Decent place for lunch with a great location. The restaurant is across the square from San Lorenzo Basilica. It was early afternoon and the area was bustling with tourists. Luckily this Trattoria has an outdoor table that just opened up. So we took advantage of that and asked to be seated having given a quick perusal of the menu only moments earlier. Thus, We sat outdoors facing the Basilica, people watched and enjoyed the respite from a hectic morning. In terms of their menu offerings, it was pretty standard fare. Because we had dinner reservations a few hours away, we opted for a lighter meal — ordering a pasta instead of past, entrée, and dessert. I ordered their lasagna, a bottle of sparkling, and a bottle of wine. The lasagna was good, it did not disappoint. Was it the best I had for the trip? No, that as it turns out was Da Giovanni in Rome by the Termini station. And in Florence, Buca Mario served a better lasagna. Still this was solid. We were not rushed and enjoyed the respite from the throngs of tourists. In terms of being a few minutes from main tourist attractions, this offers a sensible dining option away from the crowds.
Nick R.
Place rating: 4 Melbourne, Australia
We come here every time we come to Florence. A good a la carter menu but also really reasonable«menù del giorno» deals which are very reasonably priced. The Steak Alla Fiorentina is really good. The wine list is extensive. The staff are lovely and the prices reasonable.
Shannon B.
Place rating: 5 Costa Mesa, CA
The best surprise of our trip. Lots of interesting pasta and Italian dishes I had never seen before. Busy place but service was good and I enjoyed the busy atmosphere. Was there with my kids and had a great time. Delicious!
Joe S.
Place rating: 4 Stillwater, MN
Fantastic pasta! Had the pasta with wild boar sauce, mushroom ravioli, lasagna, and spaghetti. My wife wouldn’t mind eating there every night but too many restaurants and not enough time!
Chris L.
Place rating: 5 South Melbourne, Australia
Best lasagna I’ve ever tasted.
Kody W.
Place rating: 5 Washington, DC
This place is intimate and dated but has a warm and cozy feel. The food is simply amazing and the staff can give you excellent recommendations — trust them, and keep eating. You may be in pain, but it’s a good pain.
Tom A.
Place rating: 4 Etobicoke, Canada
Eggplant parmagean, Osso buco with peas, and ravioli with mushroom truffle oil were all very good. Surprisingly good given its touristy location, really.
Kirk J.
Place rating: 5 Alameda, CA
Great food, the service was excellent and the staff were very friendly and helpful. We had the Caprese salad to start, then risotto mare and tortellini in a tomato crime sauce. A definite recommend for those hungry travelers.
Pete T.
Place rating: 5 Bakersfield, CA
Don’t listen to the fools below who don’t know Italian cuisine. The lasagna here is exceptional, the white beans remarkable and the tomato/buffalo mozzarella salad exceptionally simple. Wine list as well as food prices are reasonable. Not a tourist trap.
Janel H.
Place rating: 4 New York, NY
I had the lasagna. In all seriousness, it was bomb. Not the bestestestest I’ve ever had but my standards are pretty high so this one is a definite hit! Yay! «Real Gs move in silence like lasagna.» — Lil’ Wayne.
Stephanie F.
Place rating: 5 Ocoee, FL
We always come here when we are in Florence. We are never disappointed! Try the Tagliata with Rocket and Parmesean. The steak is always perfect. The space is cozy and the staff is super friendly, they may even offer you some grappa on the house!
Mark E.
Place rating: 4 Travis, TX
My mom and I are visiting Florence for the first time, and I found this place here on Unilocal and decided to check it out. I really enjoyed it. We went early – around 7 p.m. – so the place was still pretty quiet. It’s in a great location a short walk from the train station and right next door to the San Lorenzo basilica. The staff was very friendly, the prices reasonable and the portions very satisfying. I had the chicken breast with sweet peppers, and my mom had the chicken cacciatore. Both were excellent. I would definitely return here.
Ferial F.
Place rating: 4 Santa Monica, CA
Nice trattoria with extensive menu, good food, good lasagna, great location. Staff are friendly & menu has english translation. The ambiance superior to typical trattorias around town.
John S.
Place rating: 5 Buena Park, CA
Note: I only give out 5 stars to surprisingly EXCEPTIONAL, best-in-class establishments. I ordered the bistecca alla fiorentina and it was well prepared. While the food isn’t complex, it’s delicious. It’s so simple and tasty that you’ll wonder why we don’t have reasonably priced restaurants like this in the United States. The service is very personable and genuine – it feels almost like you’re being taken care of by an old friend or family member. Their wait staff don’t put much towards fanfare or «serving theatrics,» so you’ll be treated like a local. The restaurant is small, but comfortable. They offer free Wi-Fi access, so even if you choose to enjoy a simple meal/snack & glass of wine/coffee you’ll do well to take a break here. The wine list is quite impressive, with offerings ranging from everyday selections to special«Super Tuscans» like Ornellaia. I enjoyed a nice glass of a Tuscan red for 6 euro. The bar area is interestingly adorned with currency from all over the world, and I was surprised to see two patches from the California Highway Patrol and Alaska police as well. I highly recommend this lovely restaurant. I’d tell you to let them know that Johnny sent you, but it wouldn’t do any good because they don’t know me.
