The 10 Best Restaurants With Views In Florence Italy

Florence is one of the most charming towns in Italy. Here are the best 10 restaurants to admire views of these wonderful places.

1. Ristorante Santa Elisabetta

Restaurant, Italian, European, Vegetarian

The Santa Elisabetta restaurant, located in the Hotel Brunelleschi in the very heart of Florence, is situated of the fourth floor of the hotel. It offers an amazing view of Florence’s famous cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore. Ideal for weddings or a romantic rendezvous, the restaurant serves fresh pasta, ravioli and risotto as well as all types of meat and vegetarian and vegan options (dishes with tofu or falafel). The chef also prepares full sets of meals prepared thematically or with the intention of reflecting the local Florentine cuisine.

2. Alle Murate

Restaurant, Italian, Seafood, Mediterranean, Street Food, Gluten-free

Alle Murate, both a restaurant and a museum, is located in the center of the city, in the historical building of Palazzo del Arte dei Giudici e Notai. This unique combination allows you to dine whilst admiring and studying 14th-century frescos and archaeological excavations of the ancient Roman era. The chef Giovanna Iorio bases her technique on childhood memories and her mother’s recipes, changing the menu depending on the time of the year and available seasonal products.

3. Bistrò del Mare

Restaurant, Seafood, Italian, Mediterranean

Bistrò del Mare is situated alongside the Arno River near the bridge Ponte Santa Trinita, to the right of Ponte Vecchio. This Renaissance bridge is the oldest elliptic arch bridge in the world. The building that is home to the restaurant, Palazzo Gianfigliazzi, dates back to 1427. As the name of the place suggests, the restaurant’s chef specializes in fish and seafood dishes. Food served includes seafood cous-cous, smoked tuna carpaccio, sea bass with salt, or grilled sole with seasonal vegetables. Bistrò del Mare | © Bistrodelmare/Flickr

4. Ristorante Il David

Restaurant, Italian

Named after the magnificent Michelangelo’s statue of David, this restaurant is situated just next to the beautiful Romanesque town hall Palazzo Vecchio. It is also near the statue itself, on Florence’s famous square Piazza della Signora, which used to be the city’s center in medieval times. The restaurant gives you the possibility to sit directly in the square and enjoy its romantic vastness. The menu offers Tuscan dishes, notably the Florentine steak bistecca, pastas with porcini mushrooms, and an impressive selection of wines.

5. Trattoria Ponte Vecchio

Restaurant, Italian, Mediterranean, Vegetarian

This trattoria, named after Florence’s most famous, medieval Ponte Vecchio, is located alongside the Arno River, near the beautiful bridge and its jewelry kiosks. The varied menu offers such dishes as fresh pasta stuffed with cheese and pear served in soft robiolacheese and truffle. It also has seafood spaghetti and meat rolls with spinach and smoked orovola cheese served in plum sauce. From the restaurant, you can admire Ponte Vecchio, the wonderful waters of Arno and the left riverbank with all its colorful houses.

6. Ristorante & Wine Bar Frescobaldi

Bar, Wine Bar, Restaurant, Italian

This restaurant and wine bar is located on the medieval square Piazza della Signora near the statue of David. It offers a large selection of delicious wines produced by the Frescobaldi family, as well as traditional Tuscan dishes. The menu features dishes such as tomato cream with stracchino cheese and fresh basil, spaghetti with sea urchin, shrimps and tomatoes, or the Florentine grilled beef with roasted potatoes. The restaurant’s interiors are light, spacious, and elegant. There is also a separate wine bar for those who want to come for a drink only.

7. Irene Firenze

Bar, Restaurant, Italian, Mediterranean, European

Irene Firenze, a restaurant and bar at the Hotel Savoy, is located in the square Piazza della Republica, once the forum of the ancient Roman city and nowadays one of the most fashionable places in Florence. The luxurious restaurant offers the finest Tuscan cuisine with an international touch and is prepared by the award-winning chef Fulvio Pierangelini. The menu offers, for example, an octopus salad with colored radicchio and beetroot, lemon and parmesan stracciatella soup, and mixed grill of fish on a Himalayan salt stone. The bar offers elegant cocktails.

8. Il Palagio

Restaurant, Hotel Restaurant, Italian

The award-winning Il Palagio restaurant is situated inside the Four Seasons Hotel in the Palazzo della Gherardesca that once belonged to the Medici family. The restaurant and its summer terrace lets you admire the wonderful gardens of the palazzo as well as Florence’s charming streets. The interior of the restaurant is decorated with vaulted ceilings, elegant decor, and vintage photographs. The local menu features items such as celery, carrot and red onion stuffed with a pistachio chicken liver’s parfait as an appetizer. For main courses there are options including Icelander salt codfish with rosemary scented pink chickpea purée and cruschi peppers and chamomile-scented lamb from Casentino with pecorino cheese crème.

9. Lo Scudo

Restaurant, Italian, Mediterranean, Vegetarian

Florences Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore

Located very close to the beautiful Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Lo Scudo is in the same 17th-century historical building that is home to the Cathedral Museum. The restaurant maintains a classy and old-fashioned look. Its menu offers typical cuisine from the Tuscan region: the Ribollita soup with vegetables and bread, Malfatti pasta with vegetables and porcini mushrooms and the traditional frilled sirloin steak served with rocket and parmesan cheese.

10. Il Santo Bevitore

Restaurant, Italian, Mediterranean, Vegetarian

Il Santo Bevitore restaurant is located on the other side of the Arno River, offering a different view of the city. The place offers a combination of local and Mediterranean cuisine, selecting the ingredients from the Santo Spirito and San Frediano areas of Tuscany. Every few months, the menu changes which keeps things interesting. The restaurant also collaborates with Florentine contemporary art galleries and exhibits the works of young artists.

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