Le Vespe Cafe

I found this place on Unilocal for breakfast.
This is the first official Unilocal Event spot in Florence which is pretty cool, and I was invited to the party but I was leaving a day later!
I was lucky enough to stay for breakfast though. And a long wait it was– close to an hour, and I was pregnant!
I did get to look over the menu several times, people watch, there is great people watching here with locals and students enjoying the organic, affordable food with cool vibes.
The owners are two ladies and you might find them working, chipping away at the fresh fruits and veggies for your organic juice they press fresh. One of the owners is from the Montréal restaurant scene, the other Toronto.
The chef is Irish and fantastic working away in the tiny kitchen in the back behind a flap door. I had the chance to thank him for breakfast.
Great espresso. My husband orders American coffee and adds espresso to it to give more kick.
I ordered the English breakfast. Two eggs, Bangers and Hash, baked beans in ketchup, roasted tomato, Fried potatoes, bacon, Fried toast! I never had fried toast before and it was very heavy and dense, interesting — my husband finished it (can’t justify the amount of walking to burn of the calories). This was the best breakfast I ever had.
My husband ordered the steak and Eggs. The steak was very rare, cooked on a stove top, not tasty, no flav. I believe there was one cooking top. The orders took so long to come out, he just kept eating.
What makes it interesting is the American foods offered, aren’t available in Florence or Italy, so if you’re craving bacon and eggs, or vegetarian, vegan drinks, this is your place.
Besides the long wait and the hostess letting her friends come in a head of you, the food makes up for it. I suggest getting a to-​go order and enjoying your food al fresca
I also saw many Takeout orders being fulfilled, that makes a busier kitchen too :/

I was walking around with my friend to get s quick meal before he goes to the gym. Last night consisted of a lot of drinking so all we wanted was a really huge breakfast but we woke up after lunchtime. I hope you understand how hard it is to get really good breakfast food at 2pm because this restaurant is incredible.
The staff here are awesome and extremely personable constantly attending to your needs without disturbing your meal.
We both had «The King» which is a big plate of bacon, scrambled eggs, sausage, potatoes and two pancakes. I promise you, there is nothing else you need in your life but this meal. In fact I’m certain you are wasting your time not coming here for brunch.
With a really fun interior as well as a small outside eating area, perfect for two people!

Great ambiance, excellent coffee, and the best breakfast we ate in Italy. Home fries were awesome — had breakfast burrito and my wife had eggs with spinach and feta — both great. Very large portions… Overall great experience!

As an abroad student missing home, Le Vespe made me all sorts of nostalgic. My friend, Elizabeth, introduced me to this place a few weeks back while we were waiting for our permissos and I’ve now made it a scheduled Sunday brunch location. Walking into the café, I was instantly taken aback by how much the décor and overall feel of the place reminded me of home. As a native Californian, whose love for brunch and small coffee shops knows no bounds, I almost felt teary in response to the realization that Le Vespe was my gateway to any local breakfast place within The LA Arts District. The food is also very reminiscent of a typical Cali meal– from the scrambled eggs down to the savory sausages. I know Italians are easily confused by our need to directly ingest sodium so early in the morning, but I’m glad they still cater to such a strange inclination.
Another aspect of this restaurant, is the fact that the menu takes the diets of various eaters into consideration. With options that range from gluten free to vegetarian– everyone is able to enjoy their meals without feeling left-​out or uncomfortable.
One minor concern has to do with space. I haven’t allowed it to affect my overall rating because with food this great… it deserves a wait (sorry about the rhyming– I couldn’t help myself). I’ve had instances in which it was so packed, a forty-​five minute wait was to be expected. So in that case, I’d recommend that if you decide to venture into the streets of Florence for this place– wake up early. I mean, as we Americans like to say, «the early bird gets the worm.»

Great location, sophisticated place, great and friendly staff… It’s one of the coziest place I’ve found in Florence.
Prices are average for the city, quality is high and they’ve wifi so heaven for students and freelance :)
Love their brunch and music selection (thanks Karina!)

Enjoyed a Beautiful Sunday brunch morning here. We arrived early and realized they didn’t open till 10am which gave us time to overlook the menu. The staff is very friendly and the food is Amazing super tasteful, music atmospheres is also very enjoyable. A must if you’re in Florence. Thank you

This place located very close to Santa Crocce is great: beautiful, good food, super welcoming. I had a very good American brunch here today and i hope to be back soon. Do not expect anything Florentine or Italian here, except for the high wooden ceiling: you are traveling directly to the US for a very American experience food-​wise, and in a beautifully decorated place, wood, mosaic tables, a very nice mix. It is the perfect place if your are hungry around 11am/​12am in a week end.
I had eggs with spinach and feta, which come with potatoes, salad and French toasts. The eggs were super well cooked, I mean by that not over cooked as often, and spinach seem fresh: it was a very good omelet. I do not care so much for salad but a lot of thoughts were put on the potatoes with a very good sauce, it was not just random potatoes thrown there with zero or bad dressing. Then, I had pancakes. I am no expert but there were very good, even compared to the one i Had in new york. The syrup and chocolate were good too.
Delicious American experience in Florence! It is also a coffee place serving pastries — which i have not tasted yet.

Great, tasty American breakfast in Italy!
It’s a little walk from the main center but worth it.

