Bistrò del Mare

We went expecting perfection at this nice spot by the Arno. The bread and house wine were great. The first appetizer was wonderful, shrimp with chili and oil. The salmon in black pepper was only so so. Next we had risotto with rare/​raw shrimp that was way to salty. Then a beautiful and flavorful salt crusted sea bass that was tender and very nice. When we complained the risotto was too salty, our waiter promised a complementary dessert. The desserts were amazing. Later he brought a free dessert wine. What more could we ask for to make amends?
Great service, flavorful food, good location. We would return.

This is the first time I’ve eaten at a fish restaurant in Florence — normally I do so in Maremma, on the sea itself, where it’s cheap. But what the city can do for fish is citify it. It’s sophisticated — not just the actual décor of the place, but the presentation, the clean flavours. A sicilian chef working with tuscan ingredients on an international level.
We had the tasting menu, which I received as part of a Unilocal event but would cost 52 € plus wine and water. This is not something I’d go do every day, but for a special occasion I would order this menu rather than going a la carte. The appetizers were beautifully presented and truly delicious. I had two small «swirls» — a salmon with pepper, and a baked soul roll. I enjoyed a primo of pasta with branzino that had a light lemony flavour — it’s a dish that I sometimes make myself, but the fresh pasta, the lemon and a bit of leeks made it better than the «casalinga» version I know, that derives from my experience in the Maremma. I then had a tuna steak with a pepper crust which had an excellent consistency. Dessert was quite spectactular too.
The restaurant itself is attractively decorated — though could possibly benefit from a review by an architect or decorator to make it a bit more intimate, because the space is very large and the approach to decorating is somewhat additive. It could be made to look even more upscale. The service was also very nice, friendly and youthful, spoke good english, and well informed.

It’s tough to be fair, mostly because Florence is a city known for its steak, not its fish. No matter how lovely the ambiance and how beautiful the presentation, it’s nothing like eating fish by the sea. My only experience here was during an event organized by Unilocal,as part of a large group. My review is obviously influenced by the great time at the party, but it deserves to be said that the food was excellent.

Another very good meal in Florence. We were offered Prosecco upon arrival and thought it only gracious to accept! Our prior experiences in Italy left us wondering if we would be charged, as we have had occasion to be charged for items like olives and bread we hadn’t ordered but had been brought to our table. While there was the routine coperto charge here, the prosecco was compliments of the house.
We started by sharing a primi piatti of Paccheri Pasta with Prawns and Artichokes. Paccheri resembles an oversized rigatoni, was done truly al dente and the shrimp were well cooked. The flavor of the dish built over the course of eating so that by the time we finished we had a slightly spicy, buzzy flavor going — very, very delicious.
For dinner the fish of the day — I could not possibly reproduce the pronunciation, so suffice to say it was a mid-​thick, firm white fish — was prepared with olives, tomatoes, and the best escarole I’ve had in years. A very well executed dish, with flavors well suited to complement the fish. The salt-​encrusted sea bass was encrusted by the greatest amount of fish-​shaped salt I’ve ever seen. The entombment was cracked and the fish expertly filleted table side. The fish was mild, succulent and accompanied by soft, bland potatoes that would have benefitted from roasting and seasoning.
We didn’t stay for dessert but would force ourselves to try the custard if we returned for another meal!

Well we did it! We found the worst restaurant in all of Italy. Since our arrival the restaurants and service in Rome, Florence and Tuscany have been wonderful. Dining at every meal has been a fantastic experience. Even stopping for gelato has been exceptional.
Last night our luck ran out! Upon arriving the service was poor. After ordering a bottle of wine, a basket of bread was delivered. Since no bread plates were provided, I used my charger plate. The waiter quickly appeared and snatched up both our plates. This will be the fastest any wait staff will move for the rest of our dining experience. He never reappeared with bread plates or olive oil until I requested them. We waited for these items until the service of our meal.
My husband and I since having wine and appetizers earlier only ordered pasta dishes, thank goodness! We both ordered a fish pasta. Mine was Sea bass and his was a mixed grill. After being served, we commented to each other about the overwhelming fishy smell. My meal was the worst dish I have been served in years! No piece of fish was larger then ¹⁄₈ to a 1/​16″, fish skin was the largest protein item in this dish and it was plentiful. It reminded me of the left over debris not served to other diners. These pieces and all skin are served in this dish. Not a pleasant sight or eating experience.
My husband requested the check three times. This might sound like we are hyper, but since being served our meal; no one approached our table. We were seated at a corner table in the front and the restaurant was only¼ full.
Finally the owner/​manager appeared with the check. Upon being asked how everything was, I responded, «No», and shook my head. He dropped the check and left. A waiter appeared and finished our transaction. We did notice 15% service charge had been added, so we left no tip. Since arriving to Italy, a service charge is added. Our service and experience has been so over the top, we have always tipped. Not this time.
Run don’t Walk away from this place!

Modern, yet warm and romantic. Played Diana Kroll all night. Kind of sweet, we only noticed towards the end. Handmade fresh pasta melted away in my mouth. Everything was delicious and lively, yet slow enough and timed just right. Oh Firenze!

Came here after strolling near Ponte Vecchio and had the
— Steamed Octopus
— Risotto with Mixed Seafood
— Paccheri with shrimp and artichokes
— Branzino with tomatoes, olives
The octopus was tender, from Morocco, served cut up with vegetables.
The risotto was cooked with a seafood broth but didn’t have the creamy flavor of the cheese. It came with clams, mussels, octopus and squid.
The paccheri came with shrimp already peeled with artichokes inside in an olive oil based sauce.
They gave us an amuse brioche of fried bread and olives, their bread was freshly baked and tasted similar to sourdough.
Modern décor. Not very crowded. The service was good but the food was not as good as we had expected.