Buca San Giovanni Frigest in Florence

Great view of the cathedral, horrible food. My partner and I ordered two different kinds of fish dishes and both were so horrible I was forced to write this before we even left. Sharp scales, completely uninspired, literally no flavouring of any kind. It was literally a piece of fish slapped on a plate. Zero love. Maybe its not their speciality but we waited for 1.5hrs for the food and paid about $50 Australian for each meal. Usually dont make these reviews but wanted to warn the next weary traveller.

Food presented was of a low standard.The service was average and that is being charitable. My impression was that because I was obviously a tourist I was expected to take what I was given. I was there only once would never go again. Tourist trap

Wonderful experience trying our first Chianina Florentine Steak. The owner personally served us in the beautifully indoor portion of the restaurant. It was a relaxing and most enjoyable evening!

Rudest restaurant I have ever been at in my entire life. We didn’t end up eating there and ended up walking away because the waiter and the host were very rude.1. We looked at the prices which are pretty high but what can you expect it’s right beside the duomo.2. The host asked us nicely if we want to sit down. - we said yes we will take a seat and he pointed us to a seat.3. We walked over to that table and were about to sit when the server yelled at us and looked at us very angry and asked “you eat?”- we said maybe a drink and a snack.He immoderately yelled at us and said “NO, only eat”4. Then the host came over and asked the same question again but a little nicer. We said maybe we will get some anti pasti and a drink. He rolled his eyes at us and threw the menus on the table and said “okay sure” and Walked away.5. We felt extremely disrespected. Plus 60% of their tables were empty so this policy didn’t even make sense and we got up and simply left.

Very very rude!!! If u wanna ruin ur journey in Florence with an experience price, just go and enjoy!!! :(((((((((

Dont eat, drink or even site here. Worst service! We only had drinks and 1 snack but still 🤮

We werent expecting greatness due to it being next to a major tourist attraction, but this meal was still surprisingly disappointing. Most of our food was over-salted with mediocre sauces, and the cocktails/wine were disappointing too.On top of that, service was gruff and non-attentive, as well as having little regard for patrons as they tried to close up umbrellas and disconnect the water hoses for their misters while dripping water all over and standing right on top of us as we were trying to have our meal.

Terrible food, all four of our meals were bizarrely prepared, noodles undercooked, and sauces were some of the worst ever experienced.Negroni was not good. House Rose could have been from a bag.

It’s in the tourist area, but the food was good, and service friendly. We all enjoyed our meals, but everyone agreed that the pesto I had was the clear winner! Nice place for dinner after a day of exploring.

Worst service ever that I have ever had , don’t waste your time and your money. One star for location.

I mean… what a view!! A very lovely location to have dinner. Great wine and pasta.

Drank a really tasty Cuba Libre on a 38°C day. Has a beautiful view to the cathedral. The waiter was polite and even joked around which I aint gonna lie, its kind of a rare thing. Anyway, highly recommended!

The worst plate of pasta I have ever had in my life. The service was on par with the food.

We went there for lunch. Being vegetarians, we had plenty of options. Have had 1 of thr best italian dishes. Service was great as well!! Highly recommend

Great view to the cathedral… and that’s it. Service and food were below average.

Never again. The food portion was child-like when we were clearly 3 adults. We tried to eat the food with bread to fill our stomachs but the bread was dryer than the desert.The staff was also pretty rude. I wouldn’t suggest.

Service was horrible, waiter didn’t even acknowledge our presence for a good 10 minutes. The food itself tasted of one thing only: salt. Don’t waste your time… at least the coke and free Wi-Fi gave some value to the experience

Amazing food and view of Medici Tower.

To be honest, our friend suggest to visit it definetely, when we visit Florence. Yes, indeed, we havent disapoinnted. From the first step In until leave after 2.5 hours we feeled as Kings - attention, very good and professional service, suggestions and comments about our questions and inner atmosphere were just fantastic. And most impportant - food. Everything we eat were just amazing - tender, well made, tasty and we enjoy every bite. Thank you for wonderfull evening.

