Ristorante Alla Vecchia Bettola Firenze

This restaurant is like walking into your Nonna’s house - it’s warm, inciting, authentic, wine bottles on every table, and everyone knows each other. The food is some of the best I’ve had in Italy - nothing complicated but so much flavour and so delicious. A true local gem and can’t wait to come back one day!

Amazing experience and great food and staff. Love sitting with strangers who share the same adventure of travel and food. Recommend a reservation as it’s always packed

Nothing but good things to say about our experiences here. Ate here 10+ years ago and it was outstanding then too! After this previous lunch, we decided to book reservations for our last two dinners in Firenze with them.

Definitely a restaurant frequented by both locals and tourists alike, great for experiencing a bit of authentic italian culture. We ordered the penne alla vodka and tagliatelle raggu, both were delicious. Do come early when they open at 7.30pm, as the restaurant fills up quickly. Maybe skip the carpaccio as it was only average in our opinion.

Busy operation restaurant, i would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visit to Florence. The steak taste so good, big portion i cant even finish. Overall the food quality and taste is high quality, me and my friend are really enjoy it! Staff there are polite and friendly, food also serve very fast, even busy we are not waiting for too long. Ambience is great, could have more table. Keep it up the great job! Hope to visit you again.

An unforgettable dining experience in Florence! The ambiance is amazing, the staff are incredibly helpful, and the food is truly authentic. Paired with a great house wine, it’s a must-visit spot for anyone in the city. Make the effort to dine here—you won’t regret it.

Perfect place for lunch, I really enjoyed the hustle and bustle of a busy restaurant. Super popular and I can see why. I had the Penne Vodka dish and it was 10/10. Good sizes as well!

A decent spot on the outskirts of Florence. We had the penne Bettola and Conchiglie and they were good, not the best pasta dishes I’ve ever had, but still good. You can also get the house wine which is €5 a person and you can drink as much as you want from the bottle. The service was okay, we were waiting outside the restaurant when they opened and they sat everyone else down before us even though we were there first. They also sat some people beside us and were passing our condiments back and forth between us and the other customer (oil, bowl of Parmesan). The patio is also situated on a pretty busy street.

"We saw this place on one of Giada De Laurentiis' shows and took her recommendation. It was worthwhile for sure as the experience (paired with good company) made it memorable. It's small-medium inside, but packed with happy customers, and I'm intentionally using the key word 'packed'. The food was good (i had the pappardelle with ragu & fungi/mushrooms. We also got the pears & cheese appetizer, but I wouldn't recommend ... it was an overly simple peeled pear with two basic cheeses. We got the house wine, which was fine, but next time I'd try one of their other options. We later dove into 3 desserts which were terrific. Service was friendly & efficient. In summary, 4 stars is earned for the atmosphere & experience, and excellent desserts.

PENNE ALLA BETOLLA STAND UP! This place was absolutely the most authentic restaurant I have been to in Firenze. I think I was the only one who didn't speak Italian in the place lol. I was brought here by fellow American who has been living in Florence for the past 4 years, so I knew it was going to be phenomenal. This was head and shoulders the best Penne Alla Vodka (Penne All Bettola) I have ever had in my life, and I've some great PAV in my day. Coining that acronym haha. I don't even have words to describe how good that PAV was. It was delightful. We also got the Rosbiffe di categoria, which was a thin slice of beef cooked rare. It too, was delightful. But not life changing like the PAV. I didn't get a picture of the meat as I was pretty deep into the 1.5L bottle of house red that they provided so that's on me y'all. It is communal dining so we were sitting at a table with 3 strangers, but as I've said in prior reviews I find this kind of fun. You have the option to engage or not with some randoms. You should talk to strangers though you can learn a lot. It was filled to the brim in there, so make a res if you can. We walked in at 9:15 ish and had about a 20 minute wait.

Food is awesome! Get reservations because it can get so busy. Staff is fast. You may be seated with other guests in the same table. The theme is family so expect to share. I highly recommend.

Good not great I was really excited to try this place because it was highly recommended by a friend, but it just didnt blow my mind. We tried the melon prosciutto, penne alla bettola and the roastbeef, they were all good but not necessarily special. This place is not in a tourist area and is by all means more of a locals spot, but I just didnt feel it was worth it to go out of our way to try it. The staff was super busy and it was hard to get their attention, outside seating was really uncomfortable.

Good value, service and food. The menu had about what you'd expect. The in expensive wines were well curated.

Very cute and homey feel. Feels like you are eating in someone's house (in a good way). The food is very good and flavorful. The penne alla Bettola is one of the best I have ever had and very good bread. Very nice staff. Food comes out fast.

