Alassio — Restaurant in Florence

We had a lovely dinner at Alassio tonight, made even better by the most attentive waitress. She took the time to explain the concept behind their menu, which beautifully blends seafood flavors with Tuscan delicacies. Her recommendations were spot on.

One highlight was the smoked tomato carpaccio with pickled eggplant and spices.

For our main courses, we tried girella, a dish we had never tasted before. Is sort of a rolled ravioli with ricotta and lemon inside and a sauce with seafood reduction and tomato. it felt like an adventure to try something new after many days eating Tuscan classics that are sold everywhere ( you know what I mean: beans, prosciutto, ragu of wild boar).

We also had the seafood pasta with mussels and clams, which was bursting with rich, fresh flavors—truly one of the best seafood dishes I’ve had.

The best part of the meal was the panna cotta. While it’s often a very basic dessert, their lemon-infused version completely elevated it, and we absolutely loved it.

To finish, I had the chance to try marocchino coffee, a specialty from northern Italy served with a dusting of powdered chocolate on top. It was one of the best coffees I’ve ever had, and I’ll definitely be adding it to my list of favorites.

One last thing: loved the cedrata drink.

Note/ pictures don’t do justice to how beautiful it all looked. My camera is bad...

We stayed in Florence for a week and dined at many wonderful places, but Alassio truly stood out as the highlight of our trip. From the moment we walked in, we were welcomed with warmth, laughter, and genuine hospitality.

A special thank you to Velisjona, the incredible floor manager, who made us feel right at home and ensured everything ran seamlessly. Our waitress, Niculina, was an absolute gem—funny, accommodating, and genuinely friendly, she brought such joy to our dining experience.

Behind the scenes, the magic was created by Manuel and Carlo, the talented cooks, whose dishes were nothing short of perfection. Every plate was a masterpiece—full of flavor, beautifully presented, and made with care.

The ambiance itself is unmatched. The elegant décor, paired with the serene garden setting, created an atmosphere that felt both sophisticated and welcoming. Whether it was the service, the food, or the surroundings, everything came together in perfect harmony.

If you’re in Florence, don’t miss this gem. Alassio is more than a restaurant—it’s an experience you’ll remember long...

the food here was horrible. the restaurant was beautiful, so we expected a good experience. but the food was the worst food we’ve had in italy, and we’ve been here 2 weeks. we had the parpadelle ragu which was inedible. the foccacia pizza (shown below in the photo) was worse than school lunches in america. it was cold and consisted of cold sauce and cold cheese on stale bread. the gnocchi was raw inside (texture of playdoh ) and was served on what was a basically a plate of mushy baby food. we ordered a sirloin steak and after 45 minutes of waiting, the waiter came over and told us they ran out of steaks. it was friday evening at 10pm…. we ordered a bottle of wine, and the waiter poured a whole glass then spilled the whole glass, and did not offer to replace it. they ended up comping the bill 50% but it really was not good enough. the food was inedible and we left still starving. very disappointing and would warn anyone walking thru the door to go...