Every couple of years my friend Marietta travels to Florence, from Boston, to attend the Biennale Internazionale dell’Antiquariato. I usually come up from Rome for the day, to wander around Florence, see the show, but mostly to have lunch with ‘Etta.
It’s always hard deciding where to go. ‘Etta and I used to live in Florence (back in graduate school days) and so of course we have our old favorites. But I always feel like we should branch out, try something new. (Ok. I’m always ‘researching’ for Eat Italy too) Last time around we went to Osteria Tornabuoni, which was new, a bit fancy, and certainly good.
But that’s the thing about new places in Florence. They pop up, and then they disappear. Like Osteria Tornabuoni. Here one year, gone the next.
So this time around we decided to mix something old with something new. We settled on Ristorante del Fagioli. One of the oldest trattorie in Florence. But new for us since – weirdly – after all the time we’ve both spent in Florence neither if us had ever been there.
Ristorante del Fagioli is one of those Italian restaurants you’re always hoping to find. Wood paneled dining rooms, smiling cooks in the kitchen, the day’s specials up on a blackboard. They even have old fashioned, straw covered bottles of Chianti. Perfect!
Since Fagioli still has a great reputation, I wasn’t so surprised that the food was outstanding. The menu – which is printed out daily – featured a couple of fish dishes, since it was Friday: bacala, and squid. But we went for straight for the meaty classics.
Crostini with fegato to start, accompanied by a bottle of their house Chianti. (They set the bottle down and you only pay for what you drink. Dangerous.)
As my main course I chose something they call crocchetine campagnole, which was basically flavor packed meatballs (with mint and grated lemon) in a tomato sauce. ‘Etta chose arista, which was served dripping in porky pan juices. Of course we ordered the house specialty: fagioli. White beans cooked until just tender, then drizzled with olive oil. A plate of silken string beans, stewed in with tomatoes and oodles of olive oil rounded out the meal.
The only reason we didn’t order a huge slice of torta della nonna to finish, is because we were planning on stopping at Carapina for a gelato on our way to the antiques show.
But we weren’t so worried since we knew this restaurant would be around the next time the Biennale and ‘Etta came to town in two years. And every year thereafter. 
Ristorante del Fagioli
Corso Tintori 47r
Florence
+055.244.285
***NO CREDIT CARDS***
Open for lunch & dinner, Monday-Friday
Closed Saturday and Sunday.
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I was in Fiesole and the restaurant of choice was closed but a lovely lady recommended Vinandro a very small restaurant. It was a fabulous experience. I had peposo beef stew and loved it. I have never seen it on a menu in any of the top notch Italian restaurants in New York City.
i was impressed when older women probably in her 70s impeccably dressed came in alone ordered lunch and a glass of wine. The waiter told us she was a retired school teach who had taught in town all her life.
As always, this makes me want to be there, instantly, eating exactly what you had! But I just wanted to add that the last photo is just a treat.
Someone just send me a link to this video, which is great:
http://www.geobeats.com/videoclips/italy/florence/del-fagioli
I am returning to Firenze to pick up some boots I ordered. That video sold me on finding Ristorante del Fagioli! along with catching the correct bus to an iris hybridizer–something I didn’t do last week thus missed the main reason for my trip. Oh well, just gave me another reason to return to one of my favorite Italian cities!
Last summer I read all of your posts in helping some friends (and clients) prepare for a trip to Tuscany. I hadn’t been to Florence in some time, although I had eaten my way through Rome just a few years ago. I’m about to leave for Prague, Nuremberg, the Danube and Budapest this week and decided I couldn’t return home without a “side trip” to Tuscany, so your blog has inspired me to make my first-ever solo visit to Florence. I’m looking forward to trying many of your favorites (and this sounds delicious!) when I’m in town starting on November 9th. Thanks for the inspiration and, of course, I’ll report back!
I love this restaurant and haven’t been there in years but visited once a year for at least ten and always had the fagioli al’ uccelletto (sp) and a meat or fish dish. They’re always open certain days of the year between Christmas and Epiphany, my father knows the dates. Little is open during those two weeks so it pays to have residents around who know the best restaurant to visit each day. This is on my ristorante list forever.