Le Vespe is warm and welcoming and offers organic food at an affordable price. It’s such a cute and cozy café and the staff is extremely sweet. I can’t tell you how many times I came here to get my breakfast/​brunch fix while I was studying abroad. It not only became a go-​to spot for brunch but also to grab a quick cup of coffee.
Some of my favorite dishes at Le Vespe were the breakfast wraps which were filled with eggs, cheese, potatoes, pico de gallo, and avocado and their pancakes. You really can’t go wrong with anything on their menu. I’ve also tried their dessert and they have the best carrot cake!
Though the café is small and there is usually a wait during peak times, it’s also a good place to study or get work done when it’s not as busy.
Definitely stop at Le Vespe to get your brunch fix — it’s such a hidden gem.
*Free wifi

A healthy gem in Florence… and a welcome break from the pasta and meat and dairy.
Surprisingly good veg/​vegan food and juices and smoothies and salad. And very benign jazz and vocal music… Recommended!

We have come back to Le Vespa twice since being in Florence. You really can’t go past the food and coffee here. On the first day we had the granola and the annex breakfast. The fruit used with the granola was perfectly ripped. The star of the food is the bacon and sliced potatoes that come with the savoury breakfasts. The second time my husband and I came back, I had the Logan breakfast wrap. This wrap was amazing with its eggs, sausage, avo, cheese and this tasty Mexican sauce. Then we get to the coffee. You have to have a cold drip ice coffee. They use beans from Guatemala that have sensational after taste. They use different arabica beans for their espresso, which have a good depth to the coffee. The prices are more then reasonable for the portion sizes. The staff are extremely friendly. We will probably be back for breakfast tomorrow!

It came recommended. It’s ok. Has a variety of egg dishes and they weren’t bad, just nothing standing out for praise. Rather bland, actually. Found myself wanting to use Tabasco to put a pulse in my dish. Coffee is ok, average by Italian standards. This place caters to a lot of students and ex-​pats Americans and other English speakers. Service was about the same as Paris during Bastille. Translation: get the coffee first, so you don’t fall asleep before your order gets there. English breakfast is served, too, but mostly, the other dishes like Eggs Florentine, ought to have been stellar, but the others in my company were underwhelmed. For 18e, I should have been thrilled.

«Mother tongue» chef.
Everything is organic.
Incredible playlist of music.
This must be the place for a full english/​american breakfast or lunch.
Maybe the service is a little bit slow (that’s why 4 stars) but absolutely go for it fellas!!!

The Sunday brunch is fantastic, but you might want a reservation because it’s no secret.

I’m studying abroad in Florence and went here to satisfy my American breakfast needs.
Make sure you make a reservation! I was with 2 other girls and fortunately they gave us a table, but the host almost didn’t let us eat there.
I ordered the king which is 2 eggs, 2 pieces of bacon, sausage, 2 pancakes, maple syrup, and potatoes. It was GREAT.
Will definitely be returning to Le Vespe.

Died and went to food heaven. Not only do they have smoothies and juices, their brunch/​lunch menu is incredible. I split the grilled cheese (with spinach, bacon and caramelized onions) and mushroom burger (with truffle oil) with a friend of mine — we were more than satisfied.
This place is my new obsession and I will definitely be back!!!

Great little brunch spot, café and bar on the east side of downtown Florence. The owner (s) are from Toronto and the brunch menu is named after Toronto neighbourhoods and streets. It took us a second to clue into this because it just seemed so normal at first, but then we remembered where we were.
Great vegan options and well labelled menu. They serve breakfast very day of the week until 5pm, as it truly should be.
The tofu scramble aka «The Junction» was a little on the small side and could have used a bit more flavour, but they had just returned from vacation and were short some items in the kitchen. I’m not aware of any businesses in The. Junction actually offering a tofu scramble but a girl can dream. Soy cappuccino was good.
If you’re from Toronto, ask them about their other bar, Sweaty Betty’s.

Wow, very surprised to find an american sized breakfast here at very affordable prices. Got an egg bagel sandwich, potatoes, salad, and a coffee… All of which was very tasty and served with a smile.
Fellow patrons here included locals as well as several American study abroad students. The employees here were friendly to all and replied in excellent English when I attempted to haltingly speak Italian.
Would definitely recommend.

The wasp café … or is that hornet? What is the difference? Anyway this California style coffee shop has got it all go’in on, amazing brunch great coffee and sweets, full menu of veg food and I love their smoothie /​veggie drinks. I have to come in the evening when they have tapas ;) Their carry away coffees are a little expensive, but I think that’s kind of normal here. The staff ladies here are really nice ! Sometimes service for food is a little slow so if you are in a rush I’d let them know ahead of time or just come here when you are not in a rush so you can enjoy the very laid back vibe that this place has going on. I think when I ‘m here and I could seriously be back in California, as I am usually surrounded by American students on laptops (and me too !)
I have tried their chocolate cake and I would rate it 3 stars … a little dry, but not bad. However their strawberry cheesecake looks so amazing it makes my mouth water just looking at it and I am definitely trying it next time!
a little tip … if you come here and order coffee close to closing time, sometimes the waitress will give you free refills ;) Thank you by the way !!

Like it. We had a leisurely brunch with a group of Unilocalers here on a Sunday. Based on this experience I can say: food is good; service is attentive to allergies, vegetarians etc; place is cue; reservations are useful.
I did not get the pancakes based on a previous Unilocaler’s review, but had the french toast which I liked. I tried a friend’s pancakes and regretted not ordering them, because I found them light and excellent. Maple syrup is available for an additional price, which as a Canadian I consider essential.