Finisterrae

I had a lovely breakfast at Finisterrae. A couple cappuccinos and a croissant with hazelnut filling. A fantastic spot to people watch on the Santa Croce piazza. My waiter Marco was lovely. I ordered a second cappuccino and he brought one over in less than a minute. I said i couldn’t believe how fast he was and he told me it was actually his cappuccino but he didn’t want to make me wait so he gave it to me. What a kind gesture. Highly recommend a stop here!

We had just come off a tour and wanted some decent food please note we had been though Europe for almost 10years and we had not felt the wow factor when it come to food , I'm happy to say today we got the wow factor food was absolutely stunning , so fresh so much flavor the texture of my pizza was Devine . Definitely on the to do list to come back .. staff members were amazing very kind :) we sat out the front right in front of the fans was really good . Would highly recommend if you haven't tried the best pizza in Europe yet head right on in ..

We came here at lunch time after a walking tour, recommended by our Italian guide. She eats here often, she said due to cheaper prices and lots of seating. There is a lot of seating. The restaurants goes far into the building. Prices are decent for a touristy place. The food was tasty. We sat in a patio in the back and there was air conditioning. We did not wait long for the food, which I was surprised about. The staff were kind. There is a cover charge (Coperto) of 2Wuro per person.

Must go to place for their liver paté, very smooth and flavorful. Their food was quite good, we had lasagna and fried rabbit with zucchini flowers, and overall good atmosphere.

A great spot to dine with excellent service—special thanks to Sanjay for making sure everything was perfect. The ravioli was delicious, and the salad was equally enjoyable. Definitely recommend.

Food was very tasty and fresh. the ice cream was made in house and it tasted very sweet and refreshing. The waiter was very nice and welcoming and the place was cool inside(perfect after being out on a hot summer's day) and full of beautiful rooms and furniture, and interesting decorations to admire. I would recommend anyone visiting or living in Florence should definitely have a meal at this wonderful restaurant.

Well, the food is great. We had a pizza and some drinks, and it was fine. The interesting part is tips. When we get our bill, it has “service not included” statement and 2€ per person was added to it (it was called “local tax” lol). It’s quite interesting I’d say. Usually in Italy they do include some tips to the bill by default, eg a few € / person, however it’s clearly indicated and called “coperto”.

We stopped here twice on our trip to Florence and ordered about 20 pastries between the two times 🤣 they were amazing!!! Such a fun little spot to grab a coffee and a delicious afternoon treat!

Great food, service and location. We were very happy with the pizza and salad. Staff are friendly and fortunately speak good English.

The best pastries,gelato, coffe. What a place great service clean restaurant. Right in the square.

Cute place to grab a iced coffee in a martini glass with a pretty fruit pastry Nice staff and great people watching place

UPDATE - Never had a bad meal at Finisterrae. Their pizza is excellent as is the rest of their offerings. We ordered a whole mess of pizzas and they were all excellent as was the service. Got a chance to say hi to my friend Colin, the owner, and it was good to know business was still going strong. Can't recommend highly enough.

