Ristorante La Gioia Toscana

We had a great dinner here while in Florence! We decided on this spot because it was just a one-minute walk from our hotel and had great reviews. It ended up being such a good choice. We started with the bruschetta, which was super fresh and flavorful, and then had the lasagna and carbonara. It was my first pasta in Italy and it didn’t disappoint, so delicious and comforting! The portion sizes were great too, very generous and reasonably priced. The staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming, which made the whole experience even better. We didn’t order the Florentine steak, but we saw several go out and they looked (and smelled) amazing. Definitely something to try next time. Ignore the negative reviews! This place is located steps from the Duomo and run by kind, hardworking humans. All love to the staff. Hope to see them again!

It was fantastic! Highly recommend. We had so nice waitress. Her name is Amal. Her recommendations were 12/10. Food is amazing, music is not loud and gives additional vibe. Try the Gorgonzola steak.

Unexpected gem — Best Bistecca alla Fiorentina I’ve ever had My wife and I came to Florence for a few days and, by chance, discovered this cozy little place. I checked the 4.8 rating, spoke with the staff, and immediately booked it for the next evening. They had an amazing promo: antipasti, Bistecca alla Fiorentina, and two glasses of wine for just €65. The antipasto was generous, with high-quality meats and crispy breadsticks — way more than expected. But the real highlight was the steak: juicy, perfectly rare, served sizzling hot — hands down the best Fiorentina I’ve ever had. Great wine, Aperol generously poured, and a free limoncello as a final touch. The staff (two Albanian guys) were super polite, fast, and discreet — not pushy like in many tourist spots. ⭐ I’m giving this place 5 stars, and that’s rare for me — only two this year, and this is the first in Italy. If you’re in Florence, go for it — no hesitation. One of the best dining experiences we had.

Delicious food and lovely restaurant! The portions are very big and the staff was very nice and welcoming, especially Amal! We had the classic Fiorentina steak with cold cuts, tagliatelle, and mushroom risotto. The location is central but quiet and chill. We'll try other items on the menu on our next trip to Florence

Ordered a Lobster Spaghetti and another Spaghetti with boar sauce. Food was good, but wish they had removed the lobster meat out of the shell or at least provided a seafood fork. The regular forks are too wide to scrap out the meat and definitely wasted a good portion of it since I couldn’t break the shells by hand. Too expensive in that sense. Nice vibe inside. Tables are also quite tightly packed next to each other.