Buca Mario
Founded in 1886 in a vaulted cellar just steps from Piazza della Repubblica, Buca Mario is the oldest restaurant in Florence and one that has resisted the slide into tourist-trap mediocrity that claims so many historic eateries. The ribollita here — a thick Tuscan bread-and-bean soup ladled from a terracotta pot — is a benchmark version of the dish, and the bistecca alla Fiorentina is sourced from
What to order
Start with the crostini neri (chicken-liver crostini), the canonical Florentine antipasto that appears on every serious local table — Buca Mario's version is silky and deeply savoury with a hint of anchovy.
The ribollita is only available in the cooler months (October through March) but if you're visiting in season, order it: thick, smoky, built on cavolo nero and stale bread, it is peasant food elevated to something profound.
For the bistecca alla Fiorentina, order at least 800g for two — it arrives blood-rare, charred outside, rested properly, and needs nothing beyond a drizzle of the house olive oil and coarse salt.
Atmosphere and booking
The dining room occupies a series of brick-vaulted cellars hung with antique prints and framed menus from the 1900s; the atmosphere is genuinely old-world without feeling like a museum piece.
Booking 48 hours ahead is strongly recommended for dinner; lunch walk-ins are sometimes possible on weekdays.
The wine list leans heavily Tuscan — ask the sommelier for a Chianti Classico Riserva from a smaller producer rather than the famous labels, which tend to be marked up steeply.
Buca Mario on video
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