Il Palagio

Dinner at il Palagio located at the Four Seasons Florence by Chef Paolo Lavezzini is a 1 star michelin.. left us so confused between brilliant taste with the amuse bouche, beetroot starter, dessert and unpalatable mains with the sea bass fish - sea bass Wellington!! Referred in the menu as crusted sea bass, we thought just crisp skin 😆😆, lamb, gnocchi.. overall 2/10 and wouldn’t recommend it.

Amazing experience, the food was absolutely spectacular and the attention to detail was outstanding. Simone took care of us and he did a wonderful job, never missed a single detail and made sure we had everything we needed. The manager Marco made sure we were we had an amazing time and elevated our dinner to the next level. Every single person there is phenomenal. The men and women here are absolutely professionals!!!

All around beautiful experience. Our waiter was lovely and attentive. We had one of the fixed menu at €195/person.Pricey but worth it! Lovey atmosphere. My friends were RAVING about the bread sticks!

This was my first Michelin-starred restaurant, and it was a great experience. I tried the tasting menu called Le Spezie della Regina. The meal began with bread, homemade butters, and olive oil. They explained that each month highlights a new veggie and this month was radish. The radish was broken down and each part of seasoned differently. Then the tasting menu began. Each plate was beautifully presented, and I tried so many different things, like vegetable charcoal and cuttlefish. My favorite dish was the pasta - it had such a depth of flavor that it definitely stands out. There was also a small palate cleanser before the dessert which was a radish sorbet. That one small bite was incredible! It might have been my favorite bite of the whole night. The dish that felt like an oversight was the cheese course. While not every dish was my favorite or stands out, flavors were interesting and different and it was a fun food journey to go on. While I expected the service to be of a high standard, it went above and beyond. The staff was helpful and explained each dish and at the same time were not overbearing. The atmosphere in general was really lovely and it was nice that the restaurant was not overpacked.

My first time in Florence and this place added laurels to this city profoundly! Having been to so many Michelin rated restaurants I wasn't as keen after a long journey; still it exceeded my expectations. The service and the atmosphere are good as one would expect in a high end restaurant, not much to add here except I found them to be one of the politest in comparison to my experiences from Europe and the US. I picked the "Gherardesca" Tasting Menu mainly because I wanted to try risotto and pasta from the selections. Every single of the 12 (more additions besides the tasting menu) offerings were sensationally delivered. The Amuse-bouche was probably one of the best. Few dishes that stood out were the risotto (beautifully tangy), the cockerel agnolotti (with truffle and divine al dente pasta) and the Lamb (gorgeous sear on the meat) were exquisite. The desserts were good as well, though I feel adding too many raspberries adds excessive sourness to the dessert which isn't my favourite. I often noticed that most Michelin star places are somehow repetitive with almost identical (french) flavours, but not this one. It stayed true to it's Italian roots and flavours...and that is commendable! Definitely recommend for anyone hoping to get the best of Italian cuisine.

The presentation was refined and the venue stunning, also very good service, but the overall taste and execution of the dishes left us puzzled. Some ingredients, like the broad beans, seemed undercooked—possibly intentional, but it didn’t resonate with us.

It’s been a week since my visit to Il Palagio and Im still struggling to put the experience into words. Working in the restaurant industry, I was searching for something extraordinary and Il Palagio delivered beyond my expectations. The tasting menu we took was a masterclass in precision and storytelling, with flavours and presentation that stood out across my entire two week trip in Italy. Special thanks to Manuel, whose warm service elevated the evening even further along with his wonderful colleagues who made the entire experience for us unforgettable. If you are in Florence run to Il Palagio. It’s not just dinner, but a memory!! Extra points for the exceptional cocktails at the bar right next to the restaurant, but that’s a review for another time... Best regards, until next time!

