Vini e Vecchi Sapori

We created this account for the sole purpose of reviewing this restaurant.
We had the pleasure of dining here on a Saturday night as well as Monday night during our recent week in Florence. Before we left Saturday, we made another reservation for Monday night. On both nights, the food was absolutely delicious. The menu changes everyday but you cannot go wrong with anything they serve. We tried mozzarella e prosciutto, duck ragu, caprese salad, fettuccine pesto, a saffron pasta, fried chicken with zucchini flowers, beef tenderloin and veal osso bucco and everything was fantastic. The raspberry tiramisu is a treat as well. Only recommendation is that if they suggest something, you should get it! Also, this is definitely a place to «eat Italian style» and order a full meal of wine, antipasti, primi, secondi and not to just get a plate of pasta and skip out the door.
The family that runs this place is incredibly kind and fun to watch. They seem to really enjoy what they do and that joy carries over into the dining experience. Although we were clearly tourists, we were treated like family on both nights including Saturday night which had a decidedly more local feel where everyone else in the restaurant seemed to know each other. Cannot recommend Vini e Vecchi highly enough. Reservations (day before worked for us) definitely required and worth it.
«No pizza, no ice, no take away, no cappuccino!»

I took it as a sign when we were turned away 24 hours earlier because this small restaurant was fully booked. We made reservations on the spot for the next evening at 9:30pm.
When we arrived we were told that we would be seated in a few minutes. Others without reservations were turned away or waited in hopes of being seated (with out luck).
This establishment hand writes their menu of the day. Ultimately after being tempted with nearly all their pasta and second dishes.
I ordered the pappardelle with duck ragu. Amazing! Fresh soft pappardelle with flavorful duck ragu. It wetted the appetite in anticipation of the rest of the meal.
I asked the waiter whether I should order the Osso Bucco or one of the other dishes and without hesitation and with a look of pride the waiter recommended the Osso Bucco. The dish did not disappoint. Only thing that I would complain is that I would have appreciated a bigger entrée size.
But then again the pasta and Osso bucco barely left room for dessert. I ordered the vin santo (biscotti and dessert wine) — soaking the biscotti in wine was a light dessert and nice way to complete the meal.
I would come here again!

It is very small and they are open for short hours so you need to get there as soon as it opens or make reservations because it tends to fill up very quickly.
My husband and I got the chicken livers, which was tasty. He had never had chicken livers and really liked it.
We also got the butter sage sauce pasta and ravioli. Both were simple but flavorful.

One of the best meals of the trip. Absolutely superb in every way. Attentive service. Good wine list. A reservation is required so the chaos is very organized.
The menu is limited and changes daily so choosing food is manageable.
Antipasta, primi, secondi dessert. Prices range from € 4 € 15, very reasonable in Florence. Centrally located and a good mix of tourists and locals alike. Deep wine list with multiple options for each varietal and region.
The caprese salad was the most standard of the dishes recently. Ripe and juicy tomatoes. Fresh, soft, rich mozzarella.
Handmade papardelle in a duck ragout where the gravy literally sticks to the fresh pasta. Tender chunks of duck float throughout.
Ossobucco arrives and is a 8″ wheel of veal shank on the bone topped in a brown gravy mixed with dress green peas. The peas pop while the meat falls away from the bone.
Filet mug on is served In a flatter wider cut than usual in USA. The meat is so tender a knife is not required for cutting. A green pepper sauce is subtle with its heat and offset by a smooth creaminess.
A bottle of Bolgheri 2014 pairs well with the meat — deep but with enough acidity to overpower the luscious meats and their fats.
A tremendous experience.

Ok, we didn’t have a reservation but you do need one to get a table in this restaurant. We were lucky to enjoy an amazing dinner while visiting Florence. So mush better than anything else we had since arriving in Italy.

Small dining place but all servants there are so nice to introduce their menu to u. It’s helpful especially we aren’t not Italian speaker.

First meal of our trip and I’m worried it’s all downhill from here, because I’m not sure how we will top Vini e Vecchi. It was amazing!
We called a week in advance and made a 9pm reso. When we arrived at 9, we only he wait a few minutes for our table. The place is very small so this was surprising.
We sat down and were handed the hand written menu. We asked the waiter for his recommendations, which he kindly shared and he helped pick a bottle of wine for us. We ate family style and the highlights were the pappardelle duck ragu, rotini with zucchini flower and saffron, the ossobuco was amazing and the tiramisu dessert! We finished the meal off with limoncello –which is always a nice touch. Our meal was 150 € which for the amount we ate and drank (at least 8 dishes, 2 bottles of wine and limoncello) seemed to me to be a steal!
We were there for at least 2 and a half hours and it was fabulous that we didn’t feel rushed at all. The service was fantastic, and though I always assume little gems like this hate tourists they did not act like it at all. They were helpful, kind and made us feel very welcome!
FANTASTIC!

