Il Gatto e la Volpe | Florence

Eating dinner here was a fantastic experience. The staff were friendly and helpful, the restaurant itself had a truly unique atmosphere and ambiance, and the food... Well the food was bloody fantastic. It was our first dinner in Florence and I suspect it will be the best. Side note: Definitely take them up on their shaved truffle addition if they offer. Worth every (reasonable) cent.

We tried their pasta and gnocchi and both were good, I cant say they were best but considering interior design it was a decent experience. The wine was also good. Prices were not cheap but not expensive too. I can recommend it if you are looking for pasta or gnocchi.

We walked in with a reservation for 3 while the place was fairly empty and were sat right next to the host stand area. We ordered the chef’s special Florentine steak with a side of the mixed veggies. The server asked how we wanted it cooked and said “medium? well?” and we said “no, rare” to which she replied “well?” to which I said “rare”. We went back in forth until she finally acted as though she understood “rare”. When they brought the steak out I confirmed by asking if it was going to be cooked rare and she said yes. We waited over half an hour wondering why would a rare steak take so long. It was because they were cooking the shit out of it. The steak was medium at best. And the veggies were incredibly bland as if not seasoned at all, and quite skimpy for €7, 4 thin slices of zucchini and eggplant and 2 slices of bell pepper. It was objectively a very good steak, but seeing the photos of the traditional rare Florentine steak in the reviews of the restaurant we left very disappointed. It is okay to have servers who are not fluent in English but it is not okay to have them pretend to understand when they do not. Also, the acoustic covers of English pop songs playing were quite insufferable. Unfortunately, this kind of music is present in many shops/restaurants. Just ask to be seated away from the speaker.

Food was absolutely exquisite and this experience is a must do in Florence. Studied abroad here 21 years ago studying art, now back with my family. Absolutely the most favorite meal since we’ve been here for a week. Don’t miss this! And make a reservation! Grazie Mille!

My wife & I went to Il Gatto e la Volpe for lunch. Alessia was our server and she assisted us with narrowing down our choices. My wife had a boar ragu and I chose Risotto Della Zia for my lunch. We both very pleased with our choices. My wife had two Expresso Martinis and I had a couple of Moscow Mules. Overall a great experience that I would recommend to people looking for a more local dining experience while in Florence