The best of Florence. We ate here because it was close to our apartment and realized we were staying next to one of the best restaurants in town.

Amazing! The pasta was to die for. Super rich in flavor cooked perfectly. The serving sizes are great and prices are very reasonable. I believe we got a vodka pasta and it was truly my favorite.

This place was recommended to us by our waitress from the night before! It was absolutely amazing and such a great experience! We got the penne vodka and the filet and veal. Highly recommend!!!

Picture it. You've been walking ALL day. I mean ALL DAY. Your iPhone says you've walked nearly 10 miles. So, of course, you're famished. It was packed when we arrived. It was after 9:00, & we were told the wait would be at least 20 minutes. Given the later hour, & the crowd, that actually sounded reasonable. The overall vibe is BUSY. This is family style & casual. Perfect for a low-key night. A trusted foodie friend back home recommended this spot, & glowingly so. Perhaps this set my expectations too high. Or, maybe it's because I really just don't care for tripe. But, in my defense, even the pasta w vodka sauce was surprisingly mediocre. Our server was helpful; equal parts amused & unaffected by our tourist status. But the experience was more fun & lively than it was great food. They definitely get bonus points for location; this is not a touristy area. But, alas, this is not the stuff of which my pasta dreams are made of. Sigh 3 stars

This restaurant is off the beaten path and it's so worth the journey. Right next to piazza Tasso, this is a restaurant that really knows how to cook Italian cuisine. This is one of my favorite restaurants I've been here so many times and it never ever disappoints. Incredible food and a great ambience I highly recommend this restaurant.

Excellent food in a non touristy area. Rustic feel. Authentic flavors. Loved the egg plant side dish. Husband loved penne with vodka and lemon meatball ( great combo of flavors- who would have thought?) Service was friendly.

Our best meal yet! We had squid pasta, penne with vodka sauce, tortellacci sulle noci and a delicious white wine and a veal stuffed with artichoke. Everything was delicious

Alla Vecchia Bettola was among the best meals we had during our stay in Florence! It's classic Tuscan, loud boisterous and full of life! The Penne alla Bettola is not to be missed. We also ordered a side of beans that were simple, yet amazing! The cover charge include water which is really nice, and the house wine is €4 and fantastic. Make the trek out here and you won't be disappointed. Forget Giostra, this is the best of Firenze!

Quite possibly one of the best Italian meals I've ever had. We had a penne alla Bettola (vodka), pappardelle ragu, eggplant parmigiana, and a spinach and beef dish. Every single one was a knockout. Note that we were stuffed from eating at Osteria Franchescana earlier in the day (also amazing!), but the food was so good we cleaned our plates. Must go!

-Thank goodness we decided to step out of our comfort zone and ask a local for his recommendations on where to eat. We found a gem! Every single thing we got was divine. -The Florentine Steak is definitely something to rave about. Every bite was full of juicy flavor and the meat was premium quality. I devoured a 750g steak all by myself. -The fried zucchini flowers that came with it was crunchy and delicious. -My friend got a pasta dish and I helped her eat that too! I think I had a legitimate food baby after my visit to this restaurant but I wouldn't think twice about going again! I want to try everything there!

The BEST, neighborhood traditional Tuscan restaurant in Florence Italy. This is the place to try a Florentine steak, perfect pasta and trust the local house wine. We went twice in 5 days.

Loud, busy & fun filled dining experience w/everything on the menu in Italian. Everything is fast pace especially the interpretation of each menu item, yikes.

Noisy and fun, couples are seated with other parties at tables for six. Clean restroom with a well-appointed stall for each gender and a wide hand washing area. Ask for Vino Rosso Della Casa, and get your own 1.5 liter bottle for 4 euros/person. Actually the prices are very reasonable when you consider how large the portions are. Our friendly server understood that some couples like to split their entreés. He suggested that our order should come out in a specific sequence. You must not miss the meatballs! They are garlicky awesome and so tender, lying in a pool of yummy tomato sauce. The lasagna al forno was pillowy soft, almost frothy with cheese, but very little tomato sauce. We also enjoyed the cooked beans (fagioli al'uccelletto).

A nice little restaurant with good food, great ambiance and friendly service. My rating is for the food only, which is simple and tasty. Here is what we had: - Grilled pork chop - great. Cooked to perfection and it melts in your mouth. They serve it with a wedge of lemon which is all this dish needed - a dash of lemon and a pinch of salt. - Fusili pasta with eggplant sauce - very good, hearty dish. - Rigatoni with meat sauce - just like the above mentioned dish, the pasta was cooked to a perfect al dente and tasted great. - Boiled potatoes - good although a little underseasoned. They serve it drizzled with olive oil and tuscan herbs. It was a welcome addition to the pork chop, albeit the EUR 5 price tag was excessive for this sort of dish. The service was friendly and the waiters spoke English.

