A Walk Through Florence at Night, Florence, Italy

My lovely Italian friend Lucia recommended Trattoria La Casalinga – literally, ‘Trattoria of the housewife’ – to me when she heard I was coming to Florence. It’s just off the Piazza Santo Spirito, which has become one of my favourite areas in Florence. It’s in Oltrano – the ‘other side of the Arno’ river – which has been undergoing considerable gentrification in recent years. The tourists do come here but it’s a bit off the main tourist route apart from the Boboli Gardens and Pitti Palace. You’ll find great traditional restaurants, cafes, bars and a rich cultural scene with artisan workshops.

There was a big queue when I arrived at the Trattoria at opening time, 7pm. Fortunately I’d booked by email, receiving such a friendly reply from Andrea that this, with Lucia’s recommendation, made me really look forward to eating there. And I wasn’t disappointed. This was another great find for eating good, traditional Tuscan food in Florence.

There are various ‘sections’ to the restaurant and I was led through to what seemed to be the main area – perhaps because I’d booked well in advance. All the waiting staff were friendly and there were plenty of them which boded well – and correctly – for good service. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).