Hostaria il Desco

Charming Tuscan restaurant in Florence

Baked rack of lamb with truffle

In the busy Florence city center, Hostaria il Desco is hidden on a narrow street on Via delle Terme, not too far away from Ponte Vecchio. Unlike many other local Tuscan restaurants nearby, Hostaria il Desco has a rather unusual decor, it has a very cozy and charming feel to it, with a romantic and elegant touch. The meal is classic Tuscan, with plenty of pasta dishes. The restaurant has been around since 1954, and it has been providing good old fashioned Tuscan cuisine ever since. When a restaurant has been around for so long and still trading, it must be doing something right.

Spaghetti Chianti style

Ricotta and spinach ravioli with classic meat sauce

I opted for the spaghetti in chianti style for the first course, turned out to be a great choice. The chianti wine sauce was so rich and a lovely texture from the bacon and nutty aroma from the Percorino cheese. The ricotta and spinach ravioli was a very comforting dish, the creaminess of the filling, along with the meaty tomato sauce, offered tonnes of umami flavours. Beef fillet with fresh truffle and truffle sauce was simply fantastic, the meat was cooked and seasoned to perfection. The mild earth element of the truffle sauce, together with the freshness of the black truffle, delivered a pool of robust aroma, which worked like a treat with the beef.

Beef fillet with fresh truffle

Tiramisu

Hostaria il Desco is a great discovery while I was traveling in Florence, it happened to be near my hotel and that was a massive plus. The food had no fancy element or creativity, but it did delivery lovely signature Italian flavours and the restaurant itself has such a charming decor. On my visit, there are plenty of locals dining there so it clearly shows that it is an authentic place too. Last but not less, the amazing value for money factor, a plate of beef fillet with fresh truffle cost only 24 Euro, something similar in London would set you back more than £50 easily! 

Food 3/5

What I paid: 
£40 per head with wine

Average cost without drinks and services:
£30

Via delle Terme, 23/ r, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy

http://www.hostariaildesco.com/