Came here for lunch on Friday. Because of the great reviews we came right before 1230 opening and were one of the first few couples through the door. This was a good thing as the place is tiny and later groups were turned away. We tried the duck pappardelle and beef stew. Both were so delicious! Duck pappardelle was flavor and rich. The beef stew was incredibly tender. This was probably the best meal I ate while in Italy! So glad we were able to make it in.

Not sure what happened. Made a reservation via hotel concierge a month in advance. I get to the Osteria, the server says your reservation is at 2. I check the confirmation from the concierge, it says 1 pm. I tell the server I checked the reservation confirmation and its at 1. Server says that they don’t take reservations online. I say the St Regis concierge made it. He says he doesn’t take reservations from the St Regis? I asked if we could wait for a table to open up. He says that it’s booked fully for the day.
It just seemed like he didn’t want to serve my girlfriend and I for some reason.

Don’t be worried about all the American reviews. This place is legit :) You should def start your meal with the carpaccio, they hand carve the meat the old school way. All the pasta’s were fresh and amazing. The atmosphere was fun and casual, and the owner makes sure to keep things simple. This is a good famly owned and run place, that’s not commercialized with anything fancy… Just simple, delicious homemade comfort food done the right way.

The BEST!!! Must eat in Florence! This was by far the best meal we had during our vacation. Reservations is an absolute must. They open at 7:30pm for dinner. Also open for lunch. The restaurant seats maybe 40 people max. It will be easier to get resy for lunch if they are booked for dinner. We had lunch and came back for dinner the same day. It’s that good. Family owned and operated. The mom cooks in the kitchen, the dad bartends/​makes appetizers, and the son works in the front of the house/​server. Tomasso is awesome. He is the best server. So attentive and funny. He will also tell you what to order. Listen to him. We pretty much had everything from their menu. The veal chop was amazing. The pastas were amazing too. Also leave from for dessert. The merangato is so light and fluffy. The tiramisu was good too!

Absolutely wonderful! But you also absolutely NEED to make a reservation. No ifs, ands, or buts.
During our honeymoon, my wife and I enjoyed a marvelous evening eating dinner at Vini e Vecchi Sapori… so much that we made another reservation before we even left the restaurant. It’s so good, that this will be our Go-​To eatery whenever we have the pleasure of returning to Firenze. Perfetto!

A must in Florence! So happy that the front desk at the Sofitel in Rome called the restaurant for us to get a reservation within a few days. Our favorite meal in Italy was served here at Vini e Vecchi Sapori. The restaurant opens every day at 7:30 PM for dinner. Even though we had reservations we got there at 7PM and waited to be seated. It’s a tiny space (just a handful of tables) so reservations are a must.
Be sure to wear jeans or thicker material bottoms as the chairs are wicker and don’t have padding (I was wearing thin Lululemon leggings and got the straw poking my butt). As it’s small and there’s really no ventilation, it does get quite stuffy. We ordered: a small bottle of Santa Maria wine, the duck ragu pappardelle, the porcini fettuccine and the fried chicken.
Our waiter was friendly and happy to answer any questions we had and make a wine recommendation for us. The red wine, a Santa Maria, was excellent! I don’t like reds really, but I enjoyed a bit of this wine. We were served the pastas first. The pochini mushrooms had a nice earthiness to it and was so simple but delicious. But our favorite was the duck pappardelle! The little dices of duck meat with a very light stew like sauce and the thick ribbons of pasta were perfect! Hubby doesn’t care for much duck but loved my pick! Okay, so you’re probably thinking, why are you getting FRIED CHICKEN in Italy? And, not at some American chain, but some Italian restaurant. Well, it sounded really good, and we wanted something different. And you know what, it totally did not disappoint! The batter was nice and airy, and not very greasy at all. The chicken was moist and the way it looked reminded me of the asian popcorn chicken you would get at the boba places, but way lighter and a million times tastier. We also loved the accompanying fried zucchini blossoms.
I wish he let me come back here twice in our three night stay in Florence. I highly recommend reservations for an awesome meal here whenever you’re in the city! The prices are super affordable. As with almost every (if not all) restaurants in Italy, there is a bread & service charge, but all of our dishes were $ 13 or under. I wish we had more room for an appetizer and dessert. If I ever find myself in Florence again, I definitely will be back here. This was our favorite restaurant out of Rome and Florence honestly.

