Buca dell'Orafo

This hidden gem exceeded all expectations! The pasta was absolutely incredible—hands down the best tortellini I’ve had in Italy so far. Every bite was fresh and full of flavor. The service was just as impressive—warm, welcoming, and genuinely attentive. It’s not the most well-known spot, but it absolutely deserves more recognition. If you’re looking for authentic Italian food with a friendly atmosphere, this place is a must-visit!

Booked this cozy restaurant for 6 and was only somewhat impressed. The pastas were good but the steak quality wasn’t over the top and wasn’t worth ordering. It was a bit chewy and the quality was a little less than mid. Overall, I would recommend this place if you only get the pasta.

Super interesting design for the restaurant as they use to be a pawn shop and the place itself is under ground. There is not a lot of space and sound echos heavily, but I enjoyed the interesting decor and ambience. The fried zucchini flower is amazing, fried perfectly. Their liver paste was also very good as the seasoning complimented with the taste of liver without trying to mask it or making it over seasoned. The rabbit is cooked very well for that kind of meat, I quite enjoyed it and the pasta was great too. The service is fantastic as they let us know that the pasta may be a tad over cooked and asked if we wanted to switch it out. We found the pasta texture to be great, I would definitely recommend this restaurant for traditional Italian cuisine.

We had reservations for 7:30 and I thought it would be kind of quiet since it is February. But when we arrived there was a line of people who also had reservations. We were all seated quickly. This restaurant is so tiny! We were guessing it has around 35 seats. Each one was taken. I can see why. The food was outstanding as was the service. Truly a delight! We highly recommend this little 💎

We were able to get a table without reservations at this cozy basement level restaurant. Good service and great food. Enjoyed the pasta dish a lot. Bistecca fiorentina was good but Canadian steak is so great whenever I order steak elsewhere I regret it.

Authentic quaint Italian food with great service and prices!

Friendly enough service in a really cool venue accompanied by good food. It's set in a basement level location off of a little side street which gives it a real hole-in-the-wall, cozy vibe. My friends and I ordered the ribollita, tortellini, and the osso buco with a meat platter to start (with salame and prosciutto). All of the food was quite good, but my osso buco was a bit cold in middle which hampered my experience. It's a dish that's probably best made over a long period and may involve reheating, but getting cold bits of meat really let down the delicious, tender meat and rich sauce that it came with. Otherwise, an excellent meal.

Nice restaurant … very small and quaint atmosphere. They open at 7:30 for dinner and the front door opens down Into a basement area where the dining room is located. I tried rabbit 🐰 for the first time here. Its right by the river and a pedestrian bridge with lots of retail shops from Rolex and Petek Philip to leather goods and souvenirs. The pesto pasta was a favorite in our group. We were a bit warm, granted there was a heat wave

Small hidden restaurant near Ponte Vecchio. We had wonderful dinner. Excellent wine. They are known for their massive rib eye and all the other parts of the cow. We had roasted veal w pasta. Lots of veggie side dishes. Mushrooms, cauliflower, asparagus

Beautiful downstairs trattoria food was excellent charming place right off the Ponte Very authentic service to match

Outstanding food, served in a little cellar. Best dessert we ever had - Pere Carmellatte

Hands down, best dinner during my stay in Florence! Quaint setting and authentic Italian cuisine. Loved it!

Really good spot in Florence -- I was on the fence between 4 and 5 stars on this one. We got cheeses and prosciutto to start, followed by the maltagliata with ragu and pecorino, and the spaghetti with artichokes and pancetta. Everything was excellent -- the spaghetti was a particularly nice surprise, as it doesn't look like much, but it was really good. The ragu was very good as well, although I didn't like it quite as much as I love the ragu at (for example) Trattoria Mario. Regardless, very good spot, would definitely go back here.

The best fried chicken and fried artichoke I've tasted by far. If you plan on visiting Florence, you have to eat here to experience real authentic Florentine food. They serve simple and traditional foods like stews and pasta with incredible flavor and texture. It is such a small restaurant in a cellar that I recommend you either have a reservation or stand outside right before they open to get a table.

