Just off the busiest tourist thoroughfare in the city, halfway between the Duomo and the Uffizi, lies one of the last of a dying breed: a true fiaschetteria (derived from fiasco, Italian for a flask—i.e. of wine).
I love it for offering a fantastic but ultra-quick lunch in the perfect location for a busy tourist.
It is the proverbial hole-in-the-wall, a doorway about six feet deep with rows of wine bottles against the back wall behind the counter and two extraordinarily busy people fixing sandwiches and pouring glasses of wine up to the brim—either a basic rosso (red wine), or just point to any bottle to try un bicchiere (a glass).
The patrons—Florentines on their lunch break and a few bemused tourists—stand around on the cobblestones of the narrow street out front, munching and sipping and resting their glasses on a Roman numeraled slot on the wooden shelves flanking the doorway.
There are about 30 stuffing combinations.
My favorite panino: cinghiale piccante con caprino (spicy wild boar salami spread with creamy goat cheese in a split, crunchy roll).
I Fratellini ★★★
Via dei Cimatori, 38r (two blocks north of Piazza della Signoria, just off Via Calzaiuoli across from the Orsanmichele)
(Duomo/Uffizi)
tel. +39-055-239-6096
www.iduefratellini.com
Open continuously 9am–8pm
Closed Sundays
€
Bus: C2
Hop-on/hop-off: Sant Croce (A), Corso Tintori (C)
Walks & Seminars
Wine tastings
Cooking classes
Special meals
Vineyard excursions
» Chianti
» Other Tuscan wine regions
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 |
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I Fratellini ★★★
Via dei Cimatori, 38r (two blocks north of Piazza della Signoria, just off Via Calzaiuoli across from the Orsanmichele)
(Duomo/Uffizi)
tel. +39-055-239-6096
www.iduefratellini.com
Open continuously 9am–8pm
Closed Sundays
€
Bus: C2
Hop-on/hop-off: Sant Croce (A), Corso Tintori (C)
Walks & Seminars
Wine tastings
Cooking classes
Special meals
Vineyard excursions
» Chianti
» Other Tuscan wine regions