La Leggenda dei Frati

As a lifelong foodie who has eaten my way through Michelin-starred temples and hole-in-the-wall gems, I can say without hesitation that La Leggenda dei Frati is one of the most memorable dining experiences I have ever had. The setting alone is breathtaking: Villa Bardini sits high above Florence, with gardens that make you feel like you’ve stepped into a dream. But it is what happens at the table that truly defines this restaurant. I chose the nine-course tasting menu, and from the very first bite, I knew I was in for something extraordinary. Each course was a story in itself, balancing artistry, innovation, and deep respect for Tuscan tradition. The pacing was flawless, the flavors precise, and the plating so beautiful it felt almost criminal to disturb it. Standout dishes included a course that reimagined seasonal vegetables as if they were jewels on the plate, and a main that struck the perfect harmony between rustic soul and modern finesse. Desserts were whimsical yet elegant, a finale that left me smiling like a child. The wine pairings were masterful, elevating every course without overwhelming it. The sommelier’s knowledge and warmth made the experience all the more personal. And I must mention the staff: attentive without being intrusive, passionate without pretension. They guided me through the evening with such care that it felt less like dining at a restaurant and more like being welcomed into a world designed to delight every sense. By the end of the evening, I realized this was not just a meal, it was a journey—an immersion in Florence’s culture, flavors, and artistry, all seen through the lens of a visionary chef. If you love food, beauty, and the kind of experience that stays with you long after the last sip of wine, La Leggenda dei Frati is simply unmissable. Five stars feels like an understatement.

Stunning view of the city, watching the sunset over the historic square while we dine al fresco. Some of the best wine pairings we’ve ever had with clear knowledge and passion. A beautiful tasting menu with a great mix of Italian cuisines. This is one of the best experiences we’ve had dining out! Would recommend this to anyone going to Florence.

A scrumptious meal, great service, stunning view. After a bit of an uphill climb, we enjoyed every bite of the 7 course tasting menu. Each course was well composed, tasty, and beautifully plated. And the dessert was an absolute show stopper. I’m so pleased we chose this restaurant and I will return the next time I’m in Florence. The restaurant was happy to accommodate dietary restrictions and preferences, and offers an entire vegetarian tasting menu. I was surprised to learn that this restaurant no longer has a Michelin star. The service, the execution, the taste all exceeded the offerings I’ve had at other starred restaurants.

Outstanding food, fantastic service and a beautiful venue - we did the seven course tasting menu with wine pairing and the whole experience was incredible. The shrimp, the tagliolini, the risotto and the dessert are excellent. The sommelier was excellent and chose some delicious wines. The views from the terrace and the rooftop are stunning. Cannot recommend this place enough!

Good service but totally not worth the money for tasting menu. I was extremely disappointed by the low level of food execution and knowledge for such a cost of fine dining. The restaurant intends to brag about its Italian heritage but totally fail to highlight its Tuscany location. We got scampi with gold foil, mixing with suspicious sour soup and suspicious chickpea that totally does not match the taste and texture. We got a dessert that placed at the edge of the plate without any possible conversation to the center of the place. Right. The center of the place is empty. Without a trace of spread or any decoration. It is just a piece of tart at the edge. That is! Ghastly sense of beauty. We got waiters that have no idea where they source tomatoes and vegetables. All they know is that it is not from Tuscany. We got a caramel chicken liver mouse in the middle of the tasting menu. A totally sweet and pretended to be sweet-savory dish in the middle. That declares that your taste bud's malfunction. Not to mention the caramel taste is suspicious again. The very last dish is a pork steak that make you question your life. The fat was under-cooked, chewy and disgusting. Spring onion properly cook, but don't they know that the cooking also creates tons of slimy juice and thus inappropriate to serve as a whole piece for knife and fork. And all the decorated apple ingredients does not blend together with the rest of the dish. DO NOT TRY TASTING MENU here.

This restaurant, just located out of the center of Firenze, is very good. We took the Vegetarian menu with 2 additional dishes of fish and meat. The chef uses excellent regional ingredients, very well prepared. The location is nice and the personnel is professional. At the end of the dinner the chef will take you on the roof where you'll have a gorgeous view of the city!

This is one of our favorite places for high-end dining in Florence! We’ve eaten here several times, and we are always thrilled and surprised. The seasonal menu plays with the senses in a way that whimsical yet serious, and it takes you on a journey through Italy‘s culinary gambit. I highly recommend the tasting menu along with the wine pairings because it lets the whole team showcase their ingenuity and creativity. For food and wine lovers alike, La Leggenda dei Frati is an absolute haven!

Amazing service and food. Each person we interacted with did a great job of taking care of us. We were there celebrating an anniversary and afterwards, they took us to the roof to enjoy a view privately of the city.

We had a wonderful 7 course tasting menu. Service was terrific. Food was very inventive and gorgeous. A nice varieties of dishes which delighted all the senses. We had a late reservation (9:30pm), and we didn't finish our meal until almost midnight. Instead of rushing us out the door, we were treated to a very special surprise (I won't spoil it for anyone). It was truly an unexpected delight. And that wasn't all! We were given a nice yummy gift box to go. It was definitely a highlight of an amazing trip.

It was one of the recommended restaurants from our hotel. Michelle. One star and I was drawn to the description of view which shown at the end of dining by going up to a top floor. Amazing view but as for the food, it wasn't overwhelming. We decided to go with al la carte. I really enjoyed shrimp with lovely presentation and octopus. Bass tartar wasn't great but I'm more critical of raw fish with well trained tongue for sushi and sashimi. My BF loved tagliatelle a lot but not really with macaroni. His duck dish was average. But I thought I'm dining with a view in my mind before arrival which gave me some disappointment. Staffs were nice and caring.