This was our own fault. We were swayed by a social media couple I kind-of-but-not-really follow, who raved and raved about this restaurant. They told us to ignore the rule - the "it's in a tourist spot so the food will be terrible" rule - because the food here is top-notch and the service is incredible. Neither of those things turned out to be true. I wish I could be more generous in this review, but the only thing our time here had going for it was that we were in Firenze, hard stop. We were shown to a table right away, but that's because they were practically empty the night we showed up. We were facing the piazza, so had a good view of the Basilica behind us and the people enjoying the area. The waiter who I think was assigned to our table and our area was way more interested in hanging out with another waiter and checking in on a table of eight than tending to us and the only other table occupied near us that night. We had to try flagging him down for water, for wine, to place our order. He would see us, nod in our direction, start making his way over and then get distracted by something shiny or pretty and never make his way over to us. It continued like that for almost 20 minutes. I was fed up and ready to leave but my husband had no desire to try to find another spot after we'd invested so much time to this place. I wish we had just left. By the time we were finally able to order our food, we were famished. We started with a bottle of red and an order of the Bastoncini di pasta fillo agli asparagi (€14) - basically phyllo-wrapped asparagus served with a dipping sauce. For my main, I went with the Tortelli con punta di asparagi (€17) and my husband got the Trofie al ragu di agnello al punta di coltello (€20). The food was not good. If I were being super dramatic, I'd even call it inedible. The appetizer came out first, the phyllo-wrapped asparagus. It wasn't hot - not even warm, really. The phyllo was kind of soggy, not crispy, like you'd expect from something fried. And it lacked flavor. The dipping sauce was supposed to have pecorino cheese, but if it did, we couldn't taste it. The tortelli was a mushy, soggy, inedible mess. Have you ever tried to eat overcooked asparagus? Not a pleasant experience, and I don't know how they thought sending a dish like that out to a paying customer would be okay. I barely got three bites in before I had to stop, my husband glancing apologetically over at me every few minutes. But there was no part of me that wanted to shove subpar food into my face when we were surrounded by culinary greatness. The lamb ragu pasta that my husband ordered didn't fare much better, but at least he was able to stomach the meal. He did mention that the meat was chewy and the sauce was watery, and in a move that shocked me, practically dumped shredded parmesan over the plate before finishing it (him: "it needs flavor"). In the end, the waiter finally deigned to present himself to get our payment and didn't once remark on the untouched meal in front of me or the half-finished appetizer. I guess I wasn't really surprised by that, but it was disappointing.

My husband and I were starving and the little café we wanted to visit before heading to the Basilica di Santa Croce was jam packed and we didn't want to wait. We decided to walk towards the church, in hopes of finding something to eat. We came across Finisterrae and even though I thought it looked like a tourist trap, I was hungry and decided to eat here. Thankfully, I wasn't disappointed. This is a tourist place, there were quite a few tour groups being sat as we were finishing up, but the food is good and the pricing isn't too outrageous. The service was definitely fueled toward more tourists. It was quicker than most restaurants we visited and this was the only time I was told I must tip, which was weird. My husband left a few Euro for the guy, but I was off put and didn't appreciate that.

This place was recommended by our tour guide (shout out to Andrea) and after lord of walking we chose this place to have a bite. Unfortunately when we got there the place was already packed, but still managed to get a table. The service was a little disorganized cause they got a lot of people at the same time and I guess that was understandable. We had some delicious Prosecco to start with and I had the pizza Tricolore. Sooo soo good. Everything tasted so fresh and delicious.

Quattro Signiarli pizza with Classico Chianti and two fresh fruit tarts! Perfectto! Outside seating, inside w/AC. Excellenté. Staff service way above average: super friendly, attentive, welcoming = love this place.

The accompanying photos define the exceptional meals we definitely enjoyed for our first dinner in Florence. Our Italian is minimal, so I'm not certain if the staff would have preferred we ate outside. We were determined to sit inside and we're seated at a teeny tiny table with our shoulders against the wall in a virtually empty room. Ah well. My husband said his lasagne was the best he's had, so far, in Italy. My pizza was the Italian version of an American combination pizza, however each topping was in it's own section. Fantastico. The pomodoro sauce was fabulous probably San Marzano pompdoro which is best on earth. Molto bene. We're going back tonight.

Our first meal in Florence and they did not disappoint. Friendly service and a great meal. I had the crespelle (crepes) with ricotta and spinach. Kids had Caprese salad, lasagna and pizza. We finished everything.

Our first stop on the Florence food tour, Finisterrae is located not far from the Dante statue https://www.yelp.com/biz/monument-to-dante-alighieri-firenze?hrid=VCnkNR2vbmhT5h7l7GilOw on Piazza Santa Croce https://www.yelp.com/biz/piazza-santa-croce-firenze?hrid=F-vwabltV5509JwXrlJTwQ. We had a reservation and our party of seven (six tourists plus the tour guide) were brought to a comfortable table in the back. Today's bites was a simple antipasto to start the tour, get introduced to Firenze food culture and meet our fellow tour members. The bruschetta was quite simple but loaded with flavor. A slice of toasted baguette topped with chopped tomato and a sprinkling of basil. There is olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the table as well as grinders of salt and pepper, but it did not need any of that. Paired with it, a perfect Italian white wine. Crisp, clean, a great starter. Finisterrae also has a huge counter of pastries that look insanely delicious. Maybe next time. [Review 17030 overall - 228 in Italy - 546 of 2022.]

