Santa Elisabetta In Firenze

Peak fine dining experience. The location alone is one of a kind. Located in the heart of Florence inside Hotel Brunelleschi, in a tower, they have very limited seating. The reservation process alone was an adventure in itself. Our visit was to celebrate 3 Libra birthdays. Our party of 4 opted for the 9 courses. One of us decided to do the wine pairing. When I tell you, there was so much food. We would’ve probably been better off doing the 7 courses, but we wanted to eat everything. We were all falling asleep by the end of the night. One was nonstop yawning. To the unfamiliar, they focus more on seafood. Every dish is out of this world. Down to the presentation. I savored every bite. The standout for me was the oyster and how it came in two parts. It was so innovative. I loved the sauces that accented the protein and the jus. Don’t even get me started on the service. What an attentive team. I always refer to it as poetry in motion the way the team moves effortlessly that you don’t even realize when they refill your glass of water. No crumb was left behind on that table. Someone scraped up anything that didn’t belong on the table after every course. Lastly, I just want to mention what a great job they did with the birthday cake that was an add-on to our meal. It was so damn good. Grazie Chef Rocco and team for an amazing meal.

I chose the seven-course wine pairing menu, and it was truly exceptional. Each dish was beautifully prepared, and the wines matched every course with remarkable precision. The sea urchin and salted roe pasta was particularly memorable — rich, balanced, and full of depth. It was also my first time trying pigeon, and it was tender and flavorful, without any trace of gaminess. The entire experience lasted about four hours, yet it felt perfectly paced and immersive. After visiting the Uffizi Gallery, enjoying this dinner felt like the most elegant way to unwind. I not only enjoyed every moment but also learned so much about wine pairing throughout the evening.

I’m not sure if this was their usual routine or just an off night, but our 9-course dinner was drawn out far too long. We started at 7:30 pm, and unfortunately, had to ask the staff to speed things up when we reached the dessert. We were so exhausted that we left at 11:45 pm without even touching our final dessert items. It appeared that the whole experience is scheduled for about 5 hours, which I don’t believe was mentioned anywhere beforehand. In my opinion, expecting guests to remain seated for nearly five hours is unreasonable. For comparison, our guided tours of both the Accademia and the Uffizi earlier that same day were shorter. We’ve dined at dozens of Michelin-starred restaurants (one, two, and three stars), and even 12–15 course meals rarely exceed 2.5 hours. The food itself was very good and the servers were kind, but the long, unnecessary pauses between courses turned what should have been a memorable evening into a draining one. To be honest, we felt a bit trapped like on an airplane. Overall, the pacing of the meal significantly diminished the experience.

We had a fantastic experience at Santa Elisabetta, with the 7-course dinner that delighted all our senses, but especially our palate. It definitely deserves its stars and would be a definite recommendation for anyone who wants to experience the very best Italian cuisine has to offer. The dessert combining small fruits with caviar was simply out of this world, the best I’ve had in memory.

We have just dined at a three-Michelin-star restaurant in Milan, yet we find your dishes to be far more delicious.

Enjoying an expensive Michelin-rated meal in a historic building in Florence. I booked a table two months in advance, but only lunch was available, and it was a typical Tuesday. I contacted the restaurant two days in advance to see if I could snag a spot for dinner, but was told it was fully booked. These days, Europe is experiencing a daily economic boom. On arrival, I realized why it was so difficult to book. There are six tables, seating 12-18 people. The waiter told me it's always full year-round—so enviable. The restaurant specializes in seafood, so I chose a five-course all-seafood meal. The welcome dish was visually appealing. The bread was also made in-house. The first dish was sweet shrimp. I've had sweet shrimp at several Michelin-rated restaurants—the quality was excellent, and the presentation was exquisite. The second dish, yellowtail, was essentially barramundi, served two ways: one slow-roasted at low temperature with a refreshing lemon syrup, and the other grilled over charcoal for a crispy, salty bite. Perfect as a snack with a drink. The third pasta dish featured ravioli, a perfect blend of airy texture and rich cheese. Paired with squid sashimi, it was rich yet refreshing. The fourth dish returned to seafood, featuring fried flounder with a creamy sauce. Despite being fried, the freshness and sweetness of the flounder were palatable upon first bite. This dish was also paired with ginger flounder sashimi and small crisps. The chef's exquisiteness and attention to detail were evident. The final dessert brought out my inner girl. After so many Michelin-starred restaurants, I feel Italian desserts are incredibly restrained in their sweetness, so even three dishes didn't feel overwhelming. Halfway through the trip, I'm increasingly reluctant to leave...

Let me start by saying we eaten at many Michelin star restaurants in the US and abroad, we are huge foodies. If I can give this place 1000000 stars I would, it was one of the best meals in our lives!! The experience, service, and atmosphere is amazing as well. We did the 9 course tasting menu and every bite was exceptional from the presentation, to the flavor, textures, and depth!! I was beyond stuffed half way through the meal but couldn’t stop eating! If it is in your budget, do yourself a favor and go and get the 9 course tasting menu!!

One of the best meals we’ve had in life.

My wife and I decided to make Ristorante Santa Elisabetta our special dinner night for our honeymoon and it exceeded all expectations. The food had incredible detail with unique and intricate flavors, the wine pairings with each dish were perfect. Truly a night we’ll never forget thank you!

It is hard to describe how wonderful the overall experience was. The food was spectacular. Every dish was a wonderful surprise. The portions were perfect. The creatively, the balance, the flavor made the food the best dining experience we have had in our lives. Then you add the small intimate setting, the impressive service, the utensils that matched every single dish- Basically the best meal we have ever had.