Osteria Belle Donne

I had heard of wine windows but never came across them until now. Me and Mrs stumbled across this one in the back streets of Florence. What a great experience a knock on the window and two minutes later we had our Chianti. I looked inside and it’s a beautiful restaurant but we never ate, I am sure if the food was as good as the wine and the surroundings it will have been great. We will try this again definitely

The Osteria Belle Donne Wine Window is a "Must Do" experience while in Florence Italy. Just knock on the small wooden window, place & pay for your order (for either "here" or "walking away"). And wait for your wine, spritzer, or beer to be passed to you through that small wooden window...enjoy! The experience doesn't end there. I highly recommend you walk through the adjacent door, and enter their Restaurant; complete with lavish plants at ceiling level & throughout (it feels like you are sitting in a garden)! The Bruschetta with tomatoes (which is a historical specialty of Florence), and Gnocchi with pears and walnuts, was VERY tasty... especially paired with a glass of local Chianti!

I am not sure where the thousands of review came from but this place has the worst pasta I’ve had my whole time in Florence. How hard is it to get a pasta wrong? This pasta was sooooo overcooked it’s soft mushy noodles. Photo speaks for itself. To be fair, Florentine steak was good. But to get pasta wrong is not acceptable.

Osteria Belle Donne was the ultimate culinary experience in Florence! From our first visit, when we tried a glass of wine from their charming window, we knew this place was special. Two days later, we returned for dinner, and everything was simply exceptional – from the flavors to the presentation. But what truly won us over was the staff: incredible people, full of smiles, warmth, and professionalism. They made us feel at home. We couldn’t leave Florence without going back one more time, and it was undoubtedly the best decision. If you’re looking for amazing food and outstanding hospitality, don’t miss this place! Katerina & Nikos Kos, Greece”

Nothing more to say but incredible food and service. It is a bit pricey though. We paid 130 for two, without dessert and bottle of wine.

The outside could be crowded but don't be mistaken, it's almost always people who order wine via a small window (a feature in Florence), just get inside and ask for a table. I ordered a steak for 2. The steak was cooked well (not perfect though) and tasted good. Perhaps I haven't gotten used to European service yet but the staff wasn't very attentive.

Delicious and comfortable meal! We especially loved the asparagus flan, gnocchi alla gorgonzola, and the florentine steak.

Tucked away in a sunny side street in Florence, Osteria Belle Donne offers one of the city’s most charming and unique experiences a wine window straight from the pages of history. These tiny windows, called “buchette del vino”, date back to the 17th century, when noble families sold wine directly from their homes to avoid taxes and, later, to maintain social distancing during plagues. Fast forward a few centuries, and you’ll find yourself kneeling down to a little wooden door, knocking gently, and waiting as a mysterious hand appears with your drink. It feels part theatre, part time travel. The setup is beautifully done. Potted flowers spill over the window frame, as there were three of us, we ordered one Red, one White and one Rose to try all. It’s not the cheapest drink you’ll find in Florence €25 for 3 wines, but let’s be honest you’re here for the experience as much as the drink. And standing, sipping from a centuries-old wine hole.

Getting drinks at the wine window was one of the quirky things we did in Italy and what a unique experience it was. We saw many wine windows but this one was the prettiest in all of Florence. The prices are outrageous (I think it was like €10 each for a glass of wine and a glass of aperol spritz) but I wasn't surprised as it is true for pretty much all of the popular places in Italy. You would think for that price they would at least serve the drinks in proper glassware but I was extremely disappointed when they handed us over wine and spritz in plastic cups and not an actual wine glass. 4 stars just for the experience.

Loved this restaurant! There was a short wait on a Saturday night at 8 pm. If you'd like a beverage while waiting, you can order through the window at the street. We enjoyed a fabulous meal and stellar service. Seriously, all of the menu items our party of five ordered were delicious (from pasta to vegetables to potatoes to steak). This was among my favorite experiences in Florence!

Florence is the place to go to visit a wine window! I highly recommend this place on your visit to Florence! It is an awesome and unique experience.

