Zeb in Florence

Absolutely fantastic evening. A unique setting and experience. So glad we got a booking. It’s a different format to most restaurants and run by a very small team. Just sit down, listen carefully, and go with the flow. Every course was excellent, along with the wine. Dessert was so good I ordered another straight away, for the first time I can recall. I can only assume the negative reviews are from awkward people who came with preconceptions of how a restaurant must operate. Don’t pay them much attention, unless you fit that description.

Im not sure if the chef/owner was having a bad night or he was just outright rude. My husband and I came here after the many great reviews we read, but this was one of the worst experiences Ive ever had anywhere.As you walk into the restaurant, you can immediately feel the tension among the other diners. The menu is written on a chalkboard, which the owner presents to you and speeds through, then impatiently waits for you to make a split second decision. God forbid you had a question about a dish, he would reluctantly give an inconvenienced one word answer that was zero help. Dont try to take photos, because he will call you out and say it is not allowed. One diner asked how big the secondi portion is and he responded with "normal size". Wine ordering is based on the owners recommendation with no menu. Good luck, because if you didnt like it, another inconvenienced reply was served, leaving you to feel like you did something wrong.Food wise: Pasta was the best part, otherwise, nothing to write home about. The ossobuco was undercooked and tough to cut and chew through.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀His mother, however, was a saint and very lovely.For someone in the hospitality business, I think he should reconsider his arrogance and perhaps let his mother work the front of the house.

My wife and I went here for lunch without reservations. We waited in line for about 20 minutes. Well worth it! Once we got seats we were greeted by the chef. He explained the menu and choose a Vermintino and a Rosè for us. We had yellow squash ravioli in a creamy sauce and spaghetti with truffles and olive oil. Both dishes were outstanding! This was the best meal we had in Florence! The pasta blew our minds!

Food was the best we had, service the absolute worst. The gentleman serving makes the whole air uncomfortable and not friendly at all — the overall vibe of the place is a bit “soup nazi” — Seinfeld reference. For that reason, even though the food was spot on, I would not recommend this place or go back again.

THE ULTIMATE ZEB REVIEW.My wife and I visited in September 2022. In fact, we went two nightsin a row. I am greek and my wife is Sri Lankan (both Australian). Neither of us speak a word of Italian and had our hotel make a phone booking. Please know the 1 star reviews are simplyuntrue. Alberto, the man people accuse of being rude, was nothing but calm and straight forward with all customers present on both nights. Just follow his direction and you’ll be fine. I recommend getting any of the ravioli pastas to start and the rabbit and eggplant main dishes. Alberto’s mother Giuseppina was nothing short of a legend who had to deal with certain american tourists asking for requests such as a half eaten beef involtini “to go”. To my surprise, she actually packed the food for them without any issues.Bottom line is this, the food is the best we have ever had in Italy and we never once felt or saw others be treated badly. The accusations of special treatment of Italian vs foreigners is also something without any basis in reality. Do not let people who misunderstand this restaurant put you off going, you won’t regret it (unless you’re a difficult person).

Unfair treatment to non-Italians/foreigners. Very unwelcoming owner with an awkward power dynamic between his immigrant server.Wine was overcharged without any explanation; 9 euros for a glass of medium/low quality wine. Okay food, but not worth visiting considering there’s much better restaurants in Florence with a much more welcoming atmosphere.I would feel proud and welcoming if visitors came all over the world to visit my restaurant but somehow the owner seems to feel the opposite shown through his attitude towards foreigners (even towards the table next to us). Overall would not recommend this place.

5 stars for the food…some of the best pasta I even had. But be warned about the attitude you’ll get from the owner who serves it. Never felt so unwelcome in a restaurant.

