La Leggenda dei Frati

Tuscan style elegant fine dining 

 Snapper, broccoli, capers

To round off my Florence trip in style, I opted for fine dining, Tuscan style Italian fine dining experience. I was looking for a restaurant that has a good view, classy decor with fine food, and it appears La Leggenda dei Frati fits all of my needs, the Michelin starred restaurant is located on a small hill just outside of the Florence city center, overlooking the beautiful Piazzale Michelangelo site. The restaurant has no more than 10 tables within 2 dining area, all the tables are well spread out with plenty of space. The menu is modern Tuscan style, using mostly local ingredients. To fully experience what the restaurant is capable of, I opted for its 9-course tasting menu.

Beetroot carpaccio, capers, pear, mustard

Red Shrimp of Mazara, potatoes, hazelnuts, candied lemon 

Beef tartar, artichokes, chestnut

The red shrimp dish with potato had an unusual taste of sweet, fresh shellfish taste but with a creamy texture, with crunchy hazelnuts un the mixed, it was full of excitement. The restaurant signature dish of guitar style spaghetti with squid and fennel was a pasta dish that loaded with bags of savoury flavours, it was well seasoned with a tiny use of lemon which balanced off the richness nicely. For the fish course, it was wild snapper with broccoli, an odd combination. The two elements combined nicely with the capers which acted as the perfecting seasoning, I also enjoy the touch of clean and crunchy taste of the radish as the finishing touch.  

Spaghetti, squid, fennel, burnt lemon

Cappelletti with Padano cheese

Pork, onion, raisins

Lemon curd, honey ice cream, dried fruit

All in all, La Leggenda dei Frati offered a dining experience that what a classy fine dining occasion is all about. The cooking was modern, but nothing too outrageous or clever for its own good, just pure good old fashioned Italian flavours but presented in a modern way. The service on the day was outstanding, really top-notch, professional standard that really enhanced the overall dining experience. La Leggenda dei Frati is a worthy holder of a Michelin star and a great venue for a special occasion.


Food 4/5

What I paid: 
£150 per head with wine

Average cost without drinks and services:
£120

Costa S. Giorgio, 6/a, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy

http://www.laleggendadeifrati.it/