King J
Google
After trying the popular dish at this restaurant, the “Florentine Steak,” I became convinced that it truly represents Florence itself — beautiful on the outside, but a complete disappointment on the inside.
I decided to order it because I was influenced by the countless glowing online reviews from people who seemed absolutely amazed by this steak. To this day, I genuinely don’t understand why — perhaps they have simply never had a properly prepared Florentine steak before. The quality of the meat itself was fine, but unfortunately, the chef must have been in a hurry. The inside of the steak was completely undercooked — not even rare, just raw.
I dared to try this so-called masterpiece, and it was so “delicious” that it was impossible to chew, let alone swallow. It kept expanding in my mouth like gummy candy that, instead of breaking down and shrinking, just keeps growing.
I would also like to point out that the waiter never asked about my preferred level of doneness. I intentionally didn’t mention it myself because I wanted to see what standard they would serve by default. Observing the surrounding tables, I noticed that the doneness varied from table to table, though it generally leaned toward rare. It honestly felt like roulette — depending on when the chef decided to take the steak off the grill.
The appetizers were good, and the desserts were as well. It’s possible that other main courses are tasty too.
The staff was decent, but in my opinion, slightly undertrained. From my experience, when serving a steak, a waiter usually returns to the table shortly after to ask whether everything is satisfactory and whether the doneness is correct. I understand this is not a Michelin-starred restaurant, and perhaps I shouldn’t expect that level of attentiveness. However, I have visited other comparable restaurants in Florence where this basic standard was met. The waiter clearly saw that we were not touching the steak for at least 15 minutes, possibly longer, yet did not approach us to ask if everything was fine, until I stopped him myself to ask whether we could order dessert.
On the other hand, the restaurant follows the American tipping trend (which, interestingly, I have not encountered even in five-star hotels here in Florence), where the card terminal prompts you to choose a tip of 10%, 15%, or 20%. There is absolutely nothing wrong with following trends — but if you’re going to adopt the American tipping model, why not also adopt the habit of checking in when a guest hasn’t touched their dish for 30 minutes?
Definitely a tourist trap. The prices are too high for food of this quality. I do not recommend it.