Gucci Museo Caffè

I’m going to have to disagree with Lonely Planet’s description: «smart, laid-​back café, which is one of the city’s hippest places.»
Husband and I decided to grab a drink after enjoying our sandwiches in the Palazzo Vecchio. I was already bummed that I had to miss my tour at the Gucci Museum the day prior, so the least I could do was visit the café.
When you step up to the café, there are several doors to open, but they are locked and only one set actually allow you into the building. The décor was more simplistic than I had imagined. There was one room with a long communal table surrounded by books and another room with more atypical tables & chairs. At first, I thought we’d sit with the books and peruse some of the books, but they were wrapped in plastic. So, opted to sit in the dining room.
Considered getting a coffee, just to utilize the G-​shaped sugar cubes, but we ordered a couple glasses of wine. I found the ambiance more stuffy than hip. We didn’t stay very long and decided to look for a more casual, relaxed atmosphere.

The décor is chic & posh — no doubt. The atmosphere and ambience garnered an extra * in my rating.
Now for the food — disappointing; the pizza crust was very dry and overly thick. Dessert looked much better than it tasted, unfortunately. Coffee was average — it was also lukewarm.
Cool experience to try, as long as you keep your expectations low.

The Gucci Museum Café is just a short walk from the crowds of the Uffizi Gallery, on the other side of the church. We stopped in for drinks and to get out of the heat and were served by a charming Japanese lady.
She ran through the menu and as it wasn’t too busy chatted about various things while still being attentive. Negronis, local Florentine beer and house made energising teas were ordered and consumed while we watched good looking food go to the outside seating area. The bartender was making several cocktails and it was clear he knew what he was doing.
After a while, we ordered a couple of desserts and they were all well composed and executed. It’s a nice calm and quiet place only minutes from the craziness of the Florence. I’d suggest a quick pit stop here to marshal your resources before heading out again. As we left our waitress came out with a little Gucci bag with some Gucci sweets inside. Their service really was top notch!

Por dentro no sé cómo será porque no entré, pero tiene la terraza mejor ubicada de toda Florencia y, además, es muy elegante, está climatizada y tiene juegos para niños para que no te den mucho la chapa mientras te embriagas. Lo malo es que embriagarse en un sitio sale carísimo (a pesar de ser todo de calidad) y te obliga a rodearte de una serie de personajes dignos del peor programa de Tele5.
Pero vaya, que si el calor aprieta y el bolsillo acompaña, no hay mejor punto para ver pasar a los turistas, admirar los monumentos colindantes y descansar un poco. En verano fue muy necesario, doy fe.

Elegantly relaxing.
Three tired girls needed to get some afternoon snacks and drinks after long day of shopping, we floated right into the café.
We sat inside with the nice cool air condition, ordered our food and drinks and wandered away into the lovely décor inside the café.
The food was surprisingly good. We ordered the bruschetta and panini. I ordered the Earl Grey tea, friends ordered coffee and café latte. Presentation was beautifully set into bone china mugs with original Gucci logo.
Great atmosphere and awesome vibe. The server has been great since we stepped in.

Perhaps I’m biased because I’m a huge Gucci fan… but during our stay in Florence, my bestie and I agreed that the Gucci Museo Caffe had the best coffee we had while we were in town. There is a beautiful outdoor seating area which is really relaxing. The seating area is super comfortable and we didn’t want to leave. You can either opt get a meal or just get drinks.
After a hectic and jammed pack few days of intense sight seeing, it was nice to be able to kick back and enjoy a really well made cup of coffee. The coffees are larger than a lot that are offered in the area, which is what we loved. The sugar they gave us was also made in the «G» symbols — really, the details were awesome. After you finish up at the café, you are just a few steps away from the Museum and bookstore. If you decide to sit a while longer and enjoy more well made coffee, this is also a great spot for people watching in the piazza. Next time I am in Florence, I will definitely be back again.

Lovely café to relax and escape the chaos of Piazza della Signoria.
I treated myself to a glass of Prunotto Moscato D’asti since I was stuffed from my lunch at La Bussola. It came with these adorable mini cookies on Gucci Museo logo napkins. Fancy! The café is not big, but it’s not too small either. It wasn’t crowded and would make for a good place to study or get some work done as there is a quiet side where you can read books or study. There is also a lovely outside seating area.
They have a few homemade desserts, cocktails, and hot beverages on the menu from tiramisu to iced tea, but I enjoyed sipping on my moscato. It did just the trick before heading out to busy Piazza della Signoria.

