Le Lance di Fiesole — Restaurant in Fiesole

This place has mice and attitude problem.

I am writting this review right after leaving this restaurant and I already know I am never coming back.

There were some minor “issues” like.. well, the portions are really REALLY small, prices are pretty high for the overall quality etc. But okay, you can look all that up online, so that’s on us.

We visited mostly because of the advertised gorgeous view on Florence and that was the first major problem. From the photos it seems like you are going to sit right on the hill with the view on Florence, but there is (not so small) road between the restaurant and the hill, so view is nothing special at all, unless you are standing, trying to take a photo. You can find much better views in restaurants in Fiesole.

So, all of that was dissapointing, but whatever, it would be a 3* review… dissapointing, overpriced, but okay.

However… while we were eating, a mouse started to aproach us, trying to jump into our plate again and again. I did not capture it while it was trying to jump, but you can see it on the video, coming to the table. That happened again and again. Now, I understand it was coming from outside, you can only do so much about that… but the attitude of the waiters was the main issue.

We were dealing with the mouse for 15 minutes atleast. My girlfriend is scared of them, so she needed to switch places with me. We were waving at the waiters, but they did not care about us. They only reacted when they saw us taking the video.

After that they laughted us off and told us “So what, we are in nature”. We had to ask them to change the tables, otherwise they would do nothing at all, even though they saw the mouse. And they only showed a bit of care when other tables started reacting to the mouse almost jumping on the table again. After that, they refused to interact with us and were acting like we were problem, like spoiled kids, angry that we told the parents. So we went to our hotel, feeling unwelcomed are just… unhappy. Also, unsurprisingly, my girlfriend’s food got tottaly cold because we were dealing with the mouse for that long.

And after all that? Nothing. We expected them to drop the check, give us some big discount, or offer a free dessert atleast. But no, nothing.

Only thanks belongs to the nice lady at the bar, who atleast gave us 4€ discount after I made some comments while paying. Service was mandatory 6€ btw.

I really hope people will see this review and find that its main message is: This restaurant is not horrible, but the way the waiters act makes you feel like having mice trying to reach your table is okay according to them. And if you are unhappy about something… well, that is...

Five Stars Isn’t Enough for Le Lance Di Fiesole

It’s a rare thing — to sit down at a table, barely a quarter into your meal, and already find yourself plotting your return. Not because the night is lacking, but because the experience is that transcendent. That was our evening at Le Lance Di Fiesole.

After 21 hours of travel, groggy and in search of comfort, we found ourselves turned away from our hotel’s restaurant. But fate, and my girlfriend’s sharp eye, led us to Le Lance — a short walk away and a world apart. We knew we had struck gold the moment we arrived: no English being spoken, no tourists in sight. Just warm lights, the murmur of locals at dinner, and the unmistakable sense that something special was cooking.

From the moment we entered, Valentina and Leonardo made us feel like family — not in the tired, tourist-trap sense, but in that rare, sincere way that tells you this meal might just become a memory.

Leonardo’s recommendations were more than spot-on — they were surgical. He guided us like a sommelier of experience, each dish arriving like a love letter from the kitchen. But some dishes deserve poetry.

Start with the coccoli with prosciutto and stracciatella (yes, that’s the one). Imagine a golden puff of dough, as light as a whispered secret, crisped gently on the outside with a chewy, cloudlike interior. Now add silky ribbons of prosciutto and cold, creamy stracciatella. It’s a symphony of contrasts — hot and cool, salty and rich, airy and decadent — the kind of bite that makes you close your eyes and forget where you are.

Then came the gnocco ripieno — a revelation. If gnocchi are the understudies of pasta, this is the star of the show. Tender, pillowy, filled with yolk and intention. It tasted like what gnocchi dream of becoming if they ever grow up and leave home.

And dessert? The tiramisu was delicate, balanced — a subtle crescendo rather than a sugar bomb. But the sleeper hit was the fried biscotti — crisped perfection with a texture so satisfying it might haunt you.

We sat by the window, watching the soft hills of Florence melt into night, bellies full and hearts fuller. There was no pretense, no gimmickry — just honest food, made with care, served with pride.

To the chef, the kitchen, and most of all, Leonardo and Valentina — thank you. You gave us not just a meal, but a moment. We’ll be back before we leave, or we’ll make the pilgrimage again before we leave Italy altogether. Because some meals stay with you — and this one...

By far, the worst experience I have ever had, at a restaurant, or even eating out in general.

On the subject of service; With the entire restaurant empty, at opening time (19:00), they gave us a pretty bad table; Food was almost thrown on the table, without making contact, one time even with their backs to the table; Even pouring the wine was a disaster, spilling it everywhere, and again without making any contact; They did not seem to care or even want to make an effort, in providing us a good or pleasant experience.

About the food; The starter of shrimp (for the price of EUR 16) were four very small and tasteless shrimps, a very boring dish. The main dish, octopus (EUR 22) looking promising, was served practically cold, while the small tomato’s, were very hot.

A total waste of...