A century-old steakhouse located in a basement.

This century-old T-bone steak is delicious, but it's also easy to have a bad experience! Many friends recommended Buca Mario, and it truly is a century-old establishment. The video posted by food blogger made me really want to try it. Nowadays, many popular steak restaurants in the Florence city center seem to cater more to tourists, but since the meat is of high quality, the taste isn't bad either. It would be even better if you could find a small local restaurant a bit outside the city center. The food would be tastier and cheaper! (A few years ago, I had a meal at a place recommended by the hotel owner, which she often visited herself. However, it wasn't located in the city center, and I can't remember the name of the restaurant. Also, since most steak restaurants require advance reservations, I gave up on searching for it.) Reservation Most steak restaurants require advance reservations. We booked through Quandoo (which is also available in China), and each person had to pay a deposit of 30€, which was refunded upon arrival. 1️⃣ T-bone Steak Quality - ❎ Florentine steaks are usually served rare, so if you mind eating raw beef or don't like the texture of raw meat, be cautious when ordering! - ❎ Buca Mario's T-bone steak is their signature dish, and the T-bone is much thicker than average steaks, so the center will be even more rare! As you can see in the picture, when it's cut, there's a lot of blood in the dish. So, if you're not comfortable with that, definitely be careful when ordering. - ✅ I don't mind eating raw meat, so I think the texture is quite good. The raw part is very tender and succulent, with a crispy exterior that is full of aroma. 2️⃣ Portion Size - ✅ The T-bone steak portions are quite large! The menu lists single, double, and even quadruple portions. Two people can easily share a single portion! The pictures I have are all of the single portion, which is more than enough. - ✅ Besides the steak, you can also try some of their other dishes. I had something called "Nonna's Recipe Lasagna," and it was quite delicious. 3️⃣ Beverages - ✅ You can order wine by the glass or in small bottles. The wine list is extensive, so it might be easier to ask the waiter for recommendations. 4️⃣ Ordering - ❎ The restaurant is in the basement, so there's no mobile signal, and the menu is in Italian. - ✅ It's a good idea to take a photo of the menu and translate it in advance or have pictures of the dishes you want to order ready. 5️⃣ Dessert - ✅ After the main course, the waiter will bring a dessert trolley, and you can choose from the actual desserts. It looks like tiramisu is the most popular choice, and it's indeed very good.👍 6️⃣ Service - ✅ . The elderly waiter who served us even sang for us. The owner also gave us an apron with the restaurant's logo after the meal. - ❎ But for introverts, it might feel a bit awkward to keep going along with it. 🥩: Buca Mario 💰: 120€ (single portion of T-bone steak + lasagna + tiramisu + one bottle of red wine) #ItalianFood #ItalyTravel #FlorenceCuisine