Leí muy buenas reseñas y vine, pero no me convenció. Pedí unos ravioles con pesto y estaban bien, pero la porción era muy chica comparada a otros lugares y el mismo precio.
El personal es muy simpático y da gusto almorzar ahí por eso más que nada.

Nuestra experiencia en este sitio fue bastante regular y es una pena, especialmente porque nos costó que nos dieran una mesa casi lo mismo que un transplante de órganos: la primera vez que fuimos iban a cerrar, la segunda se nos coló una familia haciendo un quiebro…
Más que un restaurante es una casa de comidas de toda la vida, solo que con un ligero toque modernete por parte de los descendientes del dueño, que aún sigue allí aunque a su ritmo. La carta es bastante escasa, casi toda de comida casera no demasiado elaborada; por suerte el precio es acorde, que si no…
El personal es bastante insistente diciéndote que pidas los platos más caros aunque tú les hayas dicho que no, que lo que quieres es otra cosa que te apetece más; total, luego da lo mismo porque aunque no es muy grande, tienen un lío importante con las comandas y no saben qué corresponde a cada mesa.
Por localización, un sobresaliente, pero como negocio me da un poco de pena decir que no me convenció demasiado.

A must! Reservation needed!
This little restaurant by the small alley next to Gucci Museo is a must visit. We were in Florence for 5 days and was highly recommended by a friend. We arrived the first day to try walk-​in. Unfortunately our party of 6 was not possible for the same day or the next day reservation. We did get the third day reservation.
When we arrived, the restaurant was already packed and we still had to wait. We got seated and the menu. The menu was hand written that changes daily. On it, it also indicates: No Ice, No pizza, No cappuccino.
Pappardelle with Duck Ragu was excellent.
Filet with Peppercorn sauce was delicious
Our party was blown at how good the food was, we came back the following afternoon for lunch.
Service was great. Everyone had a good time.
This place deserves 6 stars.

Get a reservation at least one day ahead of time. There are only a few tables inside this tiny restaurant.
The staff is extremely friendly, outgoing, and casual. They will give you good recommendations if you have any questions.
We had the best meal during our stay in Italy. The pastas and meat courses were both incredible. I’ve never had peas that tasted so good (with the osso bucco).

OK, so I was in Florence for 4 – 5 days and I ate here 3 times — it would have been 4 but I missed their closing time one night (so I ate at La Giostra — see separate review — they are open until 1:00 am).
Everything about the place is 5 stars — food, service, ambiance, location, etc.
Very small and a more limited menu than some places but way more than you need — especially because everything was great.
I had the duck ragu tagliatelle, the pesto, they made me a fresh pomodoro sauce that wasn’t on the menu, ravioli, crostini, cod with tomatoes, the grilled beef carpaccio with arugula and Parmesan — all amazing.
A home run. Make a reservation! Enjoy…

Amazing food in a cozy establishment.
This was probably the best, authentic Italian restaurant I have eaten at yet in my month living in Florence. We arrived on a Tuesday night around 7:30pm with intentions to schedule a reservation. They originally told us that the next available spot wasn’t until after Friday. As we were about to leave, one of the workers came up to us and silently told us to wait around 15 minutes. A group of four which had a reservation never showed up and we lucked out! Four of us were seated 15 minutes later right next to the station where the guy cuts the meat. It was great to watch and I loved the authentic décor to the place. There were very few tables in the restaurant but I feel this gave to the charm and ability for them to be more focused on each customer. This dinner was definitely not rushed and our meals took a decent amount of time to finally come out but we were in no rush.
One of my friends started out with the bruschetta for 5 euros which she enjoyed, but it was very oily. You receive two generous pieces of bread with heaping mounds of tomato and basil goodness, about average in price and quantity. For my main dish, I took other Unilocaler’s suggestions and ordered the Pappardelle with Duck Ragu for 10 euros. It was quite good. I’m not a huge fan of meat sauce, so I was a bit skeptical of duck, but it was surprisingly good. The parmesan sprinkled in top was a perfect garnish. A friend and I split the .5 liter of house red wine for 6 euros and it nicely complimented our duck ragu. Another friend ordered the Lamb chops for 15 euros which was a bit fatty but had wonderful flavor. My last friend ordered the beef stew which was very tender and packed with flavor. Even the beans to the side were delicious. Once we were done eating our main dishes, we were still hungry so we ate bread and oil off our used plates. We figured we had to pay a 2 euro bread and cover charge anyhow so we ate all the bread. I don’t know if that’s a taboo to pour oil on used plates, but locals kept looking strangely at us as we ate it. We each ordered the Raspberry Tiramisu for 6 euros. So good! It was creamy and fresh. There was a perfect balance of fresh raspberries blended into the dish. There wasn’t a significant amount of cake to the tiramisu, it was more cream, but it was still very delicious. I would come back for this.
The workers were very friendly towards us and didn’t rush us, mostly. After we were there for about 2 hours they gave us the check without even asking. Something almost unheard of in Italy. It didn’t bother us though because it was a very small establishment and there were people waiting outside for their reservation.
All of our meals were delicious. We even have intentions of making reservations to go back next week. The food, ambiance and service was great. We left without having any reservations and the prices weren’t bad at all. Back home a pasta dish like that would be at least $ 15. I left paying 22 euros for plenty of wine, bread, a pasta dish and dessert, all of which were wonderful! I look forward to trying some more of their delicious food such as their Osso Bucco!