All of the food we ordered was terrible, lamb chop literally felt like it was dipped in oil. The only thing that we enjoyed was the coke. Service is equally bad and slow.

extremely rude staff, expensive dishes. Made us order main course as well when we only wanted a drink. Horrible experience

The food was alright, but the service was so bad that it managed to completely ruin the experience. When we only asked for desert and drinks the waiter raised his voice asking us if we understand what a restaurant is. He literally said that the desert we asked for and the drinks are something you get in a bar, not a restaurant, however all things were listed in the menu. I told him that we can as well go to any other restaurant if he had a problem with it and he started mumbling in italian and say that "he will do it" as if it was a huge inconvenience for them to prepare something smaller and get the table free in a couple of minutes. He also had an issue with the fact that we sat at a table without asking him, even though we were told by another waiter that we could sit there. Not only was he terribly disrespectful to us while taking the order, angrily grabbing things from the table and basically throwing the cutlery, but he also started yelling and pointing, in front of everyone, at the waiter that initially talked to us. Horrible experience overall, the food was not worth the whole scene the guy made, so I would never go back or recommend this place to anyone.

Very rude staff. Went there, asked a waiter for a table and after choosing a random one, other older waiter came to us very angry and told us that we should’ve asked him for a table. After telling him that the other waiter told us that we can stay he told us, he very angrily said that the other waiter doesn’t know anything. Anyways, we looked trough the menu and wanted to take some deserts and coffee, after telling this to the same rude guy he told us that “this is a restaurant, people eat here, you could get this at a bar” and started mumbling something in Italian. Wouldn’t recommend to anyone.

This restaurant was the perfect place to enjoy a relaxing and exquisite authentic Italian meal after a day sightseeing. The location cannot be beat with an incredible up close view of Bastille Del San Giovanni. The staff is welcoming and friendly and made excellent recommendations. They even accommodated a vegan diet with an incredible saffron risotto dish and bruschetta appetizer. Our family of four had a delicious and filling meal. We also enjoyed the flan, eggplant with mozzarella, filet, sea bass, and torteloini. We highly recommend this restaurant. We enjoyed the atmosphere in the beautiful piazza, the meal, the service, and the incredible wine selection. You wont regret visiting.

Do not eat here ! I ordered a plate of tagliatelle with mushrooms sauce, upon receiving my meal , just before eating my first bite, I noticed a maggot in my pastas. I said to the owner I would not eat that and left.

Staff is extremely rude. Came for desserts and drinks to enjoy the view and as soon as people were waiting the manager rushed us out because we were not ordering a main course. Other restaurants ask “Food or drink” before seating you, this could have been avoided. He had us walk inside and checkout instead of coming to the table with the bill. He comped nothing after we chugged our drinks to be respectful to his business, he then had the gall to tell us to come back tomorrow to try their “famous meats”. We should’ve looked at the reviews first to see that this place is just a TOURIST TRAP. Also €3 per person service charge and I noticed multiple waiters not wearing masks correctly.

Staff is extremely unfriendly. Came for desserts and drinks and as soon as people were waiting the manager rushed us out because we were not ordering a main course. He had us walk inside and checkout instead of coming to the table with the bill. He comped nothing after we chugged our drinks to be respectful to his business, he then had the gall to tell us to come back tomorrow to try their “famous meats”. We should’ve looked at the reviews first to see that this place is just a tourist trap. Also €3 per person service charge and I noticed multiple waiters not wearing masks.

NEVER AGAIN! Definitely not a restaurant to visit twice!!! It was a horrible experience for me and my friends. An older waiter was so rude to us and let us clearly know that we are not welcomed here. As I have tried to tell him that i do not want a specific Item in my menu, he suddendly shouted at me that it is impossible (but actually it was just a simple thingto do it without that item. And also, he did not wear a mask and did not keep the distance due to corona pandamie as well. As we got served, i was shocked. Me and my friend’s menuportion was so small, it could‘t even fulfill a 7 years old kid and I’m like 190cm. The food itself was ok, but overpriced. The experience in this restaurant was a complete disaster.

