Finisterrae — Restaurant in Florence

We have been here for lunch about 5 times over the years, and while their pizza and gelato are great, the dinner tonight (April 2024) was extremely disappointing. Especially after seeking out the restaurant especially to try dinner on the last night of our Italian holiday in other areas of Tuscany.

I wish I’d taken photos. It was a bit of a shock but we just couldn’t bring ourselves to say anything. It’s very tourist centric and we saw a line of about 40 people on a tour go through the restaurant so I’m not sure it would have made much of a difference… this is the first poor review that I can remember leaving online, but it shouldn’t take away from any glowing pizza reviews.

The hummus duo: bland regular hummus and what tasted more like a sun-dried tomato pesto.

The pork and tzatziki pita: quite tasty but not sure of the pork - quite processed in feel and look. Was that pork?

The rest -

Menu reads “Koriatiki, Greek salad with red onions, peppers, olives, cucumber, tomatoes, feta and oregano”

Reality Romaine lettuce, shredded carrot, sliced tomato wedges, some green olives.

Menu reads “ Vellutata di funghi e porri, “Cream of mushrooms and leeks and croutons of polenta“

Reality Kind of a broken mushroom sauce with some bits of slimy (canned?) mushroom stems and square black bread bits. Definitely not ‘croutons of polenta’

Menu reads “Cous cous alla marsalese Tuna with cherry tomatoes and marsala wine served with cous cous.”

Reality Some type of mushy meatball that was very reminiscent of Polpettine from the supermarket, covered in a tomato sauce and put in the middle of a big plate of bright yellow couscous. No garnish or identifiable tuna taste or cherry tomatoes. Even canned tuna on couscous and a tomato wedge would have been more identifiable as the menu description.

Moral of the story - go for lunch...

Roaming the streets of Florence has you parched with sore feet and a grumbling tummy. You gasp with unanticipated delight as you emerge from the alleyway and step into Piazza Santa Croce. The deeply patinated buildings in this piazza attest to the rich history in this city—one of Italy’s finest.

Here, in the shadow of the Basilica of Santa Croce, is Finisterrae. Its unassumingly humble facade belies the gastronomical wonders that await you within. Truly delectable culinary creations happen here—the Florentine T-Bone is a prime example. There are seafood options, poultry dishes, pasta plates, and many others to choose from—all are delicious I’m sure. *They seem to have a tendency to undercook steak so request one temp above what you want and you will be happy.

Service here is second to none! Marco served our party of 11 with finesse and fashion a plenty. He exemplifies what others in the business should aspire to. Unwaveringly professional, courteous, and polite. His situational awareness keeps him one step ahead so you will never want for anything while you dine. For us he displayed his refined skills as a sommelier by uncorking, aerating, and presenting to us several bottles of fine wine. His knowledge of wine is expansive allowing him to suggest vintages for uncertain oenophiles. Marko is 100% invested in his craft and it shows through as he takes great care to ensure a fine dining experience is had by all. It’s rare to encounter someone who hustles and takes pride in what he does the way Marco does.

When in Florence you should dine at Finisterrae and...

Not every restaurant on a busy square in Europe is a below average touristy cash cow! Finisterrae was recommended by a local merchant and held up to its reputation. Note-worthy for its outdoor seating and cool interior design, the place has a great diverse menu, average wine menu and a to-die-for list of desserts. Unlike to other Italian joints that salads are missing off their menu, they had a good selection of salads. We split a salad, I had a pasta dish (Tagliatelle with pork) and my hubby had their branzino (sea bass) plate. Even though the owner's wife is Spanish but the menu is Italian. All dishes were absolutely great and they tasted as if they were homemade, cooked by an Italian grandma bossing around in the kitchen! While sitting in the restaurant we made conversation with the local gay couple (best visitor guide in any city) sitting next to us that let us know of a fantastic outdoor event that was going on that night. After the dinner we strolled to the show which was cherry on the top of our...