Trattoria Mario — Restaurant in Florence

My husband and I are foodies and always do our research before choosing a place to eat and let me tell you the food at Trattoria Mario is AMAZING!! A must try if you are in Florence. I called several weeks in advance to make a noon reservation for today (Monday) and was seated immediately upon arrival. This is a casual trattoria so tables are cozy but comfortable. The service was also quick and everyone was nice. Rigatoni al Ragu - 8.5/10 The rigatoni was perfectly al dente and chewy and the sauce looked simple but was so flavorful and meaty. It was hearty and not oily. A few bites of pasta were not cooked consistently but 100% would recommend. Beef stew - 10/10 Holy moly this was INSANELY GOOD!!! The beef fell apart and the dish was full of caramelized onions. The sauce had such deep flavor and was so rich, cozy and oniony but not overly rich. I don’t even know how to describe it I wish I could take this home with me. I’m definitely going to try and find a copy cat recipe because we could not stop eating this dish and I wish we had time to get it again. Beef Filet - 10/10 Husband ordered this based on reviews and because we didn’t have stomach space for the Florentine steak (which tons of people ordered and were raving about). The filet is cooked over a wood fire and it was one of the best steaks we’ve ever had! No sauce, no sides, just steak with salt and olive oil drizzle. The steak was cooked rare and had a great sear on the outside. It melted in our mouths it was so good. I don’t remember ever having a steak served that simplistically that was that delicious. After the meal we approached the chef’s just to tell them how amazing the food was it was so incredible and I will dream about going back...

My wife and I loved this place.

The food was delicious, came in big portions, and was inexpensive. The only downside is you'll almost certainly have to wait for a table. Even at 2:30pm, we had to wait about 30 minutes to get seated.

Inside, you're packed in with strangers. No seat is wasted. Chances are, if you're traveling solo or as a couple, you'll get seated at the same table with complete strangers. No worries though. This can be fun (unless you get seated next to a passionately amorous German couple, like we did, who spent more time kissing each other's faces than eating their pasta).

The daily menu is written on a piece of paper taped to the wall. Super casual. We decided to go with:

1. Pappardelle pasta with pork ragu sauce. My favorite dish. Super savory with a surprising burst of Italian herbs. The pasta was cooked just a smidge more than al dente, which is just the way I like it.
2. Rigatoni with bolognese sauce. A solid dish.
3. Veal chop. This was also delicious. The meat was cooked perfectly - tender, juicy, with just the right amount of char for flavor. The dish was very simple. Just some olive oil, salt, and lemon served as the accompanying flavors.

The entire ambiance of the restaurant was warm and friendly - just what you'd expect if you were to go to a friend's home in Italy, where they were serving a dinner party with 50 guests :)

With a bottle of water, our big lunch for two came out to just 30 euros total.

I'd highly...

The experience here was "different", to say the least. We were getting our covid tests done before lunch, in preparation for flying home to Texas the next day, and we had an excursion booked for 2:30. We weren't sure we would have time to eat here so didn't make a reservation. The covid test was completed quickly though and we were there waiting for Mario to open at noon. There were a lot of people there waiting as well. They have two areas of service, the main dining area on the main floor (one photo, a long narrow area), and an area in the basement (several photos). We were told "no reservation, you must sit in the basement AND the table must be cleared by 1:15". Since this place was recommended to us by friends as having excellent food, we proceeded to the basement. It was down some stone stairs, down a long hallway, past a kitchen, to a tunneled out room with about 8 tables. The room was clean, but "rustic". The food and service were fantastic, we really enjoyed the meal and laughed about the basement. And we finished about 1:00, ahead of the stated deadline. I highly recommend this place, but strongly suggest you make a reservation. You may still get the basement, which is fine, but most importantly, it guarantees you...