Trattoria il Gabriello — Restaurant in Florence

Nov 4, 2014 We've been coming to this small trattoria for 11 or 12 years. Back then it was rustica...not so much now.

Eight years ago they took over the space next door, moved the kitchen from the side to the back (where the seating used to be) and put the seating into the new side room which now is beautiful dark wood paneled...still a very small number of tables that keep it intimate.

Best to get a reservation no matter what time of year or what day.

There are 6 or 8 specials every day, as well as the regular menu.

This time I had the fresh veggie soup and risotto with asparagus...soup was served in a crock bowl so it stayed hot...nice touch.

I like my food spicy, that's flavor spicy. I also like hot spicy too. So I added pepper to both and grated cheese to the soup.

The bread is the kind you look for and so often come up short. Theirs is truly 'crusty' Tuscan bread...rough and ready...outstanding.

Desert? We got the verbal list of home-mades and I had to stop our waiter and ask to go back...did I hear castagna? Castagna panna cotta? whoa brother!!! And, our table-neighbor added his two cents that this was one of his favorites. So that was it. And was it ever IT!!! They wouldn't give up the recipe and I don't blame them...I'm gonna spend a lot of time tinkering back home, until I get it right. Never even seen it anywhere else.

The only issue that I have is that they need one more person out on the floor. One waiter isn't sufficient to greet people, take orders, serve, clear...and answer the phone. No, actually there is another, but they still need one more body to smooth out the flow and respond quickly/effectively to diners' needs as they come up. Having said that, it's a small price to pay for the quality food experience you get. And, since you don't get hurried at mealtimes in Italy, go ahead, sit back and have some conversation while you wait for whatever you need...it's good for you.

OH, and if it's important to you, English is spoken there. But there is no 'English' menu (thank goodness). I'm still learning my Italian and much prefer to work through it in Italian, but sometimes when they are busy, it's easier for the waiter to handle it in English. (And, sometimes they like to practice their English too, I have a lot of friends...

What a disappointment! We visited this restaurant 5 years ago and had an amazing experience. Back then, the staff were professional and honest—a waiter even advised us not to over-order, warning us that the portions were big. That’s exactly why we decided to come back after 5 years and bring our friends along, proudly recommending it. Big mistake.

This time, the experience was a disaster. We ordered 1.3 kg of meat for 4 people, but the lady insisted on bringing us 3 kg or 2.1 kg. We tried to refuse—multiple times—but she kept pushing. After a lot of back-and-forth, she returned with 1.7 kg, still too much, and again kept insisting. Finally, she brought us 1.35 kg of meat, but almost half of it was bone, with no filet at all—just fat and little meat.

When we questioned this, she told us:

“We don’t cut the meat smaller than that.”

Funny, because 5 years ago, we were three people, and somehow it wasn’t a problem then. Also, what do you serve to couples or solo diners? A 2 kg bone each?

The wine experience was just as bad. I expected to taste the wine, like in literally every other restaurant, but she said:

“If we open it, you have to drink it. Trust me, it’s delicious.”

So basically, no option to check the wine before committing to a full bottle.

Overall, this was a terrible experience. Instead of enjoying dinner with our friends, we spent most of the evening arguing with the staff just to stop them from forcing oversized portions on us. At the end, we were left with a massive bone and barely enough meat for four people.

NOT RECOMMENDED. This place has changed for the worse. Don’t waste your time or money.

"Fiorentina is a T-bone steak made of tenderloin and striploin. They brought us 1.350 kg of meat that didn’t have the...

We had a main course and a bottle of wine in this establishment. Attention! The prices are not between €10-€20 but minimum between €30-€40 with only a main course and a bottle of wine.

Booked beforehand and were welcomed by a very nice gentleman. He offered us a bottle of water and brought us some bread and the menu. After choosing the pork tenderloin and the lamb chops we unfortunately were told the latter was not available due to the season. My friend went for the pork ribs. The lady that took the order adviced us on a bottle of wine and we were not dissapointed, very good (local) wine.

Considering the price and the quality of the food we were not that positive and that's why we give 3 stars for overall rating. For both the dishes the meat was a little dry and considering the 'standard' this establishment wishes to offer something like ribs is not a very smart choise. We had the feeling that the focus was to much on the wine and not enough on the combination of good food and wine. A lower price for the dishes or a higher quality on the food would put...