We were here for lunch. And what can I say - it was unforgettably beautiful. The warm atmosphere, especially that of the host and his humor were just wonderful. And also the high product quality of the food, as well as the wines are simply outstanding. We will rave about the lunch here for a long time. Thank you!:We will come again!☺️

If the food is all you care about going to a restaurant that’s been awarded a Michelin for 6 years, this is the place for you. However, if you’re also looking for good service and some fine wine to accommodate the meal, going to Zeb can be one of the worst decisions you can make. The man who took orders was very weird with having too much over-proud, making customers a bit uncomfortable. Especially he should have known a certain degree of knowledge of Italian wines but he didn’t have any proud of Italian wines or didn’t know what Italian Chianti Classico Reserva should taste like. We ordered €69 of Monteraponi C.C.Reserva 2015, which wasn’t good quality probably due to poorly kept with a strong acidic taste. It shouldn’t be. Therefore I asked the man for tasting it, then he tasted with positive answered and explained it is fine but needs more time. But the taste was obviously horrible. After waiting for some air circulation, then the horrendous taste was still there. Then I requested for checking again. He seemed to be angry and very rudely brought a new bottle and opened it. The taste of new bottle was great and meant be ‘The Italian C.C.Reserva 2015.’ With his ruthless and arrogant attitude having no knowledge of Italian wines what so ever. Our family’s great dinner time was totally ruined. HE SHOULD’VE APOLOGISED FIRSTLY for HIS WRONG BEHAVIOURS.

Our family of five loved eating at Zeb. The chef is clearly very proud of his creations and there was something for every palette. Pastas and traditional Tuscan cuisine done to perfection. After our two week trip in Italy, this remained our favourite restaurant. Just make sure to call ahead for a reservation.

Best food in Italy so far! Fantastic. Try the truffle ravioli and pesto pasta

Magnificent refined delicious impeccable. Service is so beautiful such pride and joy in their cooking so unique you won’t be disappointed you have to stop by if you are in Florence. We had the pear sauce ravioli and also the squash ravioli the eggplant Parmesan and the curry chicken everything was like butter delicious.

The food is perfection and the owners are super friendly. If you want an authentic Italian experience, come here.

Incredible experience from a mother and son team. Excellent service, food and atmosphere. Recommend booking a late dinner here whenever possible.

Worth a stop. Reservation is made by phone, we managed to book with my broken Italian and the lady on the phone was very friendly on the phone (we had a good laugh while agreeing on the time ), the food was heavenly, service was on point with the right recommendations for wine pairing with the dishes, perfect evening!

Great food! Alberto and Giuseppina were wonderful, warm and friendly hosts. Although the menu is (naturallyin Italian, Alberto explained each meal in English for foreign guests, to help make the best selection. Alberto helped us both make excellent wine choices at very reasonable prices. All in all we had a very enjoyable evening!

Incredibly rude. Tried to call to make a reservation, asked if the lady speaks english to which she replies "italiano." and then very clearly in italian says she speaks italian because we are in italy. Unbelievably rude.

Modern Italian cuisine run by a mother and son. The atmosphere was great and the food was delicious. Their truffle ravioli is a must try.

Exquisite food, delicious wine, lovely service & the chocolate cake was a masterpiece. Grateful they let me (solo travelerin without a reservation. Grazie!

The worst experience ever.I dont know how this place even get a 1 star recommendation.Worst place I ever been.Please, if you wish to have a great night in Florence, dont go here.Minus 10 stars

DO NOT GO HERE! Decent food and overcooked vegetables paired with the absolute worst service I experienced in this city or on this vacation.If you go, and you dont speak Italian, I recommend that you do not ask for clarification on anything because they get upset and express a disgusting negative attitude.I find servers everywhere in Italy commonly speak multiple languages, however the servers here only speak Italian. My fiancé and I speak four languages combined (Spanish, French, and Russian), so Im shocked they would treat us with such poor regard.Possibly because they are ignorant Italian Nationalists? Embarrassed they dont speak any other languages? Who knows.It is sad when an otherwise enjoyable evening is ruined by extremely rude service.

Some restaurants give you this instant hit of “feeling of home”. Zeb is definitely on top of my list for that reason, walking pass to the Piazza Michelangelo, I saw the chef sitting in front of the winder carefully reviewing something, I knew it must be great. Seeing other customers’ review of how happy this place is I decided to go back for dinner after my visit to the Piazza, it’s quiet but cozy, clean but warm. The chef’s mum brought a “granny’s home” ambience to this whole space. Not to mention the food is AMAZING! locals, regulars and some tourists like myself sit here feeling this shared experience by food, what can be better than this?