When we arrived there were not many people there, so we were able to place our drink and food orders pretty quickly. The drinks came out without any problems. We were not in a hurry, so we didn't pay much attention. The tables around us started filling up and since our waiter was responsible for a large number of tables due to a tour group we gave him some grace. However, all of the tables around us (that arrived after us) started getting their food. The waiter finally came over and apologetically explained that somehow our food order did not get submitted to the kitchen. He double checked what we ordered and submitted it. It still took some time. He did bring us another round of drinks. Our food finally came out. One dish was cold and the other was incorrect. At the end of the night, we were getting ready to leave and he brought the ticket. Even the family sitting next to us felt that we should not have to pay. While the waiter was apologetic, the manager never once came over to apologize or check on us. We had planned on dessert and coffee, but that was off the table after the poor service received. We would not ever go back and would certainly not recommend it.

Fabulous meal! The best one of our entire trip was at this place. Never that pasta was better in France than in Italy!!

Oh my gosh, this was by far the best experience I have had during my tour. The food was amazing but I can't say enough about Colin Russell and the staff. What an amazing group of people who treated us as if we were family. After a long 2 days of on-the-go with the tour I thought I had reached my tipping point until I arrived here. The atmoshpere and the staff totally rejuvinated me and along with some of my companions. Such a welcoming and enjoyful experience!! The pasta and the main course - Delicious and of course you have to save the sweets for last, not your everyday run of sweets these were sensational treats. Go and enjoy I guarantee you will not be disappointed. Michelle Wemyss Portland, OR

We really enjoyed the pizza while walking around the square. The crust was crisp not heavy or doughy, not a lot of smothered sauce but creamy mozzarella

Perhaps not wholly Italian, Finisterrae is nonetheless a delicious option with several Mediterranean specialties. Our group had several varieties of their pizzas and all said they were excellent. Personally I opted for the Napoli pizza and lamb chops. No complaints and excellent service.

Service was terrible!! Waited over 1.5 hours to receive the main courses. The waiter and manager offered no excuse or solution. When our food finally arrived, it was barely warm. There are many fine restaurants in Florence. Don't waste your time or money here.

I got the paccheri con orata, which was well cooked but under seasoned. The portion did include a good amount of sea bass and the pieces were not small. My friends got the tagliolini su crema di zucchine and were also underwhelmed.

Great location. Centrally located to all the shopping. My husband I are on vacation, wanted to try this place and decided to have dinner on our last night in Florence. We ordered the hummus appetizer that was delicious. The Seafood Paella is listed on the menu as for two with one price however I was told it was double the price (which is not listed on menu) as per person. We continued to order regardless of the price. It took them over an hour to prepare, once we received presentation was lovely but the food was a total disappointment. The risotto was under cooked, no real flavor besides the seafood. Seafood was simply described as mediocre, definitely not worth what we paid for. Restaurant off the busy paths are much better locally.

Two lunches. Two great successes. Andre was great fun to joke with Really enjoyed the antipasti available.

This place was recommended by our hotel and we enjoyed it very much. The location is very central, right by Santa Croce. The service was friendly and efficient. We split a bruschetta appetizer and I had the spaghetti of the sea. It was delicious. We split a nice bottle of prosecco and enjoyed the people watching.

Stopped for a quick lunch. The service was friendly and prompt. Best canoli I've ever had. The gluten free options were decent. The ability to get a reasonable nice light lunch and enjoy the outdoor seating was really wonderful.

Not every restaurant on a busy square in Europe is a below average touristy cash cow! Finisterrae was recommended by a local merchant and held up to its reputation. Note-worthy for its outdoor seating and cool interior design, the place has a great diverse menu, average wine menu and a to-die-for list of desserts. Unlike to other Italian joints that salads are missing off their menu, they had a good selection of salads. We split a salad, I had a pasta dish (Tagliatelle with pork) and my hubby had their branzino (sea bass) plate. Even though the owner's wife is Spanish but the menu is Italian. All dishes were absolutely great and they tasted as if they were homemade, cooked by an Italian grandma bossing around in the kitchen! While sitting in the restaurant we made conversation with the local gay couple (best visitor guide in any city) sitting next to us that let us know of a fantastic outdoor event that was going on that night. After the dinner we strolled to the show which was cherry on the top of our dining experience.

