Essenziale

A great restaurant! We had such a nice dinner, the service is very kind and the place has a great vibe. The food was excellent, an interesting interpretation on Italian cuisine in great quality. In our opinion the food was Michelin star worthy, in a much more comfortable price than the other options in the city. We will come back next time we’re in Florence.

What a fantastic restaurant! They don't have a michelin star yet but I am sure they will eventually. We had the tasting menu paired with some marvelous wines. Such a treat and extremely good value. Definitely worth a visit. We will be back ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a delightful surprise. This isn’t your garden variety spaghetti and meatballs place. This is food as art, a wonderful (yet casual) fine dining establishment. We had the “sharing menu” and it was a fantastic experience. Our server was immensely professional and helpful in guiding us to food and wine selections. The space is gorgeous (and it appears to be family friendly as well). I highly recommend this place if you’re on a multi-day Florence trip and need a break from pasta + red sauce.

4.4 | Food was good and incredibly creative, the chef is definitely trying to innovate which is fun to see. Given this some of the dishes were knock out and others were simply ok. Wine pairing was great and service was top notch. The atmosphere is wonderful, they have done a very nice job with the space. Overall well worth the price and would recommend folks give it a go.

The most embarrassing and disappointing meal we have ever had. We always enjoy seeking out tasting menu restaurants to appreciate the creativity of the chefs. We discovered this place on Google Maps, and it had received many compliments about its creativity and tastiness. Our concerns grew when we started reading the menu; everything seemed exceedingly basic. However, we hoped that the chef could elevate these simple ingredients to a new level. Unfortunately, every course was dreadful. It was the worst dining experience we've ever paid for. The whole idea of presenting itself as a tasting menu restaurant, charging 80 euros per person, is absolutely embarrassing. A tasting menu chef should have an exceptional knowledge of ingredients to craft each menu. Every dish placed on the plate should complement the others, enhancing both the flavours and the presentation. Being creative means not just attempting to impress people. This restaurant is attempting to exude a cool and contemporary vibe, but the ambiance felt more like a staff canteen. All the furniture looked very cheap and basic, far different from the expectations one might have for a tasting menu restaurant. All the starters arrived at once, creating a chaotic and confusing dining experience. The presentation was haphazard, dishes had no character, and they were not tasty at all. We were inclined to leave after sampling all the starters, but we thought that the pasta and main dishes might alter our perspective. The pasta dishes were a complete disaster. My husband's dish was undercooked, and when we brought this to their attention, they explained, "that's the style of it." I must emphasise that it wasn't just slightly undercooked; it was only half-cooked. I ordered cold spaghetti, which had an incredibly peculiar taste. It was cold spaghetti served in a thick sauce resembling teriyaki sauce. The spaghetti was slightly undercooked but not as bad as my husband's, and the mushrooms had a sour taste that was quite off-putting. The presentation was unappetising, with an excessive amount of aonori on top, making it look like a "modded-land." Encountering such poorly executed pasta as part of a tasting menu was profoundly disappointing, and it appeared that the kitchen lacked even the most fundamental pasta cooking skills. And we know what al dente means. As for the main courses, another disaster. We ordered chicken and fish. The fish came with sweetcorn and popcorn and had an odd artificial smell when it was brought to the table. It still had bones and scales, served cold, and although they explained that it was slow-cooked so it wasn't too hot, I must regretfully say it was tough, and the slow-cooking did not seem to help at all. The chicken was presented as a whole chicken breast on the plate with some sauce on the side, and it was dry and tough as well. Now, onto the desserts. We ordered the chocolate mousse with mozzarella cheese and shiso Panna cotta. They literally placed the cheese on top of the chocolate mousse, and that was it. We found this combination to be mismatched and unpleasant. And for the Panna cotta. This dessert had a terrible presentation, an unusual taste, and it was served at an extremely cold temperature. The young lady who welcomed us was very pleasant, but as a tasting menu restaurant, I believe the staff still need improvement. They didn't react when they noticed we weren't finishing most dishes, and the explanations they provided about the food didn't make sense to us. Unless you have a desire to dine in what feels like a staff canteen with terrible food, we fail to see any reason why anyone would recommend this place.

4.7 l Creative dishes in a renovated industrial work/dining space. Staff recommended best dishes Portobello Mushroom & Cabbage Cake, both very flavorful, also had the Artichoke Risotto, glasses of region wine, love the cafe cup topper and cutlery drawer. Excellent service! In/outside seating, accessible restrooms.