Food: Ate here because of a recommendation. Made a reservation. But the food was mediocre. We had one good dish: matagliatei con pecorino e sugo. The rest were mediocre and not worth ordering. We also ordered a mozzarella cheese and tomato salad, some penne pastas, and a cream sauce pasta. The pennes were crazy hard--not al dente but uncooked. Service: This was the biggest problem. This is a small restaurant. 10 ten tables. Only one server. She was swamped. We probably waited for 45 minutes just to get her to take our order. And they didn't have enough menus. So we would have to wait for someone to order. Then the food was mediocre at best. We were so done with the whole place by the time we finished dinner. The server knew it was bad and gave us free ice cream desserts. Atmosphere: Charming cozy but food sucked and service was bad. Visited 26 June 2017.

Florentine steak was amazing. Great service. Ambiance was extraordinary. Maybe the best caprese salad I have ever eaten.

Small little restaurant in the cellar of a building. Location does have a cool factor because if it and art work on walls a bit Avant guard. Only had 1 waiter entire dining room that had about a 30 person capacity. So he is handling about 8-10 tables. This is its weak spot to the experience. If you are lucky the server will be able to meet your needs. He is quick and abrupt, and can handle much of what is going on. Unfortunately, my experience was one of neglect. Had a reservation, entered restaurant and another couple entered after us. We were seated first but our order wasn't taken till after the other couple that came in after us was taken first. When we did order our drinks and water didn't arrive till after our appetizer, which was after asked the waiter twice for our drinks, but he was too busy. The couple that came in after us even offered us some of their water. We got the attention of one of the back of the house helpers for at least the water. We ordered the steak and a side of spinach; at least the food was great. Had to wait again for the bill. So rating more related to service over food.

Really wanted to eat at a "locals" place during my one night here in Florence. This restaurant had great reviews, the right prices and it was close to my hotel so I figured why not. Well, it was fantastic. I started with the crostini (with chicken liver). If you like chopped liver then you'll love this! Then I had the Ribollita which was just delicious. I heard that this dish is a local favorite so I really wanted to try it. I have to admit, I was nervous about eating something that was thrown together from all the remaining ingredients in the kitchen. Well, it was absolutely worth it. Would definitely come back again if I was in Florence! P.S. Came here by myself and was treated very well!

We loved the food and the ambiance. It was all fantastic. We were able to get a type of bistecca fiorentina without having too much leftover which was a challenge other places. Would love to return.

My meal here was a nice welcome back to Firenze. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. All of Alda's selections checked out! The house wine was most suitable as are most wines offered in Florence. You don't have to go super high in price to get a really nice wine here. Alda was super hospitable! There are only a small amount of tables, which allows for conversation. It doesn't get ridiculously loud. I would highly recommend.

We were told by a local wine bar to go to Buca. It was well worth it. The restaurant is located down, under ground. It has a lot of energy. It seems that many locals were in there so you can tell they really liked the place. We had to get some help with the menu since everything is in Italian. I had the fantastic groppa (cooked rare) and spaghettini. We also ordered fried artichoke and complimented our meal with the house red wine which was really good. I will go back again, which is saying a lot given all the great restaurants in Florence.

My favorite dinner spot from a recent trip to Florence. Inside it's somewhat of a "hole in the wall", but the food is legit and the crowd had way more locals than tourists. It was one of the few restaurants where service was nearly as prompt as back in the States. Perhaps this was because it was so busy (with many people waiting) so they actually cared about turning over tables. Be sure to call ahead and get a reservation.

Meal was wonderful. Small cozy restaurant. Menu was in italian but server made wonderful recommendations. Would definitely come back next time in Florence. Tiramisu was the best ever!!!

I had beef with cheese and fried mushrooms. It was haerd to get reservation, I ended up having a late dinner but it was worth.

Amazing dinner in Florence. Menu was in Italian but our server was great and read It to us in English. Food was quite amazing but quite predictable with menu. any other day o would rate 5/5 but since we have had so many meals in Florence above bar, my star rating system had to be adjusted.

Visited during our honeymoon in 2004. The food was amazing. Heart and delicious with great prices and a mom and pop ambiance. I've heard it's as good as ever. We cannot wait to return.

We enjoyed a delicious meal of pesto pasta and fried chicken. The pesto was rich and aromatic, and I loved that it was served with a pasta that I hadn't heard of or seen before. It had the shape and consistency of rolled dough that you'd use to make a dumpling. It was a very small place with two servers who were attentive. Most of the patrons were locals, so we took that as a great sign. On my way out, a man was being served a Florentine Steak that was larger than any cut of meat I've ordered at home. It looked and smelled fantastic.

