Varadero — Restaurant in Florence

I dined here on 2 of my nights in Florence.

Varadero is a really warm, authentic Cuban-Italian restaurant (focusing on seafood), with ridiculously friendly and attentive service — both by the front of house and the chef himself, who comes out to check on guests.

Firstly, Varadero serves a great house salsa that pairs amazingly well with bread. I had a lobster linguine with a tiramisu on the first night; the lobster was so meaty, well-seasoned, and tender (which really made the dish great value), while the tiramisu was really custardy and thick, which I enjoyed.

On the second night, I started with a mare caldo (“warm sea”), and had a lemon tagliolini with prawns and fish for my main, before moving on to the Cuban coconut caramel flan for dessert; the mare caldo was a generous bowl of mussels, clams, razor clams, and sprinkled with some shrimp, squid, and topped with a crayfish and a mantis shrimp. It was a deceptively big portion, with plenty of mussels in the bowl. The lemon tagliolini was a unique dish that pleasantly surprised, with every strand of pasta having a perfect bite and chew, and coated with just enough lemon-infused cream sauce. The dish was loaded with plenty of prawns, though I somewhat wished there were bigger bites of fish — some of the delicate fish had broken down into much smaller pieces in the sauce.

The Cuban coconut caramel flan was AMAZING. The texture of the flan was great, and really elevated by the incorporation of shaved coconut and caramel. The dessert actually reminded me of home: the combination of coconut, brown sugar caramel, and flan tasted just like a gula melaka dessert from Southeast Asia. It was amazing, and I only wish I had another night to try it once more.

Overall, I was really happy on the 2 nights I was here, with the food and service both excellent, the atmosphere really warm and homely, and everyone who walked in treated like a friend. I would have come back for a third night, but alas I have run out of time in Florence. Hopefully, I’ll be able to find Varadero once again,...

My friend and I had a one-day stay in Florence. After trying a few underwhelming Italian restaurants in the city center, we had almost given up hope of finding a decent meal. On our way back to our Airbnb, we stumbled upon Varadero and decided to give it a try since we had nothing to lose at that point. To our surprise, this turned out to be the highlight of our Florence stay.

I ordered the carbonara, and my friend had the spaghetti with fresh clams and the fish crudités of the day. The pasta dishes were perfectly al dente. The carbonara was creamy, and the bacon was cooked to perfection. The fresh clams and fish crudités were incredibly refreshing, clearly made with high-quality, fresh seafood. We also ordered a tiramisu and were not disappointed at all.

Most importantly, the service staff was extremely warm and welcoming. The chef also made rounds to each table to check in on the food and our dining experience. Altogether, the experience was immaculate, and I would strongly recommend Varadero to anyone looking for a homely and high-quality Italian...

We were staying at the AC Hotel in Florence and stumbled upon Varadero just a short walk away—what a fantastic surprise! From the moment we walked in, the experience was warm and welcoming. The staff was incredibly friendly, and we even had the pleasure of meeting the chef, whose passion for food truly shines through.

Every dish we tried was outstanding. The seabass, lobster linguine, clams with pasta, and a variety of appetizers were all bursting with flavor. Each plate had a unique twist, reflecting the chef’s Cuban roots blended with international influences. You can tell there’s real creativity and heart behind the menu.

Highly recommend if you’re in the area—this was one of the best meals we had...