Santo Falafel — Restaurant in Florence

Bottom line, do not miss out on this place while you’re in Florence! I’ll start by saying I’m not even a falafel person, they’re usually dry and bland and served on a dry and bland pita. But this was the only place open close to my hostel one night and so I went to give it a try.

Didn’t realize til I got there that it was 100% vegan, which I strive for but can definitely be tough in Italy! So I was excited to see such a big menu of fully vegan options. I went with the falafel wrap, and holy moly, I have never tasted Mediterranean food as good as this. It was so good I went back four more times and got the same thing every visit! (They will ask you if you want it spicy, say yes regardless of your spice tolerance! It is just spice, nothing really spicy, and it makes it taste so much better!)

My first time I spoke with a man who seemed to be the owner, in particular about his house wine, and he told me that this was some of the only vegan wine in Florence (as many of the others use egg whites in their processing!) I got a mini bottle of the wine (see pic, so cute), and it was also so good that I went back and got a whole bottle the next day 😂

Anyways, this place became my vegan safe haven in Florence and I will dearly miss enjoying falafel so much! The one sad and hilarious part is that I never got a picture of any of the wraps because every time I couldn’t think about anything else but eating them. Let that be your sign...

Absolutely do not recommend.

A racist blackface image on a vintage bubblegum machine (filled with chickpeas) is displayed prominently on the counter where you order and pay. I should have walked out when I noticed this. What followed is their doing but leaves me feeling dirty.

I requested three times that the bubble gum machine be removed. The clerk said they had not noticed it before and apologised. Nonetheless, the racist depiction stayed where it was. So the apology was disingenuous. Needless to say, I lost my appetite.

Now the food: I paid, and took one bite of the falafel sandwich. My partner and I love this food and have favourite spots in NYC & Paris. Not here. This falafel is uninspired. I returned the sandwich to the counter, with one bite taken, under the gaze of the owner, the clerk and this deeply disrespectful portrait.

Sadly this kind of imagery is all too present in Italy and Europe. Often it tends towards problematic exoticizing of people of colour. In this case the image is worse, if such things even have gradations of awful. The clerk at least knew that it was blackface, knew better and still did nothing. I did not get my money back, nor could I stomach this food, nor was the...

I attempted to visit during said open hours. When I walked up and seen people inside I began to look at the outside menu. After seeing what I would order I went to door, it wasn’t open. I seen someone walk towards the door and then turn away. I can only assume and go by how this experience made me feel. And as a potential customer, I’ll leave my feelings at a one star and if ever asked, I would not recommend.

And the owners tone and his reply below speaks volumes. Because Google map clearly said open and I went during early afternoon. There’s even a review that states “open all day long”. I was kind in my review not to state how this establishment refused me service...