Il Latini Restaurant in Florence, Italy

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Prosciutto hanging from the ceiling

Il Latini is a restaurant I went to 10 years ago. At that time, it was recommended to me by a close friend and highly rated in Fodor's Florence Travel Guide. It is a noisy and crowded Tuscan trattoria that appears to be popular to both locals and tourists. The food is excellent, and it promises to be a very fun experience that you won't soon forget.  Il Latini left a great impression on me last time, so I had to revisit it this trip. We made reservations for the dinner opening at 7:30pm on a weekday, and when we arrived at 7:30pm there was already a small mob at the door. We fought our way up to the front to give them our name and we were escorted to our private table. I recommend making reservations because otherwise, you may be seated with others at a larger table. The restaurant specializes in family style dining, but you can order dishes separately if you so choose. 

Details: Hours: Tues-Sun 12:30-2:30pm and 7:30-10:30pmCuisine: Traditional FlorentineLocation: Off Via della Vigna Nuova, Near Piazza Santa TrínitaWebsite: www.illatini.com


On the top of each table already is a 2 Liter jug of their house wine - Rosso di Toscano. Your waiter asks if you would like to open it or not. We choose to have the house wine, and we didn't regret it. If you want something different, they have an ample wine cellar with a wide selection of French and Italian wines to enjoy. 

Il Latini Rosso di Toscano and Extra Virgin Olive Oil

You don't order from a menu, and sometimes the food can be brought out to you very quickly if you are not careful. Be sure to tell the waiter what your preferences are and he will most likely go over the options for each course. This dinner is served in the traditional Italian way starting with the appetizer progressing through 2 plates (1st and 2nd) and ending with dessert. You don't have to order every course, just tell the waiter what you are interested in.  
Appetizers:- Crostini with chicken liver- Bruscetta with tomatoes- Prosciutto with melon- Caprese Salad
We got the Prosciutto with melon, which honestly was the best prosciutto I have ever tasted. Bright red, fresh, perfectly salty, flavorful and a great match with the fresh melon.


Primi Piati: ~ 6 euro- Penne bolognese- Minestrone or Ribolita soup- Gnocchi with summer vegetables (squash, zucchini, eggplant, and peppers)- Ravioli stuffed with Ricotta cheese
We got the Gnocchi with summer vegetables. It was a great selection. The ingredients were fresh, the gnocchi were buttery. It was a very rich dish...perhaps too rich for a primi piati, but it was enjoyable.

Gnocchi with summer vegetables

Secondi Piati: ~ 8-16 euro- Filet of beef- T-bone steak- Roast Lamb leg- Roasted chicken- Roasted Pork Chop- More options (I can't remember them)
I got the roasted leg lamb. It was good, but not as tender or flavorful as expected. This dish was a decrescendo from the previous dishes.

Roasted Lamb

Sides:- Fiore di zucca fritti- Roasted potatoes- Tuscan beans- Tuscan beans with tomatoes- Sauteed Spinach
We got the roasted potatoes and the fried zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta and anchovies. Both were excellent and perfectly cooked. The potatoes were parboiled and roasted with herbs. The zucchini flowers were perfectly golden but needed a little salt in the batter.

Roasted Potatoes

Fiore di zucca fritti

We were served a complimentary glass of Spumante for each person at the table.
We finished off or dinner with Cantuccini con vin santo (Almond biscottti with sweet wine).

Almond biscottti with sweet wine

Manager and waiter discussing the bill

The most interesting thing about the whole experience is that when you ask for the bill, the waiter brings over the manager, they quickly recount your meal while the manager jots out your meal and prices on a pad of paper. He then slaps down the bill on the table. Your bill seems to be recalled and calculated very haphazardly, but upon investigation turned out to be spot on. It was 90 euro for 3 people, but we had a very conservative meal compared to most.  

90 euro for 3 people

This was an amazing meal. This is the kind of place were you come with a big appetite and fun friends, and throw caution to the wind. The highlights were the excellent house wine, fun atmosphere, prosciutto with melon, and zuchinni flowers. I highly recommend this dining experience when you are in Florence next.

Late Night Crowd