I'm torn right down the middle. I'll tell you why. I was ready to get up and leave when the bread arrived on the table but i stayed because the waiter was so handsome and the waitress at the wine window is a serious beauty. Obviously the Best smile I've seen In Italy. I was aimlessly dreaming that the poor quality bread would bring them together in perfect matrimony and harmony. The both of them commiserating how awful the bread and tourist clientele make their jobs almost unbearable. Then came out the Cacio e Pepe and I could no longer feel bad. Come si dice, grandslam en Italiano? . Ok. That's it. Nice staff. Bozo clientele asking for chilled red wine. Nice decor. Plants.

Beautiful, cozy restaurant with a cool vibe. The female server had no clue where their salmon was sourced from. So I ordered the Caesar salad with skinny thin chicken pieces on it which was smothered in WARM caesar dressing. It was NOT good and not fresh like the other salads we had at Boccadama in Florence. Hub ordered the filet covered in thick mushroom gravy. (It looked like cubed steak with gravy). It was not filet mignon. He said it was good. This is the restaurant with the wine window door that gets a lot of knocking. Like every 15-30 seconds. The wine server inside is taking orders for wine. We saw her carry up to a dozen cups of wine to pass through the "wine window" to the other side of customers waiting all with their phones out ready to film the entire ordeal. Not good if you are sitting at the dining table beside the wine window. This area is tight.

Everything about this restaurant is amazing. From the food, the staff, and atmosphere. I would say it is a "must go" when in Florence. The best meal I've had here!

We dined here for lunch and the staff were super friendly. The Florentine steak was seasoned perfectly! I personally like my steak cooked a little bit longer but I know rare is how these steaks are usually eaten. It was still very delicious! The truffle pasta was good but tasted more like a plain pasta. I don't regret trying it but the steak would be the only thing I would get again. They also have a wine window which was cool to see!

The meal we had here was incredible! Favorite restaurant in Florence hands down. We ordered the risotto, gnocchi, salmon, steak and potatoes and it was all amazing. Service was great too! We ended up with a reservation late in the evening and they were very accommodating. Definitely recommend and will absolutely be going back next time we're in Florence! They also have a wine window which is super fun!

One of the only wine windows left in the city! Super fun place to visit before dinner. Service is quick and they're super used to all the pictures that happen while ordering. Street was full of life! Drinks are strong!

Not only was the service bad but they served the wine in a plastic cup and also refused to give us back our change that they owed us. Enjoy the extra €5 for the bad service.

Truly enjoyed the food, service and atmosphere. One of the best meals we had in Florence. Authentic and not touristy. Highly recommend.

Spent 8 days in Italy , the pasta with Truffles at Osteria Donne Belle was the best meal in a week of great meals!

This place was great we got lucky and got a table for two without reservations around 8:30 pm. Our server was Alex and he was super helpful! The tables are very close to each other but that is typical for italian restaurants. Order the house wine!! it's great.

It was a suggestion from a friend, a former designer who worked with me in the past and got married with a Italian, a Fiorentino. She lived in town for many years. Very nice small Osteria in a narrow obscure little street (google maps sometimes get lost in this medieval streets) , with a sympathetic decoration based on famous photography (I guess not the original prints) Affordable for Firenze prices. I advice you to to make a reservation previously, I didn't do it but I was lucky , because it's a small place with Wonderful people and quiet place.

We walked around a long time looking for a cozy place where four friends celebrating their 50th could have some good wine a share some pasta. We were beyond happy, this is what we were looking for interns of fresh, intense, fabulous flavor! Not your standard pasta and sauce kind of place. We had fresh past and mushrooms and another fresh recommended dish...trust us, fresh fresh fresh. We are Rick Steves fans but this one, wow.

A small cozy restaurant located in a hidden street in Firenze. The restaurant is dimly lit with wine bottles and a rustic decor adorning the room. The workers and owner are very friendly and make you feel right at home. This place has excellent food and great wine, but I'd have to say for the size of the portions, the prices are very steep. Despite this fact, I had an excellent meal at Osteria Donne Belle. My favorite dish was the Pasta con carbonara e zucchine (bacon and zucchini), mainly because of the bacon. The bacon really hit the spot with the pasta. Other servings tasted excellent as well, but definitely was not filling--at all. Even with 2-3 courses, this place won't do the trick if you want a decent dinner. It can get a bit steep. Expect to drop around 40-50 euros or so for a casual dinner.