Geraldine S.
Place rating: 3 Chicago, IL
My family and I read past reviews and decided to give Trattoria San Lorenzo a try. Impression: cute small restaurant, nicely located on corner of the square. Friendly service at entrance. I really liked that they collect bills from around the globe and use them to decorate the bar area. Food: We started with the mixed salad(greens, tomato, carrots and turnips) simple but good. My mother ordered the vegetable soup, it was fair. The rest of us had: gnocchi with four cheese(fancy Mac n’ cheese), ravioli with mushrooms(best dish we ordered very tasty however wish they served 1 – 2 more raviolis), we also had the seafood pasta(good portion, also fair). We finished with dessert — homemade tiramisu. Delicious! Overall, friendly service but average small portion plates.
Sammie S.
Place rating: 5 San Luis Obispo, CA
Amazing service, food, & clean bathrooms! After walking through Medici museum my family and I stumbled across this trattoria and were pleasantly surprised. The gnnochi was unbelievable and the lasagna bolognese tasty too, highly recommend!
Stephie Z.
Place rating: 3 Atlanta, GA
I was recommended to this small restaurant from some so called food people. I can’t say that I thought it was amazing, but I did think the service was great and the food was good. We started with the polenta bruschetta special. Basically polenta has been formed into bread slices and then topped with items. On the menu it seemed to show a meat version and a mushroom version. Apparently they are one in the same since they brought out four toasts– 2 of each. A problem for my vegetarian dining partner and I(who doesn’t eat four leggers). The mushroom version was good, but I could have made the exact same dish with some trader joes polenta logs. The best dish was probably the handmade gnocchi. It was super cheesy and quite good. We also got a mushroom pasta dish that honestly doesn’t stand out in my mind nor does the other pasta dish since i can’t even remember what was in it. I do remember service being quite good so that and the gnocchi were the only standouts to me.
Maria G.
Place rating: 4 Los Angeles, CA
The location and ambience of this restaurant was perfect. Our waiter was kind and pretty attentive. I got the Spaghetti San Lorenzo, which was super good. The tomatoes tasted very fresh and the dish had a little zesty kick to it, which I enjoyed. The winner at my table, however, was the lasagna. I have NEVER tasted lasagna that good! I’d come back to Florence just for that lasagna!
Heather L.
Place rating: 3 Chesterfield, United Kingdom
Well, after reading reviews, I’m wondering if I ordered incorrectly. I stopped in at lunch, sitting next to a row of Italians, so I figured it had to be pretty good. I also kept seeing it as I would trek through the piazza, so I thought I would stop in. My waiter was attentive, although there was another waiter who was dealing with tourists outside and he was visibly frustrated and seemed to be dragging his feet when having to go back out there. I saw fried polenta with mushrooms and cinghiale, so I knew I had to have that to start with. And while I was back on the Cinghiale bus, I decided to go with the pasta with Cinghiale as well. You can never have too much pork! Anyway, they have a sparkling water tap! So I got this beautiful bright blue carafe of sparkling water, although the glass on my table had lip marks on it before I took a sip… the waiter quickly exchanged it when i pointed it out. My starter came out and while it looked delicious… it was… well really disappointing. The mushrooms were really soggy and looked like they had been drowned in oil. The polenta slices didn’t taste fried, in fact they didn’t have much flavor at all and actually had a stale texture to them. The Cinghiale was nice, but I just kind of ate it without the polenta and kind of just avoided the mushrooms. The pasta came out and looked great, the sauce was a bit watery, but I did eat all of it. I think the pasta was homemade, which was a nice touch, but it wasn’t my favourite Cinghiale of this trip. Plus it was a bit on the pricier side, although I expected that from this high traffic area. Maybe the other dishes are better, but I probably won’t be back on this trip for another meal.
Chris M.
Place rating: 2 Gennevilliers, Hauts-de-Seine
Moyen… pas l’impression de rentrer dans un restaurant typique italien. Ils sont plutôt habitués au touristes, le serveur parlait toutes les langues. Les spaghetti de ma femme etaient pas mal mais ma pizza vraiment pas bonne. Sauce tomate en boîte, pâte dure et cuite au four classique. Nous né sommes pas amateurs de vin dont ce restaurant a l’air réputé. Il ya mieux a florence.
Brian w.
Place rating: 5 Miami, FL
Firstly, map pin was wrong when we checked — corner of the next plaza over. Food was fantastic — meat LASAGNA with Bechamel sauce around it was beyond Perfection. Rich, not too tart, meat melted in your mouth, toasted on the edges. Oh man it’s gonna ruin lasagna for me when I get back to the states… We also had vegetable soup, prosciutto, and simple tomato/basil/garlic/oil pasta. Service was friendly and quick without being intrusive. Would come back here for sure, and to try new dishes!