We dined at Il Palagio, the Michelin one starred restaurant located within the Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, to experience their renowned tasting menu. Having been underwhelmed by other Michelin experiences in the past, I approached this meal with cautious optimism. However, Il Palagio exceeded all expectations. The ambiance was both elegant and inviting, reflecting the restaurant's setting in the historic Palazzo della Gherardesca. We also had breakfast at this restaurant while staying at the Four Seasons, which was fantastic, as well. I started with a gin martini with twist. So yummy. We chose the Gherardesca tasting menu, a culinary journey inspired by the hotel's private garden. I won't even begin to talk about how beautiful the garden is. :) The menu featured dishes that showcased the chef's ability to blend traditional Tuscan flavors with innovative techniques. Notably, an appetizer incorporated Kimchi, seamlessly integrating this element into the dish's flavor profile. As a Korean, I found this a nice touch, personally. It was a 6-course meal, but they offered multiple appetizers so it felt like a 9 or 10 course meal. Each course, from the amberjack fish to the lamb, was meticulously prepared and presented, highlighting the freshness and quality of the ingredients. Unlike previous Michelin experiences, every dish here was actually both delicious and satisfying. While we did not opt for the full wine pairing, the sommelier provided excellent recommendations that complemented our meal perfectly. The staff's attentiveness and knowledge further enhanced our dining experience. Il Palagio offered a harmonious blend of tradition and innovation, making it a standout choice for those seeking a memorable dining experience in Florence. The service was so nice. Super attentive, friendly, and proactive. The manager later stopped by to talk to us and offered some chocolates. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to indulge in exceptional cuisine within a historic and refined setting.

Most of the dishes were good, but fell short of what I would expect for a Michelin-starred restaurant. My favorite dishes were the grilled pigeon entree and the green apple dessert. The grilled pigeon had crispy skin and served with a flavorful cherry sauce. The green apple dessert was topped with the most refreshing green apple sorbet. The bread with flavored butters was delicious, and the vibrant olive oil was also a good accompaniment. The rest of the dishes...meh (1 star off). I took photos of them, but do not remember what they were. Note: This restaurant only has outdoor seating. There are fans, but during a hot summer evening, you will still be sweaty hot during dinner. There are also mosquitos. Maybe order more apple sorbets? That won't help with the mosquitos though.

My husband and I spent the first night of our honeymoon here and it was simply fabulous! The food and service and wine pairings were just pure perfection and the place is beautiful to boot! I would like to mention several people who made our evening extra-special. Andrea Fransceseo Cosimo Marco These folks made our celebration so lovely. Gratzi Mille!!

Whenever I'm on vacation, the one thing I must do is have a proper meal on my last night. Before going to Tuscany, I made sure to do my research. My final list had 5 places, this spot was my second pick. This restaurant is located inside the Four Seasons Hotel. You'll be reminded of how fancy the place is the moment you walk in. The décor alone is eye boggling. We arrived right on time for our reservation and were promptly seated. I already knew we were doing the degustation menu. This was decided before we even left for Italy. We were served water and a complimentary appetizer sampler as soon as we sat down. This is what we ate: Course 1: Lobster salad with cauliflower and ginger carros puree Verdict 3 out of 5 stars. The first bite made me go hmm. The second bite made me realize I didn't love it. Course 2: White asparagus, smocked eel and egg hazelnut sauce Verdict 3.4 out of 5 stars This was by far the best dish out of everything we got. All the flavors blended perfectly. Course 3: Wild asparagus risotto with roasted quail and morels sauce Verdict 2.8 out of 5 stars The worst one presentation wise. Risotto was too well done for my taste and the quail taste wasn't my jam. Granted I don't eat quail often. Course 4: Iberian pork secreto with Jerusalem artichoke puree, horseradish and coriander Verdict 2.7 out of 5 stars I don't remember too much about this dish. That's how forgettable it was. Course 5: Deconstructed tiramisu Verdict 1.8 out of 5 stars Lowest rating because it was the least appetizing. I took a few bites and hated it. So much so that I forgot to even take a photo of it. There were 3 other servings of dessert that were complimentary. I do remember really loving one of them. I'm not a fan of macaroons so I only had a bite of one. The last thing we were served was a tower of desserts which included the macaroons. My friend didn't even touch any of it. We got a bottle of Rocca di Montegrossi to pair with the meal. That was probably the highlight of the night. For me anyway. While I won't deny that the service is fantastic, the dining experience itself was just so so. None of the dishes we were served impressed me. Nothing stood out. We walked to our hotel after dinner. You know what I did? I dropped by McDonald's and got a big mac. That first bite was so satisfying.

Beautiful presentations, amazing service and amazing flavors. Would definitely recommend for a special occasion or experience.

