This one needs no introduction. Odds are if you’ve talked about the food scene in Florence, you’ve probably heard about La Giostra. Many people say it is among their favorite restaurants in Florence. It is one of the more famous restaurants in the city and it is always packed. It is one of the more touristy restaurants, and there are pictures on the walls of all the celebrities who’ve eaten there before. The experience of going to the restaurant itself is something you won’t forget, and I’ll get into why.
Everyone goes to this place, so I knew I needed to make a reservation. The night we went, to no surprise, was absolutely mobbed. We had to wait ten to fifteen minutes for our table to be ready, but that wasn’t a big deal, we were just excited to dine here. When we got to our table, we were immediately served prosecco that happened to be fantastic. We were very hungry, but the menu was extremely pricey, so we opted to just order a dinner. But to our surprise, we were served pate and bruschetta on the house. Everything on that plate was really tasty.
The menu is big and there are a lot of food and drink options, but we kept it simple. We heard the pear ravioli was very good, so my friend ordered that. I ordered the macaroni with pear and pistachio with a side of spinach. The macaroni pasta I had was good, but the pear and pistachio combo was a little strange on the pasta. The side spinach was flavorful, and I enjoyed it. However, I tried the pear ravioli that my friend got, and it was amazing. If I went back to La Giostra I would get the pear ravioli. I simply ordered the wrong thing.
We happened to have an awesome waiter named Robert. He was really friendly throughout the whole meal even though he was juggling several tables. After we finished our meal he generously gave us 2 bottles of limoncello. We were one of the last guests to leave and Robert came outside to chat with us. The coperto (tip) charge at La Giostra is 100% worth it because the service is exceptional. That alone would keep me coming back.
Takeaways: I think that La Giostra is a bit overhyped when it comes to food, yet it is a very tourist-friendly restaurant. There are other restaurants that will give you a more authentic Tuscan dining experience. I felt like I was eating in America while I was at La Giostra because everyone there was speaking English. It is pricey, but it was easily one of the best service experiences I had while in Florence. You feel welcome from the second you sit down. This is why I will not forget my meal here. Also, as a student, anything “free” put on the table is appreciated.
Score: 7.4/10
a dude eats abroad 