This is hands down the most incredible food I have ever encountered. The truffle pasta was extraordinary with the most impeccable pasta. The veal brought tears to my eyes and grandma’s cake was the perfect touch to an unforgettable dining experience.This is not a typical restaurant, the menu is made everyday from which ingredients are sourced through the local markets. The owner and his mother work together to both serve and cook for the whole restaurant. The very lovely owner helped up chose our wine pairings and provided us with the remainder of our favorite wine bottle we were sipping on as a gift to take home. We also purchased two other wines to return home with. His beautiful mother blushed as we raved about her food and snapped a photo with us. You can taste the love and passion these people have for their restaurant. I would also like to mention that this was the cleanest, most well maintained restaurant I have been to in the city. Everything was cleaned immediately. The lighting and decor were simple and elegant. The temperature was perfect in the room and the ambience was upbeat and sophisticated. I love Florence and am glad I have found a restaurant to keep returning back to.Be open to a not-so classic dining experience and you will have the time and meal of your life. Thank you for such an amazing memory for my trip. We look forward to our next meal with you.

Absolutely fantastic. Weve been to many good places in Italy. This place was the best. We really enjoyed it. The pasta dishes were amazing - we really enjoyed the truffle ravioli and the ricotta and pesto pasta. Brilliant - we are looking forward for our next visit to Florence to attend this restaurant again!

The most amazing restaurant in Florence! Pasta truffles wine, need I say more! the staff were wonderful and friendly this restaurant should a must go when here. I would eat here every day.

I have been living in Florence for 4 years now and I can tell you this is my favorite restaurant in the city. Their concept is far away from the turistic Italian restaurant, of course they do Italian food, but they are able to present it in a very classy and modern way which is not the Trattoria style. This is more classy but staying really simple. I just love the concept... The team is a son a mother passionate for food and excellence.It is not for big group of people as there are no tables, just the the bench bar style, but is perfect for a romantic-chill dinner.This restaurant represents the excellence of italian food presented in the right way.

Excellent location, superkind staff and delicious first entries. Vast selections of wines and dont forget to try their Schiacciata alla Fiorentina.

Amazing italian food. The space is cozy with a good atmosphere. Eating at the counter creates a good bond between the client and the waiter

Fantastic chef/family driven experience.Its nice and different take on classic flavours and great quality.Would go out of my way to go back.

I was having a rough day venturing through Florence when I decided to stop by and see what my chances were to grab lunch here. At first, the owner was slightly abrasive and very intimidating. He pointed to a place for me to sit. I was seated next to a very nice woman from the UK that visits often. She said, just wait, he warms up lol. Sure enough, he warmed up and was very kind and charming. The food was excellent and I ate more than I had in weeks in Italy. I let him pick my wine and he made great choices that went excellent with my pasta and rabbit. It started pouring towards the end of the meal. I asked to pay and he said, "you cant go out in that." I still decided to go, but not before he gave me an umbrella for me to use. Just a great experience that turned my whole day around. The owner and his mother are just very nice and great people and I highly recommend this place.

Saw this place on a recommendation youtube video. I was a bit apprehensive as all seating is inside, but luckily it was slow when we ate there. The food was an absolute experience. One of our best meals in Florence. The video warned that the male owner could be a bit surly, but we found him very pleasant and helpful. His daughter came down at one point and their interaction was adorable. Food and service here are top notch. Speaking little Italian we were explained every component of the meal in English which was a huge bonus for us. If we end up back in tow this place will be the top of our list to go to.

My wife and I had an absolutely lovely time at this family run restaurant. We have been fortunate enough to dine at several fine restaurants in Italy and in the Florence area - the absolute highest highs were at Zeb.The style is to order from a board, which appears to be updated regularly, if not daily. I ordered a ravioli with truffle, my wife a pesto pasta. Both were exquisite. Alberto is also extremely helpful with wines (both ours, by the glass, were far and away the best weve had - dont be afraid to trust his judgment!).My veal main course was also incredible - expertly cooked for a relatively game-y meat, with the bone marrow adding that special touch. Desert was also great. Thank you so much for giving us an unforgettable time!Highly recommend.