This is an absolutely stunning venue with fantastic service worthy of its Michelin star, but anyone following me knows I'm all about the food and the value, and after some truly epic meals in Modena, I felt that Il Palagio could have performed much better. From past experience I knew that the 110E 5-course degustation menu was the only way to go, but the lobster salad (1st course) didn't "wow" me, the snail stew (2nd) was a little slimy, the venison (4th course: the highlight) was tasty but small, and if it weren't for all the desert surprises I would have left hungry (and poorer). The real disappointment was the pumpkin risotto (3rd course). I have had some truly remarkable risottos in my time on earth, and the pumpkin version here should have been among them, but wasn't. It was cooked properly, and looked great, but really lacked in flavor. So my recommendation for a stay in Firenze is to eat simple meals (panini is king here), and to save your splurges for the smaller cities where the setting may be less formal, but the food impresses more (see my reviews from Modena, where 1-star stretches much, much further)

5 Star food and 5 Star service, a winning combination. Got the tasting menu. Our favorite dishes were the lobster with melon (so fresh and sweet and refreshing!) and the risotto (soooo good-- the lemony risotto with the raspberry powder and then the crispy bites of quail...seriously might be the best dish I ate whilst in Italy). Our least favorite was probably the lamb dish- maybe a little overdone and then (for me personally) just a little fatty. Dessert included a peach sorbet which was very tangy and so delicious. Service was Absolutely without question the best we had in Italy by a mile.

A Michelin star restaurant with too few yelp reviews is a conundrum but rest assured, they acquired this status by being exceptional. A gluten-free vegetarian diet typically means very few options when dining but this was not the case at Il Palagio. Course after course, I was pleasantly astonished with everything. The highest of standards are not limited to food. Il Palagio, you are GORGEOUS! Waitstaff was truly impeccable!

Great venue with an attention to detail you would expect from a Michelin rated restaurant. Traditional Italian cuisine is served with a modern fusion of flavors and mediums. Every part of this dinning experience is professional, satiating and a culinary journey worth taking! Buonapitito!

Wonderful food and atmosphere. Definitely deserving of its michelin star. Between me and my husband it was ~400€ for a full tasting menu each and a 100€ bottle of sparkling Italian wine. The vegetarian tasting menu was excellent and I didn't feel like I was missing out in the least. The live music was also delightful. We didn't even need to make reservations, very accommodating. Definitely one of my favorite michelin star restaurants I've been to so far!

One of the best restaurant experiences I had, great food and service. Highly recommend it. Make sure you try the chocolate soufflé.

Food is overall decent but also I have had better. Would give 4 stars for the food. Setting is great. Service was plentiful but they missed offering us an aperitivo and did not even notice it while serving the Amuse-Gueule. Summary: Good but not perfect.

Spectacular in every way. The history (700 year old Medici family owned castle), the architecture, the staff, the food, the GARDEN!!!! OMG that GARDEN I will dream about for the rest of my life. I will try to forward photos because I was lucky enough to know the GM (we stayed for free and saved a fortune and were lucky enough to see many spots not usually viewed by regular clients,,,, not to brag.... but I just need to.) I thought that Paris (the Georges V, which is with a great view of the Eiffel Tower in its backyard, and where the Queen stays while in town, and boasting a 3 star Michelin restaurant Le Cinq which we enjoyed for 3 hours one night :) would always be my favourite city hotel but now its a tossup. Florence is just heaven. Thank you so much to the gorgeous staff for being BEYOND welcoming. Hubby and I were trying to eat in a fiscally responsible way (ie even when we are paying only half the food meals its still crazy expensive.... so we always ordered not the most delicious looking meal and NEVER dessert.) Yet each night when we returned to our luxury royal suite we would have different decadent desserts waiting for us and free champagne on ice and roses. Then when we checked out we found out not only was the room free, but even our restaurant bill was wiped out. WOW does it help to have friends in high places. Ill add more details about the garden and the history and the staff going above and beyond in a second :).... I tried each restaurant and all were incredible. The view of the 17 acre walled garden when we ate on the patio was not only INCREDIBLE but the soccer (sorry, European Football) team Manchester United was staying at the hotel with us and as punishment for losing to Florence the night before (they were really routed! And totally unexpected as Manchester U was the best in the world at the time) and the coach was so furious he gave them all 6am wakeup calls and then they had to do laps around the garden for 3 hours. Running right past me and hubby and all the other well dressed tourists eating our delicious meals. While taking photos of all the millionaire athletes with massive diamond rings in their ears I could literally SEE from my TABLE. Running round and round. HILARIOUS and PRICELESS!!!!!! The indoor restaurants La Magnolia and Il Palagio were stunning as well, Ill post some photos. :) Thank you as always Four Seasons ! PS one other cool detail about the history- as the castle was owned by the Medici family, the richest family in the world and the people who employed Michalengelo and DaVinci and Raphael AND Christopher Columbus- after Columbus discovered America this spot was his first stop when he sailed back. He brought specimen trees from the New World and planted them in THIS GARDEN!!! Im a gardener so these kind of details left me feeling faint I was so impressed. Ill share another garden story or two in a minute....