Restaurant in the heart of Florence with an original and very good menu. Excellent wines. The chef manages to combine different foods with a great balance of taste. Welcoming environment with young, kind and professional staff. Recommend to try.

Although, I could not order the menu set as I came alone But the food was great with the price as well as the taste. And I would love to visit again. First dish: Portobello with baked cheese was perfect and flavorful(maybe be a bit salty, for me) Main dish: Risotto raspberry, it was new to me! The taste was great, however, for me it would've been better if they added some meat to the dish! Dessert: Creme brulee was good but not wow, the creme taste was so intense in a way that it overwhelmed the other components(ice cream!)

I would love to give a higher review. The place is beautiful and our server was lovely. The first 2 dishes were amazing (insalata Mojito and beet carpaccio) should have doubled up on that and ended it. The lasagna nachos were decent , but our entrees were a big disappointment. Maybe my expectations were too high? Crispy rice with eggplant parmigiana and okonomiyaki were just not good. It was clear that we did not like them and I told the server when she asked but it didn't register and nothing was done expect to ask us if we wanted dessert. I would really like to recommend this place but the entrees were a big fail.

Unfortunately do not understand the hype. Very subpar dinner. The vibe was bizarre (awful music the entire time, like Jack Johnson songs that haven't been cool for 15 years) and the food was off (weird flavors served at weird temperatures, weird combinations etc).

Absolutely fantastic 4 course dining experience especially after the mostly mediocre local food options we found elsewhere in Florence city. Everyone in our group agreed it was very creative and delicious food as we were leaving the restaurant. .

Got the 8-course blind tasting menu, and what a totally bizarre experience it was. Some of the dishes were inspired and delicious. The beef tartare was a highlight. The squid pate with grapefruit on toast was excellent, as was the risotto with shrimp. But then other dishes were total misses in their combination of flavors. They weren't necessarily BAD, but they certainly weren't good. The onion with hazelnut butter was mushy, the endive with cheese sauce and coffee left you with an unpleasant aftertaste, the spaghetti with white tomato was syrupy and too sweet, the potato chip ice cream with apple for dessert tasted like nothing when you ate everything together, as the salt from the chip cancelled out the sweetness of the ice cream. I applaud the chef for taking chances and presenting something interesting, but it also needs to taste good, consistently. Tread with caution.

I arrived in Florence on a Sunday morning and this restaurant was just a few doors down from where I was staying. Lucky me because it was the most amazing brunch I have ever had and I come from foodie central, San Francisco! They offer a prix fixe brunch that offers three courses including coffee and water. You can't go wrong with any of the choices. The ingredients are fresh and unique, and the chef combines flavours that provide a culinary experience that you won't soon forget. I know I won't! Everything was crazy delicious and I had a serious and glorious food coma the rest of the afternoon. Not to mention that the staff is charming, attentive and I have to say... attractive! Seriously...you need to go.

We opted for the five course set menu and were not disappointed (though it was a very filling meal for all of us!). We loved the house salad which opened the meal. I could have eaten an entire bowl of that for dinner. Each course was a twist on a traditional Tuscan dinner but offered a creative mix of tastes and ingredients offered in a an eye-catching presentation. The portions are generous. Because risotto and pasta were included in the five course meal, we could have easily split the dinner between two people or opted for three courses (but we were greedy and wanted to sample as many dishes as possible!). The meal was a bit pricey but you will not be disappointed!

Amazing concept, food and execution. This is innovative Italian food with upgraded classics and some more daring dishes. I love the cutlery box built into the tables. Tasting menu highly encouraged. We did dine here in September 2017 and some of my favorite dishes included the tartare, risotto and olive oil ice cream. I would say the lighting is a bit too bright, although perfect for food photography.

Interesting twist on food. Service was nice. Decor was so so. The music did not match the ambiance. Loved the EVO oil ice cream.

Treated myself to the chef's tasting menu. It was amazing. Wonderful food, atmosphere, service.

We were astounded by the quality, creativity, execution and service at this wonderful restaurant. If you are interested in food and visiting Florence, cancel your other reservations and eat at Essenziale. DO NOT MISS THE WINE PAIRING OPTION! The drink pairings were incredible.