Galleria Iginio Massari Firenze — Attraction in Florence

Unfortunately it didn't meet our expectations. When you have "Italy’s most famous pastry chef" on your website (and so on and so forth) everything has to be top notch. So: Price: expensive? yes, so what? the amount is clearly stated on the menu, so I don't' see why people complain. Food experience: excellent quality for the pastry, coffee and cappuccino... too cold, I guess they were sitting at the bar for too long. not acceptable. Service: this is where....let's say there is a lot of room for improvement. pastry came first, then it took a solid 5 min to get the beverages... they made 2 mistakes with our order (forgot 2 items, delivered a wrong item); a waiter brought coffee to the table next to us after they were just arrived and still checking the menu; for abt 10 min there was no waiter manning the fairly large room, we had to go to the bar to ask for drinks. Bathrooms, I guess they had limitations but... wow they are really small and narrow, I felt rather uncomfortable. Ambiance: ample, colorful, elegant. not my cup of tea but it...

Now 81 with Pasticceria throughout Italy those who call Iginio Massari “King of Pastries” or the “World’s Best Pastry Chef” are certainly within their rights, especially as his Galleria on the ground floor of the Helvetia & Bristol Hotel in Florence continues to generate long lines daily.

Drawn to Pastry from a young age, and working in kitchens now for nearly seventy years, it is inside modern confines that guests discover all sorts of Viennoiserie as well as leavened Breads formed by hand from nothing but the area’s best Ingredients.

More pricey than local artisans, though certainly not unrealistic as items such as a faultless Veneziane cost only €2, those arriving to Via dei Vecchietti 3 early will note Sfogliata with various fillings including creamy Pistachios alongside a delicate Pastry brushed with Butter and packed with Rice Pudding.

Perhaps best known for Roman Maritozzi, often dressed up for special occasions, Massari feature Brioche so light that it almost seems impossible surrounding a choice of Custard or ethereal...

The pastries are great. I loved the macarons and the raspberry flavors on all the treats. But the experience I had with the staff today was subpar. I walked in and one staff said good morning to me in Italian, which I understood. I smiled and said hi to him, but the next thing he said to me in Italian I did not understand. After saying "what?" and "I don't understand" a couple times in English, I looked over to see a few other staff standing by and laughing at me. Finally another worker came forward and asked what language I spoke, which I thought was abundantly clear because I had been speaking English the whole time. He then told me the first person had told me "welcome." It felt very rude to be laughed at by multiple people, especially as a paying customer, just because I didn't understand the Italian word...