cream of chickpeas, spelt or stew with porcini mushrooms, and homemade desserts. Don't forget to go downstairs to visit the crypt from the 1000's. Sit at a charming table on the street which leads to Fort Belvedere.
LOCATION: Via di San Niccolò 60, Firenze
TELEPHONE: (39) 055 2342836
EMAIL: info@osteriasanniccolo.it
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A newer and welcome restaurant in San Frediano, iO Osteria Personale offers an upscale and unique menu, with new twists on classic dishes - like carpaccio di manzo with pecorino gelato, tartare of Ricciola on a bed of ricotta topped with spinach, and an amazing chocolate soufflé topped with dollop of olive oil and a pinch of salt, accompanied by basil gelato with a tomato based sauce. It is all extremely well done in a minimal but comfortable and quiet room, with attentive service and a very nice wine list. Their 4 or 5 course tasting menus are a perfect introduction to a unique restaurant you will no doubt want to return to every time you are in Florence.
Il Santo Bevitore is not just a trendy restaurant - it is a very good one - with ample reason. The food is excellent, the prices are very reasonable for the center of Florence, the wine list is solid and fair, and the service is professional. Reservations are always recommended, as it can be full even on weeknights. We have had both lunch and dinner here on several occasions, and I can't think of a complaint. The atmosphere is friendly and casual and there are a couple of rooms, one closer to the bar, and a smaller one that is a bit more quiet.
As to the highlights, please see the photos below (taken in May of 2011). To me one of the most attractive aspects of Il Santo Bevitore is that the fare is not just traditional Tuscan. It is inventive and also features a lot of seafood, like raw Branzino and crispy grilled octopus. Also below the starters of purple cabbage soup and tortelli with artichokes, and desserts of rum cream and coconut crème brûlée with gelato. This meal with cover and a very nice bottle of Terlaner Terlano (a white blend) was € 85.
Ruth's is essentially Florence's only kosher restaurant and located next door to the city's beautiful synagogue. The menu, which is enhanced with a number of daily specials, is primarily vegetarian but also contains many fish dishes, all at decent prices. The blends of flavor and aroma are enjoyed in a cosy environment by a clientele which is often a mix of people from all over the globe.
LOCATION: Via Luigi Carlo Farini 2a, Firenze
TELEPHONE: (39) 055 248 0888
EMAIL: info@kosheruth.com
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In the heart of the city of the Medici, a two minute walk from Piazza della Signoria, one unexpectedly discovers the solemn Palazzo Jacometti Cioffi. Accessed through two granite columns into a temple of taste is Enoteca Pinchiorri. The combination of the Italian and French cultures through the partnership of Giorgio Pinchiorri, an Italian from Modena, and Annie Feolde, from Nice, has resulted in nothing less than inspiring. During thirty-five years of this collaboration of passions, they have created something quite remarkable that globally represents the supreme Italian taste at the table. But with dishes like "Sea scallops with potato and lemon purée, chick-pea puff-pastry and sea scallop fringes" coming in at 80 euro a plate, be sure your budget can keep up with your impeccable tastes.
LOCATION: Via Ghibellina 87, Firenze
TELEPHONE: (39) 055 242757
WEBSITE: http://www.enotecapinchiorri.it
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Founded in 1994 Osteria de' Benci immediately became a cult location for local Florentines. Signature tasty pasta dishes, savory frilled meats and a glass of fine wine softly accompanied by jazz and funky music, are the ingredients success for the osteria. Since it's opening it has expanded from a single dining room to include "il giu`" (downstairs), "il fuori" (outside), and il caffe`, creating a corner of contemporary Florentine life in the heart of the anceint city.
LOCATION: Via de' Benci 13r, Firenze
TELEPHONE: (39) 055 2344923
EMAIL: info@osteriadeibenci.it
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The restaurant Leo in Santa Croce rises up over the remains of an antique roman amphitheater in an ancient environment with original capitals dating back to the Middle Ages. Everyone receives a warm and special welcome in the restaurant where thanks to the experience acquired, the qualified staff offer the clientele national specialties and the best fresh pasta worked exclusively by the hands of their own chefs. There is also a wide range of top quality wines and liqueurs available.
LOCATION: Via Torta 7r, Firenze
TELEPHONE: (39) 055 210 829
EMAIL: leo_in_s.croce@libero.it
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Take the tuscan table and add the skillful touch of flavor, fantasy and lightness. Put yourself in a welcoming place like the family dining room and add handful of elegance with antique lamps, marble tables and wood furniture. Positioned beside all the magnificence of the Santa Croce basilica you have the trattoria Il Francescano with it's captivating kitchen of traditional tastes. The trattoria of sixty is spread through three rooms with qualified personale that offer the clients a polite discretion and at the same time a friendly attentiveness. The trattoria is also positioned in one of the most vivacious neighborhoods for the night life, offering between theaters and local hotspots, a thousand ideas for after dinner. It's an experience not to be missed, thanks to the combination of delicious food, the great drinks and the warmth atmosphere.
LOCATION: Largo Piero Bargellini 16, Firenze
TELEPHONE: (39) 055 24 16 05
EMAIL: info@ilfrancescano.com
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Girasol is a restaurant, pizzeria and cocktail bar combined in 350 square meters of colors and flavors! The ideal venue for birthday parties, special events and business dinners, Girasol is famous for its rich dishes "taglieri", its excellent pizzas and the tasty second courses of Argentine beef. Girasol is open until late at night to accommodate customers' needs. The cocktail bar provides delicious cocktails, quality beers and a large selection of rum from all over the world. The music selected by the DJs provides an excellent accompaniment to an enjoyable experience.
LOCATION: Via del Romito 1r, Firenze
TELEPHONE: (39) 055 474948
EMAIL: info@girasol.it
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