Trifter

Tucked in a valley beneath glowing Tuscan hills, Florence, Italy is 40 square miles of living history.  This tiny city of Machiavelli, Dante, and Ferragamo feeds 10 million tourists a year (in addition to its own population of 367,569, of course).  No small feat.  One may be tempted to ask: where do all those people eat?  But the real question is: where do the Florentines eat?  There is no scarcity of restaurants, naturally, but many of them cater only to the average tourist with menus in English, overpriced dishes, mediocre fare, and not a native in sight.  For those willing to venture away from the hordes and the guidebooks, here are 5 delectable choices:

Trattoria Bordino via Stracciatella 9/R  tel.: 055.213048
This little trattoria is located up the hill from tiny Piazza S. Felicità, just across the Ponte Vecchio.  A great choice for lunch, Bordino offers a fixed-price menu of 7 euro for a first and second course, or 10 euro for a steak and a salad.  Menu changes daily.  Caters to locals on lunch break.  The service is quick and frill-free, but perfectly friendly.  Tables outside in the spring and summer.  Closed Sundays.

La Congrega via Panicale 43/R  tel.: 055.2645027                                                                                              La Congrega offers a twist on traditional Tuscan fare; everything found here is a little lighter, a little crisper, a little more decorative.   The eclectic menu includes a shrimp, arugula, parmesan, and bresaola starter.  In a word: ravishing.  Try the fresh pastas, and be careful not to fill up on the basket of warm bread baked with cheese you’ll find on your table.  Impressive wine list; wines also available by the glass.  Seasonal menus include fish twice a week.  Closed Sundays.

I Tarocchi via dei Renai 12 tel.: 055.2343912                                                                                                Warm atmosphere and reliably good pizza.  This family-run pizzeria is a favorite with Italian students, and is child-friendly, too.  The menu lists everything from mussels alla marinara to curried chicken to pizza with gorgonzola and fresh tomatoes.  Cozy wooden booths inside.  In the spring and summer opt for the cooler tables on the sidewalk in front.   Try the insalata sfiziosa with pine nuts, raisins, and grana.  Portions very generous, prices moderate.  Closed Mondays.

Antica Cantina Capponi Borgo S. Frediano 26/R tel.: 055.2381569                                                            Though they advertise their dishes as “typically Tuscan,” this elegant little restaurant also offers  delicate soups and seafood dishes.   In the cool, yellow light of the cantina one is hard-pressed to find traces of the typical rustic Tuscan establishment.  Try the torta agli asparagi, something of a cross between a soufflé and a frittata.  Very polite wait staff.  Moderately priced.   Closed Tuesdays.

Da Sergio (also known as  Trattoria Gozzi)  Piazza S. Lorenzo 8/R tel.:  055.218550                                      Sergio passed away some years ago, but his beloved restaurant is still open.  Run by his widow and two sons, Alessandro and Andrea, Da Sergio remains extremely popular with local businessmen for lunch.  Classic Tuscan fare ranges from pappa al pomodoro (a simple and filling “mush” made of seasoned bread and tomatoes) to baccalà (salt cod prepared Tuscan style with marinara sauce).  There is often a line out the door, and the two large rooms with long wooden tables and white cloths fill quickly.  Open only at lunch.  Closed Sundays.