Quick, friendly service on a Sunday evening for dinner. I think we were a bit early for Italian standards so we had the place to ourselves around 7:30pm. There is both indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating has fans facing the tables and a beautiful view of St. Croce! We shared the caprese salad with avocado which was so fresh and delicious! We also loved the margarita pizza. It was the best pizza we've had so far in Italy! The house wine was super cheap, too. Their desserts looked tasty but we were so full so we had to pass.

OMG!!! Huge, delicious and cheap (just 1€) croissants exactly on the S. Croce church side!!! It's a miracle in a city center. Especially in Florence. You can have a really good breakfast without vaste your wallet! And it looks a very elegant place with smiling staff. Absolutely recommended! PS: highly recommended croissant with cinnamon and apple!!!

We had lunch for 4 while visiting Florence during a cruise. This location was recommended by our guide. If you checkin with Yelp you get a free glass of Prosecco. We order pizza, lasagna, pasta with boar, and pasta with mushrooms and sausage. It was very busy but the service was good. The only negative was the pasta in the lasagna was overcooked. We would recommend this restaurant while visiting the area.

My wife and I have come to Florence numerous times over the past five years and this place is the main reason why. The pizza is absolutely incredible! I've never been to another place that compares. Additionally, the wine is cheap and extremely good. As for the staff they have always been incredibly friendly helpful with the menu over the years. I highly recommend to anyone coming to this city!

Best lasagna in the world! We were told by a local guide that this was the case, and it certainly was. As I toured Italy, I ordered lasagna several times and this one stood out. Being that this restaurant is right next to the beautiful Santa Croce Basilica, one would expect overpriced mediocre "tourist" food. Not the case, this is world class food in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Pizza is amazing! The salad was so good with fresh cheese and the cannoli was the best! Highly recommend a stop here! Reasonable prices for the area

We were told that this is the best place to get gelato in Florence, and I have to agree completely!!!! I got a lemon gelato and my husband got the strawberry. We loved both flavors but in the end were fighting for the lemon. It was the had the perfect amount of tartness. We were upset we didn't get a larger size.

Pappardelle (veal Ravi sauce): 5 Pizza Margherita: 5 Paccher (pasta)i: 3 Price: 3 (on the higher side) Service: 4.5. They brought us bread, but it was with our meal. Woulda. Even a 5 if they'd brought it earlier. They weren't busy. Location: we ate outside at 10pm. Not many people, good view of the Santa Croce. Lots of fans, but there was a woman smoking next to us - lame, but we are in Italy...

Was invited to an event for lunch at this restaurant with a large group of ladies, so take this review with a grain of salt (because it was a large group and it was a set menu). Located by the Basilica di Santa Croce, its a great location to grab lunch. We were seated inside and the tables were already set for our group. The staff was very friendly, but they were rushed to meet the needs of our large group. Wine? Rosso di Montepulciano. Food? Selection of Pecorino cheeses. Good, but had better at other places. Broccoli souffle. Good, but was a bit soggy. Artichokes & seasoned pecorino cheese lasagne. This was my favorite of the 2 main courses. The artichokes were tasty and wish there were more of them. It was a bit heavy of a dish given that we had already been given cheeses & a souffle. Needed to run a couple of errands and did not get to try the dessert or coffee, but left satisfied.

3 words... NUTELLA FILLED DONUT. Need I say more? The pastries here are out of this world. Say the word Nutella and I'm in. The nutella filled donut is one of the best things I've ever eaten in my life; it's probably why I gained so much weight while I was in Italy...haha! The donut is warm, covered in sugar, and the nutella is practially melting out of it *drooling*. The nutella filled croissant is also amazing. You really can't go wrong with either of those. My roommates and I found ourselves coming here pretty frequently before breakfast because the food and coffee were so fantastic. The espressos and cappucinos paired with the nutella filled pastries are like eating and drinking foods sent by the gods; I'm really not exaggerating. You can also come here for lunch as well. In addition to that, they also have freshly made gelato. I will most definitely be coming back here the next time in Florence which I wish more than anything is sometime soon!!!!

