Buca Lapi Restaurant Florence
Buca Lapi is situated in a nice neighborhood not far from Ponte Vecchio. The restaurant is set in the wine cellar of Palazzo Antinori on Via Tornabourni. It is said that Buca Lapi is the oldest running restaurant in Florence. The building itself is one of the beautiful buildings in the historic city. The ambiance is a relaxed formal spread decorated in a very creative and simple way. The walls and arched ceilings are adorned with many travel posters from all over the world.
We were sent here on recommendation of the front desk at our hotel and we were not disappointed. As we walked in the owner Luciano personally greeted us as if we were old friends. He could communicate quite well in English. He is very hands on and truly cares about the quality of the meal they serve you. His staff is seasoned, friendly and efficient. They speak very good English and are helpful with recommendations when asked. The open kitchen in the front dining room provides a view of the chefs creating their masterpieces.
For the starters we shared a delicious antipasto of Tuscan sausage and ricotta cheese canapés. We all ordered different dishes. However, my family loves to try different meals so we all have a little bit of each plate. The pappardelle with wild boar was delicious. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the deep rich color of the sauce that coated the pappardelle was a beauty to look at. The roast chicken was very moist and tasty. The side of spinach was cooked perfectly and had the right amount of garlic. The veal chop Milanese came out tender and very tasty. The steak Florentine was grilled to perfection with an irresistible crusty exterior. It was rare, juicy and as flavorful as any beef I’ve ever had. Don't think about ordering it any other way even if you think you like your steaks cooked a little more. They know what they are doing.
The wine that our waiter recommended we was a local Chianti, and was one of the finest wines I've ever tasted.
We shared the house special chocolate tart that was very rich and chocolaty. The Crème caramel was rich, smooth and had a terrific caramel flavor. The coffee was strong and very flavorful. The lovely owner sent us complimentary limoncello that finished our meal off perfectly.
If you are searching for an old school Italian restaurant then Buca Lapi should be on your list. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. Buca Lapi is a bit pricier than other restaurants but so well worth it.
Phone number: +39 055 213768
Address: Via del Trebbio, 1, 50123, Florence, Italy
Hours: Monday through Saturday 7:00 pm to 10:30 pm
Sunday Closed