Excellent location, great pasta dishes, and the view is magnificent. A bit pricey.

Me and my daughter had the best experience eating at Buca San Giovanni! The food and wine were delicious and the waiters and owner were as friendly as could be.And that is without mentioning the magical one of a kind view.Highly recommend!

Great location with view of the Duomo, and nice staff but terrible food. Had a carbonara and pesto pasta and both sauces were almost definitely pre made and had been quickly microwaved to serve. Seems cheap on menu for quick bite but quickly adds up with service charge.

This place is in the real center of Florence. It is a storic place, and inside looks better that the photos online. Staff is really friendly, and guides you to make the best choices. We took a panunto (toasted bread with oil and pork grease), a Fiorentina steak with roasted potatoes and a dessert. Everything was amazing, very tasty (take the Fiorentina, Is something from heaven!and the glass of red wine we ordered was a perfect match! Definitely a place to try, if you want to eat something very very typical. At the end of the dinner, the owner offered us a shot of Italian drink. I would really recommend this place. Beware: prices are pretty high!! But in the end... its ok because food is amazing.

ANOTHER cozy restaurant, steps from the Duomo. Excellent food and service. The tortelloni was excellent. If you are from the US, try the tiramisu. It’s not heavy at all and much better than you have ever had in the States.

Tried to sit down outside for dinner, stood at the menu for a couple minutes and nobody bothered to say Ciao or anything. Decided to just sit down, as a previous couple did and got service. Across the area a waiter starts Literally screaming at my wife. Asked us, and I quote "Tell me, what are you doing?" Extremely rudely told us that table was reserved, no reserved sign anywhere... so we left. The entirity of the dining area stopped to look, thats how rude this guy was. I worked in food service for 3 years to pay for school, that is never necessary. Stay away. Dont support a bad business when there is a much better one right next door with friendly staff.

If I could give zero stars or negative numbers, I would.After looking over the menu outside, my husband and I attempted to sit at the table (as others were doing and no staff assigning tables but allowing people to just sit and then come up to them- a waiter literally screamed at me! Screamed.... I’ve never been talked to this way, especially by a person providing a service at a restaurant. Words cannot describe the shock we both felt at this treatment. Apparently table was reserved and this older waiter was screaming “tell me what are you doing!?!?! What are you doing?!”. Yes, this place has a great view, but no one deserves to be treated this way. Stay away.

We went there 2 weeks ago and had a most superb meal in the evening. The manager served us personally and his recommendations were exquisite - particularly my Chateau Briand. The wine was a perfect accompaniment, again recommended by the manager. We cannot wait to get back to lovely Florence and will dine again here, no doubt. From 2 very satisfied customers from UK, Gracie!

Avoid pls!!! 1 mature looking male waiter who said he is 57 yrs old already is extremely rude... (as of March 2019the only problem we had is we waited for our bill for like 27 minutes.... he obviously ignores us (its not busyhe has the restaurant cash and tablet attached in his body to bill out, just lazy... But....... he was super rude to the young Spanish speaking couple beside us.... very bad. He said his only 1 person and his 57 already. (Theres other young waiter, his not alone)

I used to have romantic dinners in this Restaurant every time i visited Florence. After my last visiting i decided i will stop visiting this place and i will Not recommend it again. The waiter Was un friendly and he did not follow any maniers of serving wine or clearing the table. I had the feeling He wanted us to leave fast. The food Was expensive and awful. I tried today a New place where i paid half for exactly the same Menu and i was just so amazed. Sad to write this since i really enjoyed dinning here while enjoying the view. Unfortunately they Do Not care any more about guests but their money.Sad!!!

