Grotta Guelfa

Grotta Guelfa restaurant in Florence.

A decent, if unmemorable, meal right in the heart of tourist Florence

At the south end of the arcaded loggia that begins at Piazza della Repubblica, you can get a very cheap lunch under the loggia outside or in one of multiple vaulted rooms stacked up in several levels inside.

They do a heavy tourist trade here, and service can sometimes be slow, but the food isn't bad.

Start with penne strascicate (in a cream ragù), risotto agli asparagi (creamy rice with aspargus tips), or spaghetti alla carrettiera (a hot and spicey tomato sauce).

They don't shine on secondi, but the grilled chicken breast and sole in butter aren't bad.

Tips & links

Details

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General dining tips

"Pane e coperto" is not a scam: Nearly all Italian restaurants have an unavoidable pane e coperto ("bread and cover" charge) of anything from €1 to €15—though most often €2 to €5—per person that is automatically added onto your bill. This is perfectly normal and perfectly legal (though a few trendy restaurants make a big deal about not charging it).
Find out if service (tip) is included: Don't double-tip by accident. If the menu has a line—usually near the bottom of the front or back—that says "servizio" with either a percentage, an amount, or the word "incluso" after it, that means the tip is automatically included in the price. (If it says "servizio non incluso," tip is, obviously, not included.)

Even if the menu doesn't say it, ask É incluso il servizio? (ay een-CLOU-so eel sair-VEET-zee-yo)—"Is service included?" If not, tip accordingly (10%–15% is standard).

Don't be stingy about tipping, though. If il servizio is, indeed, already included but the service was particularly good, it's customary to round up the bill or leave €1 per person extra—just to show you noticed and that you appreciated the effort.
Tourist menus: The concept of a bargain prix-fixe menu is not popular in Italy. Some restaurants do offer a menu turistico ("tourist menu"), which can cost from €8 to €20 and usually entails a choice from among two or three basic first courses (read: different pasta shapes, all in plain tomato sauce), a second course of roast chicken or a veal cutlet, and some water or wine and bread. With very few exceptions, tourist menus tend to live up to their name, appearing only at the sort of tourist-pandering restaurants that the locals wisely steer clear of.

However, a menu à prezzo fisso ("fixed-price menu") is often a pretty good deal, usually offering a bit more choice than a tourist menu.

Then—especially at nicer (and pricier) restaurants—there is the menu degustazione ("tasting menu"), usually far more expensive (anywhere from €25 to €110) that is a showcase of the chef's best, or of regional specialties, and can make for an excellent way to sample the kitchen's top dishes.
Book ahead: For restaurants that I am truly eager to try, I go ahead and book a table—at least at dinner. I find that a corollary of Murphy's Law seems to apply. If you prudently book ahead, you are likely to show up to a half-empty restaurant and feel a bit like a fool for having worried about finding a table. If, on the other hand, you just show up at the door expecting to find a free table, the place will inevitably be packed and its bookings full for the evening.

Culinary tours of Florence

Italian dining phrases

Basic phrases (below)
Italian dishes, cooking terms, & menu vocab

English *(Inglese)*	Italian (Italiano)	Pro-nun-cee-YAY-shun
Good day	Buon giorno	bwohn JOUR-noh
Good evening	Buona sera	BWOH-nah SAIR-rah
Good night	Buona notte	BWOH-nah NOTE-tay
Goodbye	Arrivederci	ah-ree-vah-DAIR-chee
Excuse me (to get attention)	Scusi	SKOO-zee
thank you	grazie	GRAT-tzee-yay
please	per favore	pair fa-VOHR-ray
yes	si	see
no	no	no
Do you speak English?	Parla Inglese?	PAR-la een-GLAY-zay
I don't understand	Non capisco	non ka-PEESK-koh
I'm sorry	Mi dispiace	mee dees-pee-YAT-chay

Where is?	Dov'é	doh-VAY
...a restaurant	un ristorante	oon rees toh-RAHN-tay
...a casual restaurant	una trattoria un'osteria	oo-nah trah-toar-RHEE-yah oon ohst-air-EE-yah
I would like to reserve...	Vorrei prenotare...	voar-RAY pray-note-ARE-eh
a table for two	una tavola per due	oo-nah TAH-voal-lah pair DOO-way
...for 7pm	per le sette	pair lay SET-tay
...for 7:30pm	per le sette e mezzo	pair lay SET-tay eh MET-tzoh
...for 8pm	per le otto	pair lay OH-toh

I would like	Vorrei...	voar-RAY
...some (of)	un pó (di)	oon POH (dee)
...this	questo	KWAY-sto
...that	quello	KWEL-loh
chicken	pollo	POL-loh
steak	bistecca	bee-STEAK-ah
veal	vitello	vee-TEL-oh
fish	pesce	PEH-shay
meat	carne	KAR-neh
I am vegetarian	sono vegetariano	SO-no veg-eh-tair-ee-YAH-no
side dish [veggies always come seperately]	cotorno	kon-TOR-no
dessert	dolce	DOAL-chay
and	e	ay
...a glass of	un bicchiere di	oon bee-key-YAIR-eh dee
...a bottle of	una bottiglia di	oo-na boh-TEEL-ya dee
...a half-liter of	mezzo litro di	MET-tzoh LEE-tro dee
...fizzy water	acqua gassata	AH-kwah gah-SAHT-tah
...still water	acqua non gassata	AH-kwah noan gah-SAHT-tah
...red wine	vino rosso	VEE-noh ROH-so
...white wine	vino bianco	VEE-noh bee-YAHN-koh
...beer	birra	BEER-a
Check, please	Il conto, per favore	eel COAN-toh pair fah-VOAR-eh
Is service included?	É incluso il servizio?	ay een-CLOU-so eel sair-VEET-zee-yo