Il Barroccio In Firenze

If you want an AUTHENTIC Florentine experience, here is the place. After We tried all the flashy touristy spots, consisting of bright lights, employees outside recruiting patrons, and Italian food made for Americans: salty with lots of cheese. Then have fun paying their outrageous prices. Our last night, I trusted my gut. Realizing every restaurant has access to, and pays the same for all their food from suppliers, I chose the one that lacks all their food touristy attractions, and does not charge tourist prices. Giovanni does not need to attract people; he is not looking for business, he seeks to serve unbelievable food. He let me watch while he made everything fresh, and I mean everything: he rolled dough, cut strips for the pastas on order. No sauce prepared, he cut the tomatoes on the spot and made the sauces When ordered. He served bistecca Florentino (steak) how it was done for hundreds of years. He held it on a long set of tongs and rotated it over a huge coal flame the proper way. No fancy shavings of truffle like the tourist spots just to blow up the price, they would have ruined its beauty. The bill was small, and it was the best Italian meal I’ve had in this world. I’m planning a layover in Florence on my next trip anywhere in Europe or Asia. I’m a lifetime customer. It was basically food sex. Yes, I made a new term. I experienced food sex.

I was in Florence this weekend, staying a stone's throw from Barroccio. We stopped for lunch as soon as we arrived. Giovanni welcomed us with courtesy and prepared two excellent first courses: radicchio and pancetta ravioli and artichoke fettuccine, accompanied by two glasses of Chianti on tap. I would say it was excellent for a meal. We repeated the experience by eating an excellent Florentine steak, cooked to perfection. Excellent quality, it met our expectations. I highly recommend the restaurant for a family-friendly place and traditional Florentine cuisine.

From the outside, the restaurant may seem uninviting, but the dining experience was a delightful surprise. The cod was excellent, as was the fillet with Gorgonzola, impeccably prepared. The blueberry panna cotta was also noteworthy, balanced and refined. Aldo recommended this restaurant at the end of a tour of the Florentine hills: a truly valuable tip. Compliments to Chef Giovanni, who demonstrates great skill and passion in the kitchen. A place definitely worth revisiting.

Authentic cuisine, attentive service, cozy ambiance. Dont get stuck in tourist traps - every bit of this place is incredible.

Excellent Florentine steak and the wild boar pici were delicious, and the tiramisu was also excellent. The owner was kind and helpful.

My wife and I first found this little restaurant by accident in 2022. We had just finished visiting the Bargello Museum and were hungry for lunch. My wife had been searching everywhere in Italy for a good risotto that didn’t use truffle oil. It seemed like every place added truffle, and she doesn’t like that. We walked in and asked the man working there, and he immediately said, “No! A real Florentine does not use truffle oil in risotto!” After that passionate answer, my wife knew this was the right place. She ordered a simple asparagus risotto, and it became her favorite risotto in the world. I had a seafood ravioli that was excellent too. We loved it so much we went back a second time before that trip ended. When we returned to Florence in November 2025 with a large group, we ended up eating at Il Barroccio three times—and every meal was wonderful. It has truly become our favorite restaurant in Florence. The restaurant is run by a small team: Mr. Giovanni at the front and his wife cooking in the back. He is passionate, honest, and very serious about how real Italian food should be prepared and enjoyed. This place is local, authentic, and full of character. If you follow Giovanni’s advice, you’ll experience something special. We celebrated my birthday here with 15 people. We didn’t even set a menu—Giovanni simply brought out the dishes he thought we should have, and everything was perfect. The artichoke pasta was so incredible that I don’t think I’ll ever taste anything like it again. Gianni(I hope I spelled his name correctly) has become a friend, and I will return as often as I can. I highly, highly recommend this place.

Tiny unassuming restaurant run by a husband and wife team. Food made with so much love and care that is hard to find anymore. Love, love, love this place. I visited it two years ago and couldn’t get it out of my mind. Went again tonight and it was better than I remembered. A real gem.

We (four sophisticated foodies from San Francisco) had the best meal of our amazing Italian vacation at Osteria Il Barroccio in Firenze. We ate the gorgonzola gnocchi there three years ago and had been talking about it ever since. We were thrilled to be able to reserve a table when we got back to Florence. We had the artichoke and parmesan (carchiofi) to start and it was the best of my entire life. We of course had the gnocchi next and were sorry because as it was the most delicate, rich, and delectable thing imaginable, we feared that the rest of the meal would be a disappointment. We need not have worried, the courses built on each other like a magnificent symphony, each dish surpassing the last, especially the pepper steak which absolutely melted on the tongue. Even though we were quite full, we ordered the panna cotta and the tiramisu. The orgasmic moans that emanated from our table should have made us blush, but the rich silky spoonfuls rendered us greedy and shameless. This place is a treasure.

What a fantastic restaurant. Delicious home style Italian food with fresh produce. The service is very gentle and welcoming. Beautiful hidden gem of Florence.

This is a hidden gem in Florence. The food is exceptional: great, fresh ingredients treated beautifully. We had a wonderful meal for our last night in Florence with Giovanni. Thank you!