I was a budget traveler at the time but just had to go there. The food is great, the place even more so. A safe haven from the unsettling rush in Florence, beautiful restaurant with a story to tell.Definitely not suitable for budget travelers but you cant miss it. Its once in a lifetime, worth paying a few more euros to visit.

This is one of the worst restaurants I have had the displeasure of eating at. The food was awful, (pasta dish full of lumps of fat, pretending to be bacon), hugely overpriced and a very unpleasant dining experience. The waiting staff were unbelievable, very rude and with seemingly complete disregard for customer service. I requested the bill from the waiter who had (rudelyserved us, only to be advised to speak to someone else, before he walked back to the restaurant to smoke a cigarette, in full view of the customers! My partner and I couldnt wait to leave, the waiting staff were rude, arrogant and seemed more interested in smoking cigarettes than doing their job. I hope the management of this establishment reads the reviews as this restaurant could be much better than it is, what a view! Heres a tip, get some proper wait staff who want to be there and have a better attitude...

The restaurant is located just in front of the Duomo, th food is excellent, and the service is more than professional, the kitchen is local and tuscany...price are average.

Very cozy restaurant that shares a historical site at Piazza del Duomo. It dates from 1882, so if you like historical places you can read more on them. The food is good, the house wine was excellent, I really loved their house wine. Prices are moderate and staff is super friendly.

Amazing food and service! Servers were friendly and gave honest opinions that turned out to be a spectacular evening of food and wine. Cant say enough about the flavours from the food. Best dining in Florence!!!

Not a tourist spot close to the Duomo. Staff and manager dealt so very well with some rude unhappy tourists - grace, courtesy, and a light touch turned them around. Had the classic Florence T Bone and was very happy with the preparation. Of course, good wine selection in this small cozy restaurant.

Excellent location and Good FoodVisited here in May. Florence was the usual, ram jammed with visitors, but the outside tables and view of the cathedral, plus the opportunity to people watch was irresistible.Starter of Octopus with chickpeas was excellent, succulent tentacles perfectly seasoned and delicious. Followed up with the steak Fiorentina which I can never resist. Cooked on an open wood grill it too was very good, perfectly done rare, good crust, very tender meat. Be aware that the minimum portion size is 600g, so its going to cost you €27 at least. Sides are also a bit pricey, at €4+.Staff were really attentive, and you do get to see the whole world pass by.

Food was what we expected but the wine list is real pricey and the food is at the high end of moderate. The tagliatelle with porcini and truffle oil had good flavor but the noodles were pretty thick. What we had in Venice were better. The lasagne was average. The pomodoro and bread soup was really good while the minestrone was what you should expect from any decent Italian restaurant. Its a basement, hence the "Buca". Not sure why one review mentions the views because there arent any.

The mushroom pasta with the truffle was not what it stated on the menu as it said cream and truffle I got nice pasta with mashed mushroom and chunky absolutely revolting thick soggy mushrooms witch was more like mushroom soup. wouldnt recommend as over priced and the cover charge was expensive and the pore food quality 👎👎

not the best experience..they seem to be short handed in the kitchenthe owner or manager doesnt know the basics of good customer service.we asked him for a ketchup & he brought an almost empty bottle, he was only interested in his phone... plus he was smoking front of us. on top of all that they forgot 1 of our orders .. the manager tried to cover their mistake by saying maybe the waiter didnt understand English! utter nonse.

The food was not only expensive but also of very poor quality.I ordered escalope with wild mushrooms and I ate tin mushrooms with a slice of hidden bread under the sauce making the portion showing bigger.Moreover they do not offer 1/2 liter of wine forcing you to order bottle of wine.I pay with no problem expensive food so much as the food is well cooked and of good quality.With 75 Euros for 2 persons they do not offer also free internet (no wifi at all).We paid the view of the cathedral and not the food there.I do not recommend this restaurant.

I suggest only going here for the view, drinks, and desert. The service is good, but the main course meals were not to expectation. We had two pastas. We saw a person order the steak and that looks amazing. The price is decent. There are much better places to eat, but you will lose the view.