Il Santo Bevitore — Restaurant in Florence

Well. I dont know where to start. I went to Il Santo Bevitore in 2011 & in 2018. It has always been a pleasure : waiters were nice and friendly, food was terrific. Really. I had a crush on it.

But I have no idea what happened. I went there a month ago. Although we had a reservation, we were asked to wait at the counter. Well, not a big deal, no hurry, let’s order a drink. Which we never got, but ok. That happens. Story could stop here. BUT... after we waited, we were put next to each other, both facing the main room. Which is pleasant and nice. And could let us see the whole CIRCUS. MANY MANY THINGS TO SAY. Waiters were like 10. For maybe 30 clients. This doesn’t mean service was good. It was horrible. We asked I think in total, 8 drinks. Not that we wanted to drink 4 glasses each, we just wanted 1/person. But we never got them. So we had to ask them 4 times... Food : my risotto was basic rice, cooked without taste. I think it was my worst risotto at a restaurant. The other starter wasn’t bad but bland, without any taste. Main course : mine was good. Other was bland, again. Not well cooked. But the circus isn’t over : You could see the waiters either doing nothing (1 picked up the phone once, that’s it) ; Or, AFTER BEING GIVEN - not discreetly at all - A PACK OF COCAINE (yes, you read well) in front of all clients, running unnecessarily in all directions without any aim. Just like chickens running in the room quickly, not doing anything at all (the funniest one is the guy who at a moment, after running in the room not doing anything, carried ONE empty plate. I think we laughed out loud). What a spectacle ! We could barely talk about anything else. It was so bad it was funny, we kept our eyes open wide 😳, not believing what we saw. At the end, still waiting for our drinks, two waiters pop up all of a sudden at the exact same time to suggest, again, a desert, to which we had already said no. I am sorry guys, we probably looked weird to you, laughing in front of you, but what could we have done ? My cousin used to work as a waitress in a big restaurant here, she could only see the mistakes and wonder what this terrible service was.

Anyway. This could all be only funny. But then comes the bill - again, we had to ask many times and ended up waiting at the desk in order to maybe receive it. And this is a fancy restaurant. We know the price. When I brought my cousin there I said it would be a tiny bit expensive but that it’d be worth it. But I felt so ashamed for what she ate and what we saw for such a price. Food wasn’t good, and as for the waiters, seriously, sniffing cocaine in the toilets next to clients ? We know it happens in restaurants. But not like that. I never saw a person’s boyfriend coming and give a big french kiss and C in the middle of the restaurant just in front of everyone. There was one guy who was good, and the only waitress seemed to work for good as well.

I am coming back in Firenze in a few months. Be sure I ain’t coming back. And to people who know I am found of this city and know it quite a bit, and who ask me for advice, I give them 19 nice names. But tell them not to go to Il Santo Bevitore.

Sorry guys. You were a very nice place before. Maybe managing changed. No idea. But try not to be too big headed and think you are too good to reconsider how you work. I am fine with paying 5€ for the pane e coperto (jeez) AS FAR AS it is worth it (food&waiters). 1/5 is way too much. And if I read the other recent comments, looks like I ain’t wrong when I say I think something’s recently...

DISASTROUS!!!

After all raving reviews online, I decided to book with them to celebrate the end of our one-week vacation in Liguria and Tuscany and indulge ourselves with a more refined dinner experience.

When we arrived, an unfriendly staff member gave us a table right at the entrance door. Really? I had booked one month in advance and you that was MY table? I asked to be moved of course.

Interesting menu, we were all happy with our choices... when my roasted marrow bone arrived at the table. One small teaspoon later and I am not exaggerating... it was empty. There was absolutely nothing on that bone, They roasted a bone for 13-15 minutes for nothing! I called the waiter and he brought me another one... 13-15 minutes later. My luck, there was maybe 3 teaspoons on it but the marrow was still pink and raw inside. Besides, there was no country bread to eat it along with and you must take the bread from the bread basked: carasau, whole wheat bread or focaccia. Nothing that would be offered with a marrow bone basically. I didn't tell them that it was not cooked through because I was with friends and I didn't want to make a scene but it was THE most expensive and disgusting marrow bone I have ever had in my life. 8 euros... it's caviar on a spoon!!!! A piece of advice if the owner of the restaurant reads my review: take it off the menu!!!

Then came 2 veal fillet alla Rossini and 1 guineafowl. Everyone knows that "alla Rossini" means with foie gras on top of the veal fillet. At the Santo Bevitore, you get two pieces of veal with in-between... I don't know what it was... but it was not seared foie gras. It was a fatty, unpleasant chewy piece of... I don't know what. Once again I called the waiter and he said that it was the way it's supposed to be. Well let me tell you: it was disgusting! The meat was good, served on some spinach but that was it. No vegetable apart from the spinach. A very poor plate but high in proteins! My friend with the guineafowl said it was good but I think she felt bad for me that I had chosen the restaurant and I looked like a fool after raving about it prior to going there. And honestly, I felt bad that our last dinner experience went so wrong.

But it's not it. I skipped the dessert because... I was done with the Santo Bevitore!!! My friends can't finish a meal without something sweet, so they had the so called "fondente al cioccolato". We all thought it would be like a "moelleux au chocolat" type of cake, cooked outside, liquid inside. Instead, it was "literally" a slice of chocolate with some ice-cream. It looked like a thin but compact slice of gianduja but not with the taste of gianduja... Another complete nonsense!

One positive note: our waiter was extremely friendly. And the wine was good too... They did't make it right? lol

150 euros later for 3 for a bad dinner (2,5 euros for the "coperto" per person), I can't possibly recommend this restaurant to anyone. Was it my bad luck on that night? I don't know... Maybe for the marrow bone. But for the rest, it is...

Bit of a tourist trap. We could only get a booking at 2130, but this wasn’t an issue. When we arrived we felt like we were just a number - sit, long waits for service, food came out in dribs and drabs even though we only ordered il secundo, they forgot some of our food (a cold side that didn’t need much prep) by the time we received it our main was cold. Menu was difficult to navigate because of how much was on offer/ if you wanted a translated menu you had to use a QR code… we didn’t have access to internet, but maybe that was our fault. Even though their menu was extensive there was one vegetarian option which didn’t sound much like a main - burrata and tomatoes (an after thought if anything), and if you’re pescatarian there is one option as the other is dressed in bacon… We had a lovely waitress but she wasn’t able to be attentive as she seems she to struggled to communicate to us through the noise and chaos, she also seemed to be waiting on loads of tables.

The wine by the glass was below average. Tasted very cheap - almost like drinking juice with a harsh after taste. The wine by the bottle menu was HUGE (which for a connoisseur I’m sure is a dream).

Lastly, acoustically - if you have any sort of noise sensitivity/ hearing difficulties I suggest booking to sit outside; as with the deep tables and low chairs alongside low vaulted ceilings - it’s like sitting in the middle of a school canteen and there is no chance of being able to have a conversation with the person you are with.

The wine 1/10 (for existing) The food 5/10 (marred by the poor timing) The service - friendly but not good. The experience 2/10

Glad we went to see what all the fuss was about but won’t return.

I think the restaurant needs to rethink its ability to cope with the volume of patrons and perhaps cease seating people after a certain time and focus on the ones...