DO NOT MAKE A RESERVATION HERE. I did and never received a confirmation. I contacted the restaurant to confirm and was told I did not have a reservation. I never got a confirmation (they claim to have sent, but I did not receive) and then they charged my card anyway. They sent me a confirmation after the fact as "proof" and then resent it to me and changed the date. I feel completely scammed and helpless. I've contacted them for a refund and they have been incredibly dismissive and difficult. I can't say this strongly enough... Do not make a reservation at this place, ever. If you scroll down apparently this has happened to multiple people.

Terrible reservation systemTerrible reservation system, I attempted to book reservations online and in their system failed. I never received the confirmation so I moved onto a different restaurant for reservations. When I returned from a trip to Italy I found the charge for $208.44 because I missed the reservation that they never confirmed. I contacted the restaurant and they refused to remove the charges. Terrible customer service.

How we were initially received, made me want to walk out and turn around. So, nowhere on the website does it mention they're at the top of a huge hill, so we hiked to the top on an extremely humid day. My Mom went inside to put on her fancy shoes (because no sandals allowed) and told the manager we had a reservation, and she was hoping to change her shoes and freshen up. She dared to try and sit down, and was immediately escorted to the bathroom. While she was in the bathroom, I had the manager and his bodyguard ask me about our reservation. They continued to speak in only Italian to each other, and give me looks like I was going to try and steal some of their decor. Yet the two parties arriving after us, who were Italian, were immediately warmly received and all smiles. Jeans and sneakers were acceptable for them. I get it, I'm American, but I'm about to drop a couple hundred Euro, how about you chill? Once my Mom came back, the fake smiles were plastered back in place, and the rest of our service was great - if not overboard. The lunch took FOUR hours for the 9 course tasting menu. The two small tasters were delicious, shrimp and potato foam soup was wonderful, as well as the beef tartare. The risotto was al dente which was a tad off putting, and the dessert trio of biscotti and nona cake were not at all impressive, they sort of colored the wonderful homemade gelato and crisps we had before. Overall, food was good, but four hours and a pretentious welcome had me regretting choosing this place.

This was hands down the best meal of my life. We opted for the tasting menu with wine pairing and we ended up getting 11 unbelievable courses. The service was impeccable and this restaurant undoubtedly lived up to its Michelin Star.

This is a chic, modern restaurant perched on the (very steep) hill that you need to climb to get here, just on the other side of the Ponte Vecchio. The hill climb is killer but worth the views on the terrace and the excellent food. It's also a more residential area so you get to see a different side of Florenece. We sat on the terrace and enjoyed looking out over the city. The service is impeccable, epitomized by the sommelier. We enjoyed a range of dishes: some outstanding: beef tongue tortellini, beef tartar (coolest presentation of the night); excellent: rabbit panzanella, pork, 40 yolk taglialini; little too over the top: shrimp in foam. Dessert was also over the top but worth the hands on presentation: 100% ciaccolato. Great wines and starter amuse bouche as well.

After a long day visiting some of the key attractions in Florence my family decided to dine at La Leggenda Dei Frati for dinner with an amazing view of Tuscany sunset. This restaurant is located in a fantastic location with the view of key attractions such as the Aron river, pointe vecchi and the while city of Florence with rolling hills. The food, surprisingly, was decent and delicious. There was also live music. Service, at least for our table, for a higher end restaurant was less than desirable. The reason for the four star rating is the location, music and the decent/delicious food.

Absolutely unacceptable quality and service for a 'one star Michelin' restaurant in Florence. We have dined at Michelin star restaurants around the world and this was hands down the most disappointing of all. Staff was not courteous, paid no attentions to details - cutlery on floor, Chef Filipe's cooking and creativity left a lot to be desired by Michelin standards, and the restaurant F&B Director Jansen was resistant to any complaints and feedback being shared by customers. DO NOT RECOMMEND spending close to $400+ Euros on this meal...save your money! So many more options in beautiful Florence. P.S. Dear Michelin Guide - we, as customers and foodies, place absolute trust in you. You have lived up to your expectations globally. If our opinion matters, please reassess and reconsider this restaurant rating as they are certainly not deserving of the honor you bestow upon them. It's was completely unacceptable from a food, ambience, service standard. Reflects poorly on you and erodes our trust in you. We felt strongly enough about this to take the time to put this review down, hoping it gets your attention. Thank you.

Don't waste the time (hiking up a hill) or the money on super over priced bland and under salted food. The best part of the meal was the wine (thanks to the Som)

A lovely site with lovely views and a very quiet ambiance. Food was quite good/gourmet, though I'm not sure it's really up to Michelin 1-star. The people providing the service were very nice--tolerated my Italian but spoke English and French-- and did a great job, but the service rules there made the service seem too formal. I can pour my own mineral water, and you don't really need a cart to serve a vodka on the rocks. Definitely worthwhile if you're not cost-conscious and want a nice, quiet high-end dinner.

La Leggenda dei Frati was so much more than just a restaurant for us. It was an experience - and one of our best throughout our entire vacation to Italy. From the atmosphere over looking Florence, to the personal greeting by the chef, to the fantastic tasting menu - we enjoyed every minute. Just as good as the food, was the amazing service. The servers, the sommelier and the manager all chipped in to make sure our table was clean, our meals were enjoyed and our wine glasses were full. They did so without being overbearing, and we truly felt like they were there just for us (despite a sold out restaurant). The General Manager went above and beyond to help make recommendations for our tour through Tuscany the following day, even going so far as to make a reservation on our behalf. The evening closed with a surprise that I won't ruin for future diners, but I cannot recommend this place enough. We will be back with friends when we return to Florence next year!