La Cantinetta Antinori
Palazzo Antinori 3
Phone: 055/292-2

In the yesteryears, say 20 years ago, opening up a cantinette and selling produce from ones estate to the people of the city was quite a common thing. All one needed was to own a bit of land. This is how Antinori’s started. It started 20 year ago as an eating place in Palazza Antinori. Today it is famous for its wines and is probably the most welcoming and comfortable places to dine in Florence. There are also a very few split level restaurants like this one.

We stopped here for business meeting over lunch not so long ago. We looked through the menu sipping on a glass of dry spumante and nibbling on liver pate and toasted bread. After much contemplation, here’s what we settled for; for starter we had insalata di lenticchie and bruschetta con il cavolo nero, for the main course we had arista in crosta washed down with a glass of Guado al Tasso and for dessert we had crostata di mele with a flute of Muffato della Sala.

The isalata de lenticchie was a very interesting and quite delightful. This dish was a lentil salad, spiced with lemon, fennel and curry. Not a very combination but a tasteful one anyways. The other starter, bruschetta con il cavolo which is basically bruschetta and kale was not as interesting but just as good. This perfectly made dish was bread topped with a substantial layer of kale and seasoned with oil, the perfect amount at that. The kale did seem a bit salty but one the whole rather nice.

The next course was in keeping with the starters and was equally good. The arista in crosta was roasted pork loin wrapped in a ‘crust’ which was quite herby and moist. The meat was nice and tender. This was accompanied by creamy spinach that was all very good.

The wine was excellent as expected. Cantinetta Antinori is famous for its wines and it stocks all of Anntinori’s wines. This makes it an ideal place for tasting these glass by glass. The Guado al Tasso which is a Merlot – Cabernet Sauvignon from Bolgheri was enticing, rich and full, with fruit served on the side.

Dessert was simple, a nicely made apple pastry, crostata di mele served a Antinori wine that comes from Umbria. Lovely wine, but it seemed more like the kind of wine that one could spend all afternoon sipping.

So how much does one expect that they would spend here? Depending on what you order a meal here will cost you from 35 to eighty thousand lire for a person. The atmosphere here is excellent and is a must stop for a meal.

Palazza Antinori is open all week with the exception of the weekend, i.e. Saturday and Sunday. However it would be wise to make a reservation before one heads there.

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L'Enoteca Fuori Porta
Via Del Monte alle Croci 10/r
Phone: 055 2342483

It takes a bit of a long walk to get to this restaurant but it is definitely worth it. Nice people and lots of good food are its speciality. One will find excellent cheeses, cold cuts and sandwiches. The dishes for the first course are fairly simple too. An example would be the taglierini sprinkled with white truffles. The restaurant also has the finest wine list in Florence. Tuscany wine producers are sure to have their wines at the Enoteca and hence one can sample wines as rare as the 1971 Tegnanello. The Enoteca also stocks wine from abroad and other regions.

The restaurant is a good bet for lunch or dinner and is the perfect place to relax during a peaceful afternoon eating lunch with friends. A must visit; the cost for a meal is variable depending of the kind of wine you order. Wines here can either be had by the bottle, half a bottle or by the glass. They have hundreds of wines for one to sample by the glass. The costs could vary from about twenty thousand lire upwards.

The venue is located outside Porta San Niccolo on the way to San Miniato; Via Del Monte alle Croci 10/r. They are closed on Sundays and can be reached on (055) 2342483

Dai Ricchi
Florence, Via Della Docciola 14.
Phone: 055/402024

Getting to Dai Ricchi can be a bit of a task, especially since not too many are aware of it but if you make the effort, you will not regret it. Everything on the menu is simply delicious! For starters they have pastas with rich sauces and thick traditional soups like ribollita. If that’s too heavy then you could try the tagliolini con limone which is tagliolini with a creamy and light lemon sauce. Follow this up with the second course which is excellent as well. Try some of the fried meats – these are what the restaurant is known for. This is an assortment of mixed meats, batter fried till they become nice and crunchy. The assorted fried vegetables can also be had on the side accompanied with some house wine which is nice Chianti. The desserts while not a good idea for someone who is dieting are simply delicious. They serve huge portions that will keep you wanting more. A must taste is the meringato which is a layered meringues filled with chilled cream and sprinkled with chocolate, ideal for hot summer’s day.

Dai Ricchi is a long drive away. Even though the restaurant has been renovated, it remains tucked away. Taking a bus would be the ideal way to get there. Bus number 45 will take you there but it only plies till 8. The route? The Via Bolognese, past Trespiano which is the city cemetery and then turn left heading towards Cercina. This is a long winding road and you will pass a few hamlets and go up a steep hill. Once you reach the top you turn left. You’ll find the restaurant perched on the left looking down at the valley. There is no sign to help recognise it; however its trellised terrace should help. You could ask the driver for help, he should be able to tell you where to get off.

A meal here costs approximately 20 Euro a person. However, there is no menu which can make communicating very tough for those who don’t speak Italian. The house brand of wine has also been changed to on of Antinori’s, the Santa Cristina.

The address of the place is Florence, Via Della Docciola 14. One can even call them on (055) 402 024. They are closed on Tuesdays.

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L'Antico Ristoro di Cambi
Piazza del Tiratoio

Neighbourhoods in Florence were famous for fiaschetterias. These were places where people met for a fast meal in the afternoons post which some would stay back to pass their time drinking the afternoons away. By the 70’s only the older crowd stayed back to drink while the younger crowd found themselves better pastimes. Since San Frediano was a relatively poor neighbourhood there were many such little places. Piazza del Tiratotio was one such place that shut down 10 years earlier. The owners then reopened it a month after with a completely new look – the elegant Antico Ristoro di Cambi as it is today. The restaurant caters mainly to people who stop by for lunch. They have an excellent variety of wines on sale accompanied by light salads, entrees and first courses for people who don’t like a heavy lunch. We tried out the pappa al pomodoro which is a dish comprising of basil, fresh tomatoes and spiced bread which was a day old. This was followed up with a ‘springtime salad’ that comprised of tomatoes, mozzarella, radicchio, thinly sliced pecorino and bresaola.

My colleague however had some fresh salad along with a serving of tripe salad. The tripe salad was accompanied by thin slices of fresh tomatoes, seasoned with vinegar, salt, olive oil and pepper. For those who prefer a more filling lunch, there are steaks that can be ordered too. The menu is changed during winter months with items on it that are befitting the cooler climate.

Our lunch cost us 20 Euro but it has to be noted that we did not have a drink of wine as it was too hot. L’Antico Ristoro di Cambi is the ideal place for a quick and simple Florentine meal. It is located in the Oltrarno, off Ponte Vespucci. The landmark that one can use is the San Frediano church. The restaurant lies near it. The restaurant is also closed on Sundays.