On our last night in Florence, we wanted to go for something super nice and to have our first experience in a Michelin Starred restaurant. The total experience was as you could expect - fine dining to the max - the service was absolutely outstanding. There was always a waiter grabbing up crumbs, refilling the water and the wine - so really outstanding. They did have a few vegetarian options on the menu - so I did try the leeks and risotto. My husband tried the lobster salad and the sea bass. He thought his two courses were cooked just a hair under - and he wasn't feeling that great from having a cold the previous 2 days. Overall, it was an outstanding location and the servers really went above and beyond to make eat table feel special, while also giving us time to just enjoy each other's company. Check out the menu before you go to make sure there is something you want to get!

The best buffet in the world, hands down. Attentive but nonaggressive waiters to take a la carte orders, bring things to your table (if you couldn't bother to get up and fill your plate yourself), refill wine or offer cocktails/champagne. Decked out bakery table with breads in all shapes, forms, consistencies to accompany cheeses and charcuterie from the region. A separate room just for fish dishes - marinated, smoked, steamed fish and shellfish of all kinds and a bloody mary bar. Stepping into the kitchen is encouraged, to get hot meat dishes straight from the grill: langoustini, fritto misto, grilled chicken, pork, beef. Fantastic poached eggs with delicate seasoning and shaved truffles. Lastly, the most incredible dessert station with delicate mousses, fruit tarts, tiramisu, puddings. At 85 euro a person it's more than worth it. Get ready to gain at least 5 pounds after visiting, and wear pants with an adjustable waist if possible!

Amazing Amazing Amazing! Beautiful hotel and environment. Wonderful amazing staff attentive to every detail and the food was delicious! We are frequent visitors of Four Season locations and this is the best by far!

I'll be honest, this could easily be a five star review considering the chef's talents here, but I'm urging myself to hold back for the truly special experiences that are out there. The first thing you'll notice when you arrive is the opulent ambience (feels like you're eating in a palace) and the customer service is some of the best in the world - what you'd expect from the Four Seasons brand and the price point. My wife and I both tried the tasting menus (I had the chef's and she had the vegetarian) along with a custom wine pairing. The highlight for me was the risotto and venison dishes which were both cooked to perfection, and paired wonderfully with the wine. Despite everything that we loved, which was a lot, there were a couple dishes that just didn't impress, hence the four stars. But keep in mind, I'm being very persnickety here. If you don't mind paying this much for a meal, and feel like being pampered with decadence... I would recommend you make a reservation and stop by. It's a world away from the hustle and bustle of Firenze's tourism outside.

We came to Il Palagio because we wanted to do at least one night of fine dining while in Florence. If you're looking for some very traditional Italian cuisine, this is definitely a pretty good place to visit. Unfortunately, the day before we came, I got sick (I believe it was from my days of continuously eating rich Italian food, which I wasn't really used to). On top of that, I decided to go all-out regardless of my weak stomach, and ordered the beef Chateaubriand with seared foie gras and gratinated bone marrow (this is a dish meant for two people to share) for my boyfriend and I. A warning, this dish is REALLY rich. I end up barely eating any even though my boyfriend will vouch that it was very excellent. The dessert was top-notch. And my boyfriend said his favorite was their risotto. If you're looking for a nice night out this would be a good choice. However, if you're looking for light and healthy food, this is probably not the place.