A must-go when looking for dinner in Florence!The restaurant is really cozy and stylish with a set up where you eat at the bar. Usually I prefer a table but this works really well here! It just adds to the cozy atmosphere. It’s nicely lit, not too bright and it has a really nice feel about the place.When ordering, the chef brings over a large backboard with the menu on it and goes through each dish with you. This was SO nice and unique! Usually restaurants in Italy these days just ask you to scan a QR code but this was really cool. The chef was also so lovely and it felt more like being a guest rather than a customer.The food was great, we enjoyed the two courses, then a dessert which was also fantastic. The price was extremely good and I would have expected it to be a lot more than what we paid, especially with two glasses of wine included!Overall I’d recommend! The walk to the restaurant is scenic (over the bridgeand the location is great for going to a bar after.

Just updating, I now come here every time I am in Firenze. I have been here three times this visit, haven’t had the same thing twice and it’s always terrific.Don’t come in a hurry, be prepared a meal could take a couple hours. The Chef and his mother are wonderful caring people. It is always such a pleasure to dine with them.

Amazing place... Been in florence a few times and it is hard to find non-touristy, real italian food that fills your heart with amazement. But Zeb is one of these places luckily: we had a ragu pasta and cappelleti with zucchini & some magical burrata sauce. Absolutely delicious, cooked perfectly and friendly service. Highly recommended!

Really good cappellacci. The filling was a complete blend of ricotta and pumpkin flower, into ultimately one consistent texture that vaguely creamy, sweet, and with hints of pumpkin. The outer burrata cream was much more overt in cheesiness that dominated the initial taste, but after the sauce was gone the more vegetal and sweeter filling took over. The dish was very well made, yet still with a homemade vibe as if it was made by an Italian nonna.

Flawless -- cuisine, vino, service, ambiance, tutti!I have wanted to try Zeb for a long time & we finally made it happen this past Saturday for lunch. I felt confident the food would be good, based on reviews & opinions of friends, but I was uncertain how the service would be, especially given that I would be dining with my 11 year-old son. Many have said the hospitality can be spotty, but this was not our experience at all. The mother & son team were, indeed, working together this day & they both assisted us & I found them to be charming, warm, friendly & accommodating-- they were ESPECIALLY kind to my child, making him feel like the most important diner in their restaurant. : Beyond that, our food was fabulous. I enjoyed the pici with pesto, ricotta & fresh tomatoes (wonderful!!& my son enjoyed ravioli with fresh tartufo & he said "it was the best pasta hed EVER had in Italy" (& hes had LOTS). The owner/son asked what kind of wine I like -- soft or strong, fruit, sweet or dry, & in answering just these simple questions he brought me a glass of a delicious Chianti that complimented my meal very well. The restaurant itself has a contemporary, yet comfortable, feel & we had a good time looking out the window, watching the Italians walk by. We will certainly be back to Zeb again.

Absolutely amazing food, everything was delicious. Specially the ossobuco, that was tender without losing its texture, beautifully seasoned and marrow effortlessly coming off the bone.The music was really interesting and a bit odd: alternating between Lana del Rey and what sounded like the GoT soundtrack.

Food was amazing. One of the best quality pasta I have ever had. Everything was cooked to perfection and the wine was also very good. Shared a first course with my boyfriend then had the parmigiana eggplant as second course and it was a little bit too much food. Service was fast and helpful, extremely hygiene aware (great for corona times).

Family run restaurant with a cosy and welcoming atmosphere, where you can find authentic local food and fusion dishes with fresh and refined ingredients. Great selection of wine and knowledge staff. Highly recommended!

The food is worth the less than warm reception from the male chef/owner. Its not cheap, so please read the menu board outside the door before entering.The pumpkin filled tortellini was maybe the single best pasta meal I had in 2 weeks Italy. And the ossobuco was very tender and delicious. My only complaint was the tiramisu was a but soggy on the bottom for my liking, but I still managed to finish it somehow, someway....

