Stefano's Italian of Florence — Restaurant in Florence

What a surprise! Judging from the exterior, I did not expect this to be such a big space with huge portions. But I guess you can’t judge a book by the cover.

Below you’ll find a full review with elements to love and a couple of areas of improvement.

What’s to love? Did I mention the huge portions? I mean huge portions. We did not get any of the sandwiches, but they served one of them, and I snapped a picture as it was going by. The service is excellent. Unfussy but always quick to refill the water or bring more bread. As long as we’re talking about the bread. This garlic dipping sauce for the bread was garlicy. In all the right ways! And they were quick to refill it. Inexpensive wines

What areas could they improve upon to make this a five star experience? A few more wines on the wine list would be great. Lots of big bold reds would make sense in an Italian restaurant, and maybe even offer something like a carafe of house wine, like a Chianti. The bathroom was very small. In fact, both times I was in the bathroom, people were mentioning how small it was. That’s how teeny it is. It’s a large restaurant, so it would be nice to have a few more stalls in the bathroom! And as I say that, I recognize it’s very tricky to upgrade in an existing building. I think my big complaint is that my Arrabbiata pasta was too spicy. I have had this pasta many many times, and I love the spice, but in this case, the spice completely overwhelmed the other flavors. I don’t know if they were just accustomed to using the same recipe or if the chef that night had a heavy hand with chilies, but usually this dish is nice and spicy but not so spicy that I’m gulping water. And, in this case, I was gulping water. Also keep in mind I have a Very high tolerance for spice, and I still thought this was a bit too spicy. So just a note to perhaps cut back on the chilies (a wee bit) in that particular pasta, although I know that pasta is known for having spicy flavor profile and the name literally translates to angry.

This will be a nice regular stop when we are coming and going to the beach, and we will try one of the huge...

From the front door to seating, staff friendliness, service, food quality, taste, and price—my experience at Stefano’s was simply AMAZING.

I called on July 25, just before closing, to ask if I needed to make a reservation for lunch on July 26. I was coming from Fort Bragg, NC, and my friend was traveling from Conway. We hadn’t seen each other in years—she was my college ROTC instructor and played a huge role in my successful active duty Army career.

The gentleman who took my call kindly assured me that the time I planned to arrive wouldn’t be an issue. When my friend arrived first, she was greeted warmly by him and the other staff with, “Are you the one coming from quite a distance to meet a friend you haven’t seen in a while?” That personal touch meant so much and truly went above and beyond.

My friend ordered the Chicken Tortellini, and I had the Chicken, Broccoli, and Penne. The food was just as fantastic as the service and the support we received from everyone.

My ONLY regret is that I forgot to ask for everyone’s names so I could rave about them individually—I usually do, but I was caught up in the moment. The gentleman had short brown hair and glasses, and our server was wonderful, too. I only remember from our conversation that she owns a tabby cat.

Thank you, Stefano’s, for such a wonderful experience and for having such amazing people on your team. I’m also sorry I forgot to take a photo of our meals—I was too busy catching up...

I stopped by Stefano's on a road trip, hoping to find a hidden gem. The reviews looked promising, so I gave it a shot. When we arrived, it took a few minutes to get greeted, but the place was bustling.

Our server was super friendly and made us feel welcome. He was attentive and courteous, which was great. The complimentary garlic bread was just okay – it needed a bit more time in the oven.

I ordered the gouda and sun-dried tomato ravioli, which sounded amazing on the menu. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to expectations. The presentation was off-putting, and the pasta edges were dry. On the bright side, the salad that came with it was fresh.

My son's penne alfredo had way too much black pepper for a kids' option. And don't even get me started on the pizza – I ordered two slices to go, and they were honestly some of the worst I've ever had. Undercooked crust, flavorless sauce, and barely any cheese.

But here's the thing: the service was top-notch, and the holiday touch was really nice. They had a guy dressed as Santa, who gave my son a goodie bag and took photos with us.

As we left, I did notice an employee smoking right outside the entrance, which was a bit weird.

Overall, I'd give Stefano's two stars due to the execution on their. The food just didn't cut it, which is extremely important for any restaurant, but the...