We had dinner outside and was delighted to find a lovely restaurant in the midst of a ton of plaza style eateries. There’s a wide selection, but not a huge menu trying to cater to too many people.
It wasn’t surprisingly pricey but the portions were small. You won’t hate yourself eating here, especially if you want to impress your date while in florence.

Of course, after visiting the Gucci Museum, you have to stop into the book store. After the book store, you must complete the experience with lunch and/​or drinks at the café. I didn’t really think I could afford anything in the book store, so I splurged on lunch.
I sat outside, just before it got very busy (people were waiting with drinks on the couches). I love Piazza della Signoria for people watching, but it is nice to be in the «quieter» corner of the Piazza for lunch. I was seated promptly when I decided I was having lunch there, although for those of you who might just want a drink, they do have couches where you can sit, enjoy wifi, order drinks, and just let those little hooves of yours take a break.
The staff are very polite, and yes, they are wearing Gucci loafers. I wanted to ask my waitress if they got those with the job or if they had to purchase them… I would be a waitress at the café for some Gucci loafers. Anyway, in my splurge, I wanted Prosecco or something a bit bubbly and my waitress was able to explain a couple of options, even some Champagne, but I told her I wanted a dry Prosecco and she delivered.
Everything on the menu looked great, Risotto with asparagus and bacon, grilled chicken with Tuscan Beans and Spinach, but I decided on the Pici (think of a thicker spaghetti) with sun dried tomatoes, anchovies, breadcrumbs, chili peppers, and oregano. I don’t know that I have had Pici yet and it does originate from Tuscany, so I figured I should try it. Plus I love sun dried tomatoes. When I ordered it, my waitress lit up and said, «Very good choice. Very delicious.» She didn’t say this when the other people around me ordered, so I kind of felt like I hit the jackpot… or she was just messing with my ego.
Lots of people got the risotto and it looked great, but I am very happy with what I ordered. The Pici was lovely, I like doughy things and because this is a bit thicker than spaghetti, it gives you that chewiness. The sauce was great as well, a bit salty from the anchovies, not very spicy at all, a different texture with the breadcrumbs, and of course the punch of the sun dried tomatoes all added to the dish. I was a bit worried that because I didn’t order a starter and the bowl looked a touch on the small side, that I might still be hungry afterward, but Pici is a very filling pasta. It is probably why the bowl is a bit on the small side because you don’t have to eat as much to get full.
I decided to linger a bit longer, watching a wedding party come out of the Palazzo Vecchio. I had an espresso… which did keep me up later that evening, fortunately I had nowhere to be the next day, or most days on this trip ;). And then I decided to look, just look at the dessert menu. Part of me really wanted to try their ‘Parfait Bricks’, but I think they were full of lactose… and while I have tempted fate on this trip many a time with my gelato intake, I decided to go a bit safer… I ordered the chocolate cake with custard cream and orange sauce. Yes, sometimes I just scrape the excess dairy off of my dessert.
As my dessert came out, the lady who had been sitting with her husband at the table next to me had followed it out of the café back to my table. Yes, she stood at my table and stared at it. She said, «You ordered this?» I nodded and gave one of those, «Yes, I did, please leave me alone now» smiles. She told her husband to look and he finally said, «Stop watching her. She just wants to have her dessert in peace.» Yes, he was right, I wanted my dessert in peace. In her defense, it was pretty stunning. Gucci plate, swirl of berry sauce, three slices of very sweet oranges, square of dark chocolate cake with three layers of white cream, and a spoonful of orange sauce with chopped pieces of candied orange peel. It was a beautiful sight. I will say though, it fell a little short… the chocolate cake was lovely and moist, but actually a bit bland and the «custard» cream was really more of a slightly heavier whipped cream. I did save some of my espresso for when my dolce did come out and the espresso and the chocolate cake were really great together.
It was the most expensive meal I have had in Florence, but it was very enjoyable and I would love to do it again!