Lovely food and lovely company! The traditional menu that changes daily enjoyed by locals and lucky in the know insiders on family style tables made our Florence trip. We sat outside and enjoyed the traffic table side.

With almost two weeks exploring Firenze, Sienna, and then off to Rome... this was without a doubt the best meal of our trip, and one of the top 5 in my life. We didn't have a reservation (you really should book one... otherwise, you'll probably end up walking away without a table... especially on a weekend), but managed to convince them that we'd eat quickly and wouldn't be in the way of a 9pm reservation (we showed up as soon as the door was opening for dinner service at 7pm). If your Italian isn't very good... there will be some struggles, but it's doable. My Italian is almost non-existent, but my restaurant/food Italian is pretty good. :) We decided that we should go all out and order a full Italian meal... (minus appy's). The wife and I ordered the same primi... a penne in a vodka cream sauce... OMG!!! Was so good I needlessly ate bread just to get all the sauce off the plate.... secondi... she went for a pork chop... the thing was almost the size of my wife's head! I had the steak... again... super huge... but both were SOOOoooo good. Her pork could have been a little less cooked (almost to the point of being dry... but not), but my steak was perfection. At the end... the wife ordered tiramisu (her fav desert...) and it didn't disappoint either. It was a very rustic serving of it, but was so tasty (I was almost loosening a notch at this point)... The house wine was served as a bottle on the table with a per person charge, and if that bottle had emptied, they would have brought another. So... I've suggested any of my friends that happen to be in Firenze to go here... and I'd highly suggest ANYONE to do the same. For the meal, the prize was a great deal I thought... yes it was a little more than most of our other meals, but the quality, the service... the atmosphere... priceless!

Are you looking for presentation, or quality of food?? If you seek the latter, this is certainly where you should be! So far the BEST Bistecca alle Fiorentina I have had. Not the prettiest, they don't go out of their way to make it a spectacle. But if you want an excellent quality of meat at a great price, along with an extremely friendly staff, this is where you need to make your reservation! And the table wine comes in 1.5l bottles and is very good! Also I had the ribollita to start and it was amazing!

Fantastic pasta, friendly staff, and a sense that this is the place that locals frequent. Try the prosciutto and melon for an appetizer, then the penne and maybe the Florentine steak if you're a carnivore (brace yourself though, it's huge).

Came here for dinner alone around 7:30 when the restaurant was relatively empty. Ordered prosciutto and melon, a fresh pasta with a ragu made with meat and mushrooms which were both delicious and the portions were decent. Finished with cheesecake for dinner and was satisfied. The service was friendly and efficient.

Amazing authentic Tuscan cuisine. My wife and I went here on our honeymoon with our italian tour guides Marco and Yylena. We had bisteca florentine, pasta with rabbit, charcuterie and angel hair with white truffles. This place is vibrant and real deal italian. Also in a great area in florence called oltrano. Def stop by here

Plan to spend an evening here. Wonderful, feels more like a local crowd and you can't beat the giant wine jug on the table! Our meal was extraordinary just as many meals in Florence but coupled with the warm evening, the sidewalk table and the local feel, this was one of our favorite stops. Highly recommended.

The steak. You must try the steak. The place is out of the city center which lends to its charm. I will forever have dreams about the steak.

Very typical Florentine restaurant, you are likely to eat with other people at the same table. You can find all the specialties from Florence, such as Ribollita or Lampredotto (a very rare dish to find in restaurants). They buy meat from one of the famous butchers at Mercato Centrale (Nerbone). Great quality and nice wine list, a bit on the expensive side.

Fantastic setting and food, accommodated us for a 15-person party! Great crostini, salumi, vegetarian beans and cheese, spicy pasta, and I had the rosticciano (roasted ribs) as a main course. Very small and private. Only thing is the house wine gave me the worst hangover later. Maybe I didn't eat enough to balance out the wine? Hm.

Didn't have reservations so I had to wait for a table, but, the wait was totally worth it. The food was delicious and the energy in there was great! I would definitely go there again.

Very good food all around. The house penne Bettola was very good. Right balance of cream and flavor. Also got the rigatoni bolognese with mushroom. Both pasta dishes were served al dente of course. Our first meal in Florence would not be complete with Florentine steak, which was a solid 32 once t bone served rare. Very good as well except the steak was chewier than I expected. Despite the $$$ price tag, I thought the price was very reasonable for the quality of food.

Loved this place! Just because we had the best waiters ever! They were super friendly and recommended fantastic dishes! The gnocchi was perfectly cooked and you could tell it was freshly made! Everyone was happy with their dishes!