My wife and I loved Zeb and after deciding to take the plunge despite some of the negative reviews, we wanted to share our own experience so you can decide if its the right place for you.We loved our first meal so much that we returned on our second and last night in Florence. My wife ordered the pear pasta on both visits (she thought it was that good). I had the raviolis with truffles on the first visit and the spaghetti with truffles on the second. All the pastas were blissful. We can also recommend the eggplant parmigiana and the meatballs; however, the pasta was always the star of the show for us.With regard to the service, we will warn you that Alberto (chef/ownerhas a unique style which some have found off putting. It appears that three people (including him and his mother who is incredibly sweetrun the entire restaurant (that is incredibly difficult to do). Nevertheless, he will personally visit each guest go through the menu and memorize each order. He can appear annoyed with trivial questions like asking which dishes he recommends (he is the one who created the menu after allor interrupting him. We tacitly understood the "protocol" and were rewarded with an excellent meal and some nice conversation with Albero and his mother between courses. I know that this is starting to remind some folks of a certain Seinfeld episode and theyd be somewhat correct. That being said, it is completely understandable why others would be better served by dining elsewhere. However, if you fall in our camp who were still intrigued after reading the mixed reviews, wed doubt youd be disappointed with your decision to dine at Zeb. Here are a few tips that may help you should you decide to go:We found our experience on the first night better from a service perspective as we had an earlier reservation and the restaurant was not packed. Italians eat later, so we recommend making the earliest possible reservation to ensure the best possible service. We do not recommend walk-ins as the restaurant is small and staffed by three people. We saw folks turned away.If you want to buy a bottle of wine, go to the wall and make your selection; otherwise, Alberto will offer you white, red or rose at different bodies (light, medium or full).If you are unsure about what to order, stick to the pastas as we feel you simply cant go wrong.

I didnt give voice to the reviews and Ive paid the price.Lets "clean the plates" before anything, yes, it is delicious, it is tasy, it is well presented!The spaghetti with truffle is excellent, the meatballs were deliciously seasoned, and a big portion was served that would make anyone satisfied, if not, with a full stomach.BUT!What a dis-pleasure it was to be served by this gentlemen and the lady (who seems that it was the owner).Grumpy faces, poor attitude, and dont even dare to ask for olive oil!According to the elder lady, it is expensive in Italy and you only get what you were served. I didnt mind even paying for it, already on an expensive restaurant, but explaining that it costed too much to be handled to you.That was a little bit too much.

.ℹ️Go here if you want to eat amazing Italian food and escape the tourists with selfie sticks in a relaxed atmosphere.👌🏼Amazing food.👌🏼Amazing and genuine service.👌🏼Extremely great value for what you pay.

Honestly - not just bad service to the point where you will be sitting while being ignored for an insane amount of time, but honestly the man that works there is really rude. Support other businesses where the people are friendly and engaging. This place is very much not worth it.

Slow and bad service.For the pasta we chose ravioli zucchini (with no tasteand ravioli cheese and pears (cute, but could have been better).For the main course, we chose Borata with vegetables (too much oil + wrong spawningand rabbit roast (flat)Not recommended at all

Love the food and wine there! Service is fine, we didnt really dress up for the dinner and we dont feel being looked down like what others said, maybe we dont care either. Its a nice setting and the taste of the food is absolutely amazing with the price stated. However, we we didnt try the dessert because the chef was trying to serve all the late diners first and it was too late for us to eat at that time.

What a great spot! Super delicious food, generous portions and just a great experience generally. Be aware of the following points and you’ll have a great time:1. The owner and his mum make the food each morning. They have one other guy helping with the washing up and setting tables. You’re not there for the service of a waiter who relies on tips, you’re there for the great food. Treat it as a relaxing dining experience and don’t be in a rush. If you’re nice to them, they’re nice to you.2. He writes the menu out the front in Italian, and that’s the only menu that exists. He explains it in English. Everything is pretty much €13-15 per plate. He’ll then offer you a glass of wine based on your preference (aromatic, dry etc). It all seems to be about €6-8. Don’t ask for a wine list, it doesn’t exist. We paid €167 for three people which included three pastas, three mains and about 8 glasses of wine. We couldn’t fit in dessert we were too full!3. What he has is what he has. Don’t be one of those awkward people asking for menu alterations4. It’s a restaurant, not a bar. We watched some Americans get refused service because they only wanted wine. He directed them to the bar across the street.In summary, this was the best dining experience we had in Florence. He does it for love, he doesn’t need the patronage of tourists. There were lots of smiles and laughs with the locals and you can feel that this is very much a local hangout.Enjoy!

Zeb is my favorite restaurant in Florence. The service is fantastic and the food/wine exceptional. The facilities are clean and modern, but the experience is classically Italian. I highly recommend Zeb.

Great food and location, language barrier a little difficult at times. There were only 3 people running the restaurant, however we found Zeb a little pretentious and unaccommodating upon entering. Get past this and youre guaranteed a great meal