Un superbe petit restaurant avec une carte réduite qui propose des plats typiques de la région ! Tout y est, la décoration super chaleureuse, le personnel gentil et plein d’humour et la nourriture fraiche et soignée. Laissez-​vous tenter par les tripes florentines qui sont délicieuses.

It took us some time to get a reservation here. Our first attempt we couldn’t get a reservation, most likely because it was a holiday. We luckily got a reservation on our second try. I almost thought we weren’t going to eat here because our concierge said it was very popular and it was on the top of the list of places to eat in Florence. Super happy and thankful that we got the reservation, this place is worth the trouble.
It was a beautiful rainy evening in Florence, we were seated immediately near the entrance of the restaurant. You absolutely need a reservation here. There were maybe about ten small groups of people throughout our meal who tried to enter this place without one. They would peek into the door, umbrella in hand, asking if they had a table. Every one of them were shut down and showed out. A smart woman in the table across from us made herself another reservation for next week before paying her bill. These little things are signs that this place is a must in Florence.
My Aunt and I split a three course meal of artichoke salad, duck ragu and beef stew. We watched as the casual chef at the counter made our antipastas. He sliced fresh raw artichokes that were in a bowl on the counter. He even hand cut my Dad’s cured meat plate. I’ve never seen that before, it took some skill slicing prosciutto super thin. The salad was fresh and topped with a generous helping of sliced cheese. I’ve never eaten artichokes raw before and they were crunchy and leafy. A light way to start the meal. I also tried a hunk of my Dad’s salami, not to salty with a nice fat content that melted on the tongue. My Aunt had ravioli that she shared as well. Creamy tomato sauce with a rich cheesy center, pillows of heaven. Our second course was my favorite part of the whole meal. Duck ragu with homemade wide pieces of egg pasta. The duck was meaty and fatty, not greasy, and the delicate pasta fell apart in your mouth. My Dad compared it to stroganoff without the cream, but it was better than that. Last course was the beef stew with green beans. The beef was super tender, you could pull it apart with a spoon and the beans were cooked simply and perfectly. I tried my Aunt’s stuffed artichoke that had a salty bite and was super tender. I also tried my Uncle’s grilled lamb chop, super simple and perfectly cooked. The best lamb we had in Florence and we had a few dishes of lamb here. I was way too full for dessert so we skipped it. This place is well worth the wait to get a reservation.

This tiny gem was fantastic! We failed to make reservations but they were able to find space for us. Quarters are cramped so we shared a table with another couple which made for a fine dining experience. The place seats maybe 20 people so a reservation is aa good idea.
The dinner menu is written out by hand and changes daily. Several great options to choose from and the menu states «no pizza, no steak, no ice, and no take out.» What’s not to love? We sampled the sardines and butter appetizer, extremely rich and flavorful with the freshest sardines. The appetizers and bread are served from a small prep area by, I presume, the owner. Nice touch for sure. We had the risotto with sausage (fantastic) the lamb chops with potatoes (fantastic) and the stuffed artichokes (a solid dish.) the table mates ordered the beef stew and raved about it.
Wine prices were very reasonable and you buy bottled water which we are finding customary here.
Definitively a place to visit again! Make sure you ask a local for directions, the Unilocal map only gets you within a block and it isn’t easy to find.

This was the highlight of of culinary voyage in Florence. From start to finish, the experience was spectacular. Service was on point and the waitstaff has awesome personalities. It really felt like we were home for Sunday dinner with our family. This will be our go to spot next time in Florence! The prosciutto and mozzarella were fabulous, the papardelle with Duck was stunning and the Steak was on point, I cant find anything wrong with this experience, give it a shot and believe the hype!

Excellent! La meilleure adresse faite à Florence jusqu’à présent, et à budget abordable pour des jeunes (étonnant si près du palazzo vecchio, mais bon l’Italie est pleine de surprises). Tous les ingrédients étaient ultra frais! Pensez a réserver, même si la chance peut être de votre côté!