Luxury DMC Italy with Class gives us an insider’s tip on where to score an authentic bistecca alla Fiorentina or ‘Florentine steak,’ from the revered white Chianina cows of Tuscany.
Tell us about the meat-loving cuisine in Florence.
The Tuscan diet is unapologetically carnivorous. In Florence they have a saying – chi non carneggia, non festeggia – “those who don’t eat meat don’t know how to celebrate.” Bold, brash, and red-blooded, it speaks volumes of a city which places lampredotto (the fourth and final layer of a cow’s stomach) and bistecca (steak) at the center of its culinary culture.
Florence has no shortage of restaurants serving up bistecca alla Fiorentina, but as the city is such a popular tourist destination, some places offer a more authentic, local, sumptuous experience than others.
Where do you go to dig into a real bistecca?
We love Trattoria Mario near the Central Market in the San Lorenzo district. You can’t make reservations over the phone, you have to turn up and wait, but it is well worth it. The surroundings are cozy, intimate and traditionally Florentine, with memorabilia from the Fiorentina football team adorning almost every wall. The service is fast and friendly, the steak tender and succulent, and you get to choose which cut you’d like before placing your order.
Another great place to go is Trattoria Da Que Ganzi in the Sant’Ambrogio district: the owner, Domenico, goes out of his way to recommend the right wine to accompany your meal. His menu offers variety and versatility, though an easy order would start with the tagliere “dei Ganzi” to share before moving on to the bistecca.
Sharing really is caring when it comes to the bistecca alla Fiorentina – not just because of their size, but because there’s something about feasting on a chunk of red meat with someone else that runs deep in locals’ anthropological makeup. But if nobody’s willing to go twos with you, don’t panic. Da Que Ganzi also offers the smaller tagliata di manzo ai carboni (sliced beef cooked on coals) for one, or filetto di manzo ai carboni (fillet steak cooked on coals). Don’t miss out on their dolci either. They’re molto, molto buoni.
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