Possibly the best lasagna I've ever had. The margherita pizza is also delicious as well. The service was fast and the food was excellent! Next time we're in Florence, we will be back!

We've been in Italy over two weeks, and the pizza here is the best we've had out of many places. The crust makes it, we went back twice. Don't hesitate, go!

Quality of food is really good. If you are interested in trying unique dishes this is the place for you and if not then they have a wide selection of pizza to chose from!

Lovely place near Santa Croce! I love the potato and oxtails. You won't go wrong with this place. Everyone walked away very happy and full :) Also there's a secret garden inside , it was very surprised when I saw it. It's so lovely

When you have half-day and one meal to spare in Florence, what is one to do? You could count your lucky stars you're in Florence...and not in...you know, Detroit. There are hundreds of options and to just pick one...if you'd be smart, you'd pick a comfortable chair in front of a picturesque square and order a lot of food. Finisterrae has many such chairs in just such a square. As with many restaurants, this one's tables spill from their doors onto the road, the precious interior rationed for gelato, alcohol and bathrooms. Picking Finisterrae was easy, the obvious choice after our Globus tour abandoned us inside a leather goods store across the Piazza Santa Croce. Yes, no tour is complete without forcing us to listen through a sales pitch. We were eager to leave and find someplace to eat. Instead of wandering like we often did, we decided to eat first and spend the rest of our short time in the city shopping and walking. We needed said walk considering how much we ate. You see, I discovered at Finisterrae that Italy has no sense of portion control. You can never order just a slice of pizza. And after enjoying a bruschetta pomodoro, I followed it up with a pizza, the only one I would ever order on my trip to Italy. It was good, really good, and it was also the size of a hubcap off an Alfa Romeo. Don't give me that look, there was only one size available, one price listed, with no indication of what I was getting. I thought it was going to be half the size of what I received. My mother brainwashed me from birth to finish my plate. She's European; that's what they do. No matter how full I was, not matter how much was left, my plate could be cleaned in two bites. Just two bites. I was fat as a child, not sure if that begs mentioning. Even more shocking was the pizza being cheaper than my mother's pasta. The pizza wasn't even that expensive (nine euros). We wanted to enjoy some tempting gelato, but after that main, I simply had no room (kind of wishing I had a hobbit's appetite right about now). Finisterrae also had a pastry store. I could do three reviews of this place and still have material for more reviews. It's trendy by day and romantic by night. Of course, that's an assumption--I can only imagine how beautiful Piazza Santa Croce looks after sunset. Fringe this square with water and it would fit perfectly in Venice. Finisterrae is positively Italian, even to the extent of not giving us a check even after us asking. I eventually had to walk right up to the till to request a bill. And the resulting receipt had no cover charge, nothing added for ambience. Yet another nail in that myth. Also, and this is only a cursory observation, we had front row seats to a band of cloth merchants getting into a fist fight over turf claims, yes the very same ones constantly forcing their wares in your face. The chairs around Finisterrae are fenced, another pleasant side effect of eating there. (Yes, I'm a pig, I ate the whole damned pizza. No one near me wanted a piece...because they all had their own pizza as well. If I was home, I would've taken half away in box.) Food: 4/5 Service: 3/5 Presentation: 5/5 Value: 3.5/5 Recommendation: 4/5

Loved the location and service. The food was delicious and we'll priced. Their desserts is what I will keep coming back for. Plus the atmosphere is that genuine Tuscan experience one wants in the shadow of the church and being able to people watch the Piazza.

This place is fantastic. I spent a month in Florence last summer and my roommates and I found ourselves here multiple times per week. Everything is delicious here. Especially the Nutella donut! You have to try it at least once Their pastries are to die for. So amazing. Another thing that is great is the cappuccino. That and the fresh squeezed orange juice! Yummmmm! We also came for lunch a bunch of times and got their pizza. I love the diavola because I love the pepperoni. You can finish the whole pizza if you don't stop yourself. Be aware that you have to pay for water. Here and at the majority of places in Europe. And of course, always finish your meal with gelato! They have great freshly made gelato. I loved the coffee flavor when they had it. It had coffee beans in it which was so great. Go to this place if you are in Florence. You won't be disappointed with anything you get.

