Empire Rooftop View American Bar & Pool — Restaurant in Florence

On the plus side: it has a tremendous view. But I am not recommending this establishment.

Of course you're paying a premium for the view and rooftop experience. But the prices are outrageous. For this price a full set of aperatif food (finger sandwiches, etc.) should be given out. All you get is a small bowl of olives, breadstick bites and coated peanuts.

It is worth noting that the price point on the menu is NOT reflective of the final price. The "special aperativo" item on the menu was effectively doubled for the actual spritz cocktail itself. I found this very shady.

The pool and rooftop also just doesn't have that "wow" factor like it seems like it might have from the photos on Google Maps.

We didn't order any food but it looked extremely average.

It is also very inaccessible to people with mobility issues.

The attitude of the servers themselves was fine. No complaints there, just to be clear.

Probably fine to check out if you're already a guest of the hotel, but if you're like me and thought it looked worth taking a detour for as a tourist, I wouldn't bother.

Again, I'm finding it a bit challenging to review places in Florence because it just seems like I'm missing something and just keep falling for trap after trap. I don't know who is giving some of these mediocre and overpriced places 5 stars.

I can only hope a few people read my reviews and can avoid making some of the same...

What this place has in its beauty, in my opinion it can’t be translated into the food.

Certainly, the views were amazing. If someone is looking for the right spot to get an incredible view, this place has its merits. It was probably the best view of Firenze I have ever seen.

However, the main dish I ordered was not edible to me. I ordered a pasta with rabbit. The pasta was cold, the sauce was too thick and the rabbit was not tender to my palate. The ragu was with such a weird taste that I couldn’t continue eating. On the other hand, I need to recognize that the staff was sensible enough to not charge the food after we said it was not good. Additionally, the starters were unsalted and too oily as well.

On a more positive note, the drinks were good and can deserve a second chance because...

We had the most amazing time here - fantastic cocktails and wine, tasty and complementary bar snacks, good service…but the kicker is the VIEW! You can see just about every single landmark in Firenze. For the best experience, book your table for 10-15 minutes before sunset (just Google it for the day you’ll be there) and get your camera ready. We were in absolute awe of the beauty, and it was neat to watch lights come on throughout the city to light the various churches, etc. Located within the Plaza Hotel but very easy to navigate to the elevator and up a few steps to the rooftop. Surprisingly reasonable prices for a hotel bar and rooftop seating - we paid 29€ for one cocktail and one...