It was the 90's...I lived close by and thought I ought to check it out. So...this is based on what I remember :) 3.5 stars Back then, it was this cozy, homey little place...mom and pop like... I remember a dish that was meatballs in red sauce...really yummy...albeit a little heavy on the salt. Service was always lovely...a little dark but has its charm Need to go back next time we are in Firenze...

It had been our first few hours in Firenze and we were looking for a less crowded restaurant for lunch. We walked in and an older man (potentially manager/owner?) asked us if we had made reservations. When we said we hadn't, he told us "Allora fori!", gesturing us to turn around and walk away. He immediately turned his back on us and proceeded with his day. Granted we had our travel backpacks with us, we still looked like a decently dressed couple who could afford their meal. Such a harsh comment made us doubt our teeny tiny bit of Italian and we did not believe we had just been kicked out. "Did he mean we should wait outside?" "Did he mean we should eat on the porch?" We stood outside for a bit trying to understand what had just happened. A much kinder waiter then called out "Prego! Your table is ready!" He took my bag and we figured it had all been a weird misunderstanding. Later that day, we met with our host and he clarified that the colloquial translation to what the man had told us is "Then get the f*** out of here!" and said he would immediately head over to the restaurant to make a formal complaint, since he recommends the place to his guests. I rarely give such negative reviews on Yelp, but there are many, many other ways of dismissing customers other than "Get the f*** out of here". Oh, and was the food worth the hassle and the price? Nah. We ordered two different pastas, a salad and half a liter of wine. All very mediocre.

The one star is for the huge incongruence between the price you pay and the food and experience you get. It is a pretty pricey place with € 3 cover charge, double digit anti pasti and 15 or so for pastas. It is a very small place with many tables packed in small area and table for 3 is really table for 2. We had to ask several times to get bread when they were giving others who were seated before us. They do not plan well on how many entrees will sell out, they came back to change my order 15 minutes after I ordered. They brought antipasti and first course together despite making it very clear. In the end they overcharged me - you can't really see this unless you remember the prices from menu as entries are simply marked with generic name of Antipasti or Primi in the check. They did take it out after I checked. Overall a very avoidable place.

It is a tiny place with the smallest chairs I've ever seen. Maybe they were kids chairs? Didn't bother me but if you're a larger person, your rump might not fit too well... Really cute decor overall and friendly waiter, (maybe the owner/manager) with a good sense of humor and very accommodating to my dietary requests. To my surprise, they had a really good homemade veggie burger.

Such a great find... on our last holiday in Florence we ate there twice! They make a gorgeous Tuscan pate that is to die for! The service is consistently good and the menu is varied. The house wine is well-priced and the atmosphere is warm and cosy. Nice cute guys as waiters too!

We ate here twice during our four day stay in Florence! They had the only good salad I could find my entire stay in Italy! Also, the chestnut pudding was incredible. Our waiter for both nights was named Cosimo. He was absolutely amazing. Our only complaint was a gay (?) man with whiter hair who was extremely rude to us. Other than that, great food!

English speaking and friendly. Food was pretty good but not much to look at out on the street tables.

Off the beaten path in Florence. Our meals were outstanding, the main meals were ravioli and the pasta with clam meat. Tiramisu was a home run. Other reports about place being small are very true. If you go inside and you're over six feet tall, you'll need to duck to enter (but you can stand up inside). Our hotel supposedly made a reservation for us, but when we showed up, they said they didn't have our reservation. It was no problem since we got there early. Took one star off due to the cover charge, which is three euros per person for dinner.

Excellent spot for our last evening in Florence. Small and intimate restaurant with a varied menu and wine list. The staff was friendly and the service good and the food was outstanding from bread to dessert. The seasonal chestnut pudding dessert was particularly delicious as was the pasta with spicy octopus and the pork with mushrooms. One of the best meals we had in Florence.