The service was horrible, the wait staff was extremely rude to us. We made a reservation and they were rushing us and telling us we only had an hour so we had to hurry. The food was extremely overpriced and nothing special. The restaurant was very intimate and cozy I could have really enjoyed myself if I was able to relax.

Went to this restaurant based on food and wine recommendation. Asked for a table and was told there were none available and that maybe in 10 minutes; however there were plenty of empty tables; maybe they have something against Americans

Fabulous meal - I want to come back! I was intrigued when I spotted people rushing into an alleyway and down the stairs onto this tiny ten table restaurant. We came back today for lunch. It was divine! The ravioli with sage is astonishing. The house wine a delight. The spaghetti al'amatricana inspired. Treat yourself to a meal here. You won't regret it!

Was recommended to eat here by my son in law who is a Florence native. Wow was he spot on, this was the best dining experience I've had in Florence bar none. When we arrived (Tommaso had to call from the states to get me in) the place only had two customers eating, within 20 minutes every table was full of locals. Large party's of six drinking and eating. Everyone knew each other. Our meal consisted of ravioli stuffed with spinach in a cream sauce, pappa al pomodoro for starters. Then a salami plate (homemade) with fresh figs (delicious). I had asked about the polo frito, and the owner suggested the chicken and rabbit combination with zucchini flowers. It was incredible. The moist chicken and rabbit with the fried flowers, couldn't stop eating it. We also had a bottle of red wine ( brunello de montalcino). Everything was spectacular and I look forward to coming back soon.

Delicios meal and wine! the artichokes frittata was speccatular and also the risotto. not to mention the steak. the wine selection is as good as it could be.

We were the first people here before hounds of tourists arrived. Ate here for lunch, and I really don't know how the one waiter managed to serve everyone -- at least 30 people...so service was quite slow. Food was good. The husband seemed to really enjoy his chicken livers, and my pappardelle was decent, if a little heavy on the sauce. The menu is traditional Tuscan, but unfortunately when we were there artichokes were no longer in season.

The best small local eatery in Florence HANDS DOWN!!! --- just our opinion of course. Although they don't need the advertising because the place is small and always full we eat at Buca Dell'Orafo every time we're in Florence. Right by Ponte Vecchio take a few steps down into the small dining room. You can't go wrong just order anything and you'd be pleasantly surprised.

Groppa scaloppata al pecorino was amazing.. the chicken and the pesto pasta were equally great. Mostly locals no English menu very authentic

AWESOME!! Lovely Resturant. Quaint and tucked in a small basement. Excellent food. Filled with Florentines as well as us tourists. Patient staff for this tourist who did not know enough menu nouns. Menu is only in Italian; as it should be. Awesome selection. My primi was the Parapadelle with duck. It is the best pasta dish I have had in my first 8 days in Italy. I need to die now, I have two more days to go! I also had the chicken breast with potatoes. I loved how I waited. You need a little time between a heavy primi and a heavy secundi. The secundi was well executed. It had a crisp skin and the potatoes were also crisp and wonderful. I normally don't like chicken skin. Wow. Amazing. I then ordered desert. Not as good as the meal. It was too rich. I had a chocolate covered cream puff (essentially). Can one go wrong with Tuscan wine? Yes, but it's hard and I had a wonderful selection here. The olive oil is almost worth drinking itself. It is rude to lick a plate, but I thought about it.

Food was great but environment definitely not welcoming for tourists. Clientele who all seemed to have baptized the owner's first born were Italian, treated superbly and did not try to hide snickering at the only tourists in the room-my husband and I. We've travelled quite a bit and understand that service can never be the way it is at home-not a question. Sadly, first night in Florence and left a terrible taste in our mouths, with me wishing we were still in Paris. Maybe it was the rain?? Here's to hoping the next week here fares better!

if place has no english menu, its a challenge but then you know its not touristy. Food spoke for itself - phenomenal. I had braised beef and fried artichokes. I would totally come back here again! Grazie!

The meal at this restaurant left a lasting smile on my face. The food is amazing and the service is attentive and genuine. This place is known for organ meat. We had kidney and sweetbread. Both perfectly prepared. It was October when we ate here so it was grape season. We had simple grapes for dessert and I must say it was the best grapes I have ever had. Different than the kind in the USA. They were sweet in a indescribable way. Go here for a great meal.

Forget about the menu. Talk with the waiter, ask what are the specials and enjoy a truly authentic Florence osteria. We had so many different pasta, meat and veg I can't even remember. The food was great, the atmosphere lovely. Overall: unforgettable. Remember to book.

