Santa Croce Restaurants

There’s no pasta at Cibrèo, nor is there a menu. Instead, a server explains what’s available for the evening from chef Fabio Picchi (who has four establishments in the city, including his trattoria of the same name next door). Cibrèo is well loved by tourists and locals alike, so if your waiter speaks perfect English, don’t be discouraged. Despite the formal dining room, it’s a laid-back kind of place—if you can’t decide between two mains, perhaps they’ll give you a taste of both. If three of the desserts sound appealing, smaller portions of all three might appear at the end of the meal. It’s all very personal and warm, which is a big reason why we come here.

If you’re looking for Michelin stars (plural) in Florence, Enoteca Pinchiorri is your place. A former Renaissance palazzo, the wine cellar alone is rumored to be the most expensive—and expansive—in the world, with over 70,000 bottles. The food, meanwhile, is wildly inventive (pigeon cooked under a salty cocoa bean crust with mango chutney, red mullet fillets wrapped in Tuscan bread with candied fennel purée in extra virgin olive oil and stewed sea snails). Ask to sit in the restaurant’s beautiful, airy courtyard to listen to the live pianist. The experience is utterly charming.