Amazing, amazing, amazing- there was a healthy mix of tourists and locals. We had heard about this spot from a few friends as a must, so we called and made a reservation for our family. We arrived promptly at 7:30 for our reservation and were seated immediately. We started with fruit and cold cuts for appetizers for our party of 14. I chose pasta with mushrooms for my first course, and then the grilled pork for my second. Both were amazing and I was forcing myself to continue eating because everything was so good. We ordered the florentine steak for the table, and it did not disappoint. You must go when in Florence. Make a reservation to get a guaranteed seat!!

best beef steak ever! other dishes are ordinary, and generally too salty for me. the florentina is amazing!! tender, juicy, no strong beef flavour. with balsamic vinegar, paradise :-Q!! four girls shared a 1kg steak, just fantastic!

Wonderful service, great environment and even better food. I go here every time I am in town! Whatever you order will be one of the best things you've tasted!!

If you lived in Firenze, this is where you would go. I agree with the rave reviews for this restaurant. Be aware that a reservation is needed most evenings.

The food was very good but the service was horrible. We were rushed through the meal, with all plates arriving at the same time. We had to ask twice and then get up ourselves finally to even see a wine list. The wine arrived after our meal. We finished our meal in twenty minutes and then had to wait 45 minutes for our check. We never received the salad we ordered and were charged for two glasses of house wine that we did not drink. The waiter was rude and unapologetic.

We ate here on April 5th upon a couple of local's recommendation for Bistecca Alla Fiorentina. The place was packed with locals--it was noisy, but had a warm atmosphere. The bistecca was the best steak we have ever had--it was cooked and seasoned to perfection. Our son had the spaghetti pomodoro and that was so simple, but delicious as well. We have since tried to replicate the bistecca, but so have have been unsuccessful.

Bellissimo!! Such an amazing experience. A free flow of fantastic Chianti set int he middle of the table, as much as you can drink for 4 euro. Communal tables allowing you to interact with others. And the food!!! The lemony veal meatballs were otherworldly, as was the house penne pasta. Simple food that is simply amazing. We wish we had been able to go more than once.

Best place we ate in Florence! Quite a hike from town but worth it. The servers were great and took their time to explain the menu in English (every dish!). The penne pasta dish was the best pasta dish we had in Italy - tomatoes, chili and cream. Yum! We shared the florentine steak and it was cooked perfectly, wish we could replicate that at home. A mix of tourists and locals but given the location mostly locals and expats.

Best meal in Florence! Most definitely worth leaving the busy tourist areas and dining at this local gem, my boyfriend and I were the only tourists in sight. The service is warm and welcoming and the food made us come back a second night. Be sure to order the penne pasta dish, its finger licking good! Check this place out, you will not regret it :)

I took gluten cutter enzymes just to eat here as our first meal in Florence, Italy. The penne and the pappardelle are to die for and the steaks were very good. The inside atmosphere is like your favorite Italian family's kitchen with outdoor seating on the busy street to boot if you choose. Get the melon and prosciutto and some house wine to start then stay for first and second courses and add some divine tiramisu and gelato at the end. Worth every penny.

This place is the real deal. We have been scouring florence for good authentic italian restaurants and found a gem in Alla Vecchia Bettola. Menu is in italian, although waiters speak english fluently, and the food is classic tuscan. We got the meatballs, and the penne pasta (with a creamy tomato sauce). The meatballs are in a pomodoro sauce that is perfectly spiced and salted. We also got the tiramisu for desert, which was tasty. Definitely check this place out. Total was 34 euro, and more than enough food for two people.

This place was authentic and amazing. We got lucky and stumbled across it, but it was full of real Italians and the food was incredible. The service was great and menu was only on Italian but they were glad to help translate. Best Italian dinner we had in a 10 day trip by far.

Amazing food & service. If you are looking for the local experience, this is it. Make a reservation, if not it's worth the wait.

Alla Vecchia Bettola came highly recommended, not only by the staff at the hostel where I'm staying, but also by several websites. Unfortunately, I think they are overrated. They are pricier than most other restaurants in Florence, but the bisteca florentina was surprisingly bland, and the pasta sauce tasted like it came from a can. Even the prosciutto was a little disappointing. It wasn't a bad meal, but there are a lot of better restaurants with lower prices.

By far the best food you will ever eat in your life. It's delicious, it's incredible, you will go through the 5 stages of grief because upon having your first bite you will realize that this is what has been missing from your life! Definitely get the spicy tomato pasta and the figs and prosciutto. The menu changes daily but if they make it again get the roasted beef. I was eating it in paper thin portions because the flavor... impeccable. Make reservations and for sure get the unlimited wine that is 4 euro a person!!