My wife and I found out about this place after someone suggested it to us on social media. We went there on our honeymoon and it did not disappoint. We made sure to make reservations prior since we knew it was a popular place. On the evening of our reservation we showed up early, eagerly anticipating dinner. My wife and I usually split everything so we can try more things. This evening we decided to splurge and have an appetizer and a full meal. We asked the server for her recommendation (a good idea when trying to eat authentic local food) and settled for a green bean appetizer with pecorino cheese. We loved it. It was very different from what were used to but it was refreshing and unique. For our next plate we chose a pasta plate with meat sauce. I don't remember the name but on the menu (none of it is in English) it was underlined, indicating it is a local Tuscan dish. The serve also suggested we try a third plate since we were sharing. We tried a seared steak place. I don't usually eat my meat so undercooked but it was amazing! The smokiness from the sear gave the plate an amazing flavor, coupled with olive oil, rosemary and pepper. It's a very simple dish but very satisfying. We didn't have dessert, opting instead for house red and white wines, which were also very good. Overall, one of my top two restaurants in Florence. Amazing food and great service.

A friend recommended this place when she lived in Florence years ago. I highly recommend making a reservation, it is a popular place among the locals. It's so quaint! Hidden in a neat ally way close to a lot of things like the uffizi, it was a perfect place to have a great dinner. The menu is in all Italian (solid sign the place is legit) but I just asked the waitress whatever her favorite is I'll get, I trust Italians and know they'll serve me something amazing regardless. I had an Alfredo based sauced tortellini that was so tasty. My husband had an amazing roast beef type dish with Italian white beans in a tomato sauce. Man. That was amazing. Wonderful place for authentic food. Highly recommend.

Been in Italy for 5 nights and this is the best meal so far, bar far! It's a bit on the pricey side, but well worth it due to the atmosphere. Only one room, and the food is cooked to order. You will love this place. No English ,end, but the wait staff speak fluent English and willing to translate. If you're willing to let them make recommendations, let them.

This place was one of the best places we ate in Florence, I would suggest a reservation during busy times. We had the steak florentine it was beautiful but not for some as it is super rare but perfectly seasoned and a beautiful piece of meat!We also the ravioli and I think I am going to dream about that pepper cream sauce and then because that wasn't enough we then ordered the penne bolognese also awesome. The meal, location, ambiance was all amazing and I would suggest this place to anyone.

When we arrived, we were completely ignored by the wait staff when we finally got someone's attention, she was extremely rude and curt. We requested an English menu, she let us know they did not have one and walked away with no further assistance. I really wish we would have left at that time, however this place came highly recommended so we decided to stay. After about 10 minutes if trying to navigate our way through the menu via Google, we flagged down another wait staff and asked for assistance. She was equally as rude and extremely put off that we needed her help with the menu. After ordering, we waited.. And waited.. And waited.. we didn't get our drinks or bread that was ordered. Meanwhile, 2 other groups of people came in, ordered and got their food while we sat there without food or drinks. After about 20 minutes, we asked for our drinks from the same rude attendant and waited another 10 minutes before finally getting them. A few minutes later, one of our 3 meals was served. By the time the other two meals arrived 15 minutes later the first meal was eaten and we still had not received our bread. We all agreed that the food was sub par AT BEST, we were disappointed with the horrible treatment, but mostly of the horrible food! Perhaps because we were tourists we were not welcomed, but I wouldn't recommend this place to ANYONE!

A small restaurant with a nice mix of locals and tourists. Reservations necessary. Traditional Tuscan food. Menu varies with the season. We had an excellent lasagne of duck and mushrooms almost without sauce. Also a pappardelle with a sauce of veal, chicken and rabbit. Main courses included a very light mixed fry of chicken, rabbit and zucchini flowers and one of meatballs with beet greens. grilled veal chop, bistecca, brains, tripe etc also on the menu. Excellent wine selection, but the house red and white are more than acceptable. A perfect Florentine dinner.

Our family's favorite place to eat in Florence! We went there twice when we were in town in 1999 and then in 2012 when my wife and I had a day in Florence during a shore excursion from a cruise, it's the one place we chose to eat. Fantastic! I apologize that I can't recall enough about what we had to make recommendations about specific dishes to get.