A very nice bar with an old history, now renewed in its furniture and design Coffee break, breakfast, patisserie, ice cream and also restaurant People love it for the lil' pastries and they're right!

I LOVE FINISTERRAE!!! Last year I studied abroad in Florence for a month and this was pretty much our go-to place for breakfast and sometimes lunch. Our study center was down the street from Piazza Santa Croce. We actually found Finisterrae by chance while we waiting for the rest of our group to arrive at Santa Croce - and after that first day we were hooked! Caffe (espresso) = 1Euro Cappucino = 2Euro Assorted pastries = 1 or 2 Euro Definitely try their nutella pastry items (donut or croissant) if you are a nutella lover, it will not disappoint! They also have other varieties of pastries including one that has sweet rice (super awesome) and fruit ones. Definitely try this place out if you're in Firenze!

The food was fantastic and the view is also incredible. I had the pasta with crab, which is a must try. The ingredients are fresh yet so simple! It's called the Pichi. I would also try the octopus. Extremely fresh and cooked to perfection. If you come, you must eat outdoors. Enjoy the view of the piazza and take it all in as the bells of the church ring during your meal. The only reason I give it 4 and not 5 stars is the bread. It wasn't very fresh. Other than that, this place is excellent. The staff is very friendly as well. Stop here if you're in Firenze and make sure to order a bottle of Chianti!

Visited this spot with a few friends for dinner. First impression of the staff was agitated. We had one member of the group who was sweating and they did turn the fans on for us which was nice. After that anything we asked for, cheese or pepper, was not received well. The pizza was good with ricotta cheese in the crust which was new for us. This was the highlight of the meal as all of our pasta dishes were much to salty. The pasta was fresh but the over powering salt flavor took away from the dish. We finished with some gelato that was good but the Iced lattes were lukewarm and went to waste because of it. I usually stay away from places that are so close to tourist spots like basilica di Santa Croce, and should have stuck by that motto here.

AMAZING experience. Ordering a steak and salad, the restaurant will send you a FLY for free. The manager mentioned this FLY(called it 'big daddy') is not the regular size FLY, it is a super big FLY and been cooking by the light bulb above your head. There are lots of FLIES fly around the restaurant. Having lunch right now may get 'big daddy' brother or sister! Hope somebody who is going to the restaurant can get this huge prize！ I am Very ENJOYABLE！

Finisterrae is located on the Piazza Santa Croce and if you eat outside there is a nice view of the piazza and the church where Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli among others are buried. Makes you think. The food and service were excellent. The theme of the Finisterrae is Mediterranean with paella and tangine amongst the Italian dishes. My wife and I had a very good dinner there. We started with Aperol Spitzers- we can't resist that electric kool aid, tangerine flake orange color. We then had a starter of burrata and prosciutto. This was my first experience with burrata and it was excellent nice and creamy and set off by the salty prosciutto. I admit to being unclear myself about what a burrata is, so for the uninitiated, it is a creamy mixture of cream (what else) and mozzarella cheese curds wrapped in mozzarella. When you cut into it, all the delicious creamy innards come streaming out. It is analogous to a chocolate tunnel cake or Shanghai dim sum dumpling filled with liquid. After that experience, my wife and I split a large Greek salad. Next my wife had the chicken tangine, and I had the spaghetti with seafood. The tangine was served with cous cous and had a nice North African flavor. My spaghetti was excellent with shrimp, octopus, calamari, mussels, and clams. After all this we were stuffed and had no room for desert. Service was excellent. All in all an excellent experience would definitely recommend and return.

Average pizza, location is close to attractions. Waiters not super nice. Won't recommend it.

Recommended by our excursion guide and we were not disappointed! Beautiful outdoor seating. Only had 3 hours in the city but we've no regrets spending one hour of it relaxing and taking in the sights from here before quickly taking in as much of the city as we could. Good gluten-free options for my wife. Everything was delicious.

Great little gem of a place right by Santa Croce. Our air bnb host sent us here because he said everything was made in house. It was a really nice place with great pastries and the service was even better. A definite must go for breakfast is you're in florence.