Trattoria Mario is only steps away from the Mercato Centrale and Piazza di San Lorenzo. Trattoria Mario is exclusively open for lunch other than Thursdays and Fridays where it is open for dinner from 7-11pm. This is known as one of the best, if not the best, lunch spots in the city. It is always packed and you will not get a table if you don’t make a reservation days in advance.
Since we only went here for lunch, we did not get as many items as we would for dinner. I have personally only had two items from this restaurant, and they were both fantastic. I’ll talk about the pasta first. There are not many pasta options on the menu, but they recommended the Ragù, so we got it. Although it was a very simple dish with a penne-like pasta, it was amazing. The Ragù is cooked in a pot for hours every day and exploded with flavor. It is simple, but you really need to try it. I can’t really say more about it, but it was amazing.
Next we got their famous bistecca alla fiorentina. This was the best steak I had in Florence, not even a question. It is cooked only rare, is juicy, has great flavor to it, and it is a perfect portion. You’ll take a bite of this steak and it melts in your mouth. It’s just another dish where you have to go and try it for yourself. Another “plus” to the steak at Trattoria Mario is that they have two sizes. You can get the smaller size, which you can easily share with 3 people. This way you don’t have to break the bank to try the steak. On the side, we got the truffle mashed potatoes. The best way to describe this is heaven on a plate. There is a ton of shaved white truffle on top, and the mashed potatoes are lightly whipped. This is a side worth ordering.
Takeaways: Amazing restaurant and you must make a reservation. If you have a reservation you need to arrive within 10 minutes or the owner Mario will not be happy with you. I don’t blame him, with the demand he has, every table should always be filled. This is one of those places that is “must go to” even if you only have a few days in the city.
Score: 9.6/10
a dude eats abroad 