The best meal I had on a month long trip in Europe in 2005. Had a veal steak here that I remember to this day. Whenever anyone tells me they are going to Florence, I always recommend this place. I hope to go back one day.

Has a small hobbit-like doorway leading down from an arched alleyway. I was invited to join with a few kind strangers while checking the menu outside. This was in late summer of 2004! Sounds like it hasn't changed a lot since. Pasta with seasonal mushrooms in cream sauce, and lamb loin chops roasted with herbs. The most memorable food (and perhaps nicest experience) of that week in Italy. Unassuming, warm and charming underground place; one in my small group was a younger Sicilian woman, and one old gent working there was showing her like he she was his own grand-daughter how to swirl a bit of olio into her white bean (fagioli) soup. As you can probably tell I vividly remember being there (serendipitously, as Buca Dell'Orafo wasn't in the excellent Rick Steves guide & didn't seem very touristy.)

First night in Italy and this spot really set the bar high. Small, simple restaurant that delivered on all fronts - great service, good wine and incredible food. Menu was in Italian but waiter was very accommodating/friendly and answered all our questions. To my mind a gem. Don't be fooled by the alleyway or entrance. Highlight was the fried zucchini flowers (the woman at the next table shared with us).

Not your typical tourist place. Perfect size small restaurant, mostly locals. The pasta with peas(piscelli) is fantastic. You need two hungry people to finish the Bistecca Fiorentina, a good buy at 70 Euros. Went twice in two days.

I've been here twice for lunch. Absolutely a gem of a place. Family run. Small. Personal. Fabulous food. Don't know what to order? Tell them to surprise you.

Came in based on a recommendation and was impressed. My Italian friend said just told the waiter what you like and they will fix you up (no English menu), and they sure did. I got the pancake artichoke which was heaven! It seems like artichoke is their signature - so don't miss. Also got the veal chop, perfectly cooked and seasoned. House of red is the only choice for wine by glass, otherwise the dinner will be even more enjoyable. Hope to have chance to come back and try more dishes!

BEST FOOD IN ITALY! VERY FRIENDLY OWNER THAT TREATS YOU LIKE FAMILY!! FABULOUS DINING! We made reservations a month in advance and before we finished our meal, made them again for the next night! We will make a special 2 hour trip on our next Italy trip next month Just to eat there again! Wines by the glass or bottle we found exceptional, and the splendid caramelized pear for dessert is the best ever! DO NOT MISS THIS PERFECTLY DIVINE EXPERIENCE!

Very out of the way, a door in an alley leads down to one room with 15 tables. Had lunch and it was sensational. Wait staff animated and fun. Had pasta with mushrooms and buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes. Think anything would be memorable. Suggest reservations

We made a reservation at 9:30, because that was all that was available. We promptly showed up at 9:30 only be told very rudely that the person before us had arrived late and that "it wasn't his fault." We completely understood that with the dinner rush, not everything goes according to plan; therefore, we waited and were told to wait outside, because the restaurant was small. Another couple arrived after us and were hovering inside the restaurant and they were obviously Italian. After waiting 20 min on the bench outside, I poked my head in to see if there were any tables empty, because we saw people leave. The couple who had arrived after us was sitting down and having their first course/wine even though they clearly had no reservation and had arrived later than us. The server became very angry and kept complaining that "it wasn't his fault." They moved the first couple to a smaller table to accommodate our party of three and throughout the whole dinner, we were thoroughly ignored. We had to ask for menus, for plates, to order, for water, etc. The restaurant's bad service and organization rubbed off on the other customers, who promptly started making disparaging remarks towards us Americans. Too bad we could speak Italian and understood the rude commentary. "Well, at least this is highly rated and the food will be good, so this service and environment will be worth it." False. The food was mediocre and we were extremely disappointed, having looked forward to good food as this place's one saving grace. We tried hard to eat as much as we could stomach but barely finished half of our food. I would never recommend this shoddy establishment. This was our last night in Italy after having studied in Florence for four months and the terrible service, mediocre food, and hostile environment concluded our Italian experience on a hurtful and disillusioning note.

Best meal I've had in Florence. Hole in the wall and easily missed but the food is worth every effort. Favorite dish was the sphaghetti with artichoke which was right on point. Tender pasta and perfectly seasoned artichoke hearts. Followed by their Pollo dish which had amazeballs potatoes wedges. And mustn't forget the asparagus cooked in butter and Perrcorino.... Dinner was a dream. Make reservations in advance, space is tight and they fill up