After exploring the Tuscan hill town of Fiesole on foot and then catching the best sunset over Florence, my friend Mary and I had worked up an appetite. We headed back down Via San Francesco in search of Tuscan comfort food in Fiesole. Not wanting to stray too far from the bus stop back to Florence at Piazza Mino, we considered several nearby dining options.
In this article, you are invited to…
- Explore Restaraunt Options in Piazza Mino
- Discover il Fiesolano Restaurant
- Experience Authentic Tuscan Comfort Food in Fiesole
- Embrace Italian Peasant Food at Its Best
- Appreciate Flattery for Dessert
A Sample of Fiesole’s Local Flavor
Explore Restaurant Options in Piazza Mino
We first came upon an Irish pub. Like many restaurants in Italy, J.J. Hill closed between 4:00 and 7:30 pm. We peered in to find what you would expect of a cozy Irish pub: dark woodwork, draught beer at the polished bar, Irish artifacts. While a juicy pub burger and a cold drink sounded good, we decided against it given the authentic Tuscan cuisine that surrounded us.
Next, we considered two restaurants along the same block: Blu Bar and Ristorante Villa Aurora. Both offered garden seating with panoramic views of the Tuscan valley below. Neither piqued our interest. We declined the hostess’ invitation to wait upon the formal divans of the Hotel Villa Aurora. We’d already caught a spectacular sunset and felt underdressed for elegant dining.
Then, beneath the glowing bell tower of San Romolo, we spotted Il Fiesolano Ristorante. Here, we discovered the quintessential Tuscan comfort food in Fiesole.
To truly appreciate the culinary journey through Tuscany, this comprehensive guide offers more insights into Italy’s rich flavors and traditions.
But, first, let’s have a closer look at Il Fiesolano.
Discover Il Fiesolano Restaurant
Il Fiesolano’s informal dining room holds five or six tables. Decorated in cliché Italian restaurant style, it’s strung with garlic. I imagined this would be the place locals would come for authentic tastes of home.
A handsome young Italian waiter greeted us. He explained Il Fiesolano would open soon and insisted we have wine and wait. He kissed Mary’s hand and charmed us as we made ourselves comfortable for dinner.
The ambiance at Il Fiesolano was relaxed, complete with candlelight, Chianti wine bottles, hand-painted ceramic dishes, and balsamic vinegar, and house olive oil at the ready.
Experience Authentic Tuscan Comfort Food in Fiesole
The menu, filled with multi-coursed Italian fare, included Alla Griglia, or “from the grill,” and plenty of wine choices. (The menu is in Italian, but by knowing a few phrases, easy to decipher.) Honestly, I could never eat so much at one sitting! Even though Il Fiesole is known for their beef dishes, we kept our choices simple.
For starters, we enjoyed savory bites of an artisan flatbread, crispy and drenched in fruity olive oil and herbs. We paired the appetizer with generous pours of the full-bodied house red, Chianti Perseus. Bottled for Il Fiesolano, this is a wine that holds up to the restaurant’s renown Florentine Steak.
Embrace Italian Peasant Food at its Best
For dinner, I opted for the Pappa al Pomodoro (Tomato and Bread Soup), a rustic comfort food bursting with just-cooked flavors of fresh tomato and garlic, then thickened with bread.
As a child, I soaked bread pieces in Campbell’s Tomato Soup. That’s not nearly as tasty, but I wonder, did this peasant tradition originate from Pappa al Pomodoro?
The texture of this dish was so dense, it was hardly a soup. Wafting heady aromas of fresh garlic, it was the Tuscan comfort food in Fiesole I craved.
Although not on the menu, Mary ordered Spaghetti with a Bolognese sauce. The kitchen made the dish to order and it looked delicious. Bravo!
Related: If you love soup, you’ll love this round up of the best international soups to try.
Appreciate Flattery for Dessert
As the wine flowed, we became more chatty with the waiter who showered Mary with “Bellissima”s and similar affections. He shocked us when he invited us to overnight at his house, assuring a stay in the country would be far nicer than our city flat in Florence. Perhaps we misunderstood the innuendo because of language, or perhaps it’s a cultural thing. Flattered, we begged off.
As though on cue, another set of patrons captured our waiter’s attention. We recognized our chance to pay and exit without giving a second thought to dessert or our waiter’s forward offer.
Ultimately, we left satisfied with our Tuscan comfort food in Fiesole. Il Fiesolano proved exactly the culinary experience we sought.
In fact, I’d consider returning to Il Fiesolano to sample the famous Florentine Steak.
Note: I learned later that during summer, Il Fiesolano adds outdoor seating along the piazza and in the gardens. They also offer a private function room.
Special thanks goes to il Fiesolano for their incredible cuisine and warm staff. All opinions expressed in this article are 100% my own. For more information, please see the following Disclosure.
About Jackie Gately, editor-IN-CHIEF
I'm Jackie Gately, your travel confidante and the creative force behind Enjoy Travel Life, awarded the "Best Casual-Luxury Lifestyle Blog (USA)" in Travel and Tourism by LUXlife Magazine for four consecutive years. With 25 years of published expertise, I'm a seasoned writer, editor, and photographer curating inspiring travel guides and lifestyle tips for empty nesters. I hope to kindle your spirit of exploration, encouraging you to overcome obstacles and turn your dreams into reality. Learn to minimize your pre-travel angst and maximize the joy of exploration with insights from my experiences. Let's make every adventure a celebration of this exciting phase of life! Follow my social channels for more inspiration.
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I’m so craving Italian Food right now after reading your post and seeing those pictures. I am heading to Italy next month and this would be a great food experience to have Tuscany, looks like I am going to come back 2 stone heavier, thanks to your post 🙂
The food in Italy is just so good, it’s worth the few extra pounds not to miss the opportunity! Plus, you’ll be on the go and probably walk it off while you’re there. 😉
Wow, Il Fiesolano looks like a great place! I love the decoration of the restaurant, it seems very creative and such a cozy place! Thanks for the recommendation, I’ll definitely keep it in mind for future trips!
It’s everything you’d expect of an Italian ristorante. You won’t be disappointed!
I love restaurants with a casual, simple interior and that’s why, Il Fiesolano Restaurant looks perfect to me! The flatbread with herbs in olive oil looks sumptuous. Sorry that you had to miss out on the dessert because of the awkward situation though!
I wish I had that flatbread with herbs now… Looking back, the exchange was actually quite funny, even flattering as we are not spring chickens! It makes a good story, for sure.
I love Italian food! I wish I had that for dinner today. haha.
I will definitely check this place out if I ever get to Tuscan. Thanks for this tip! 🙂
You’re welcome. I hope you get there!
What a fun dinner experience in Tuscany. I hope that your waiter’s advances were a language issue! At least the food sounded delicious and original to the region. What a great girls’ trip!
Yes, it was a great girls’ trip, Annick. We’re still laughing about it (and missing the food)!
Ah Toscana, a place close to my heart! This sounds like an excellent choice in Tuscany, and the food looks incredible. I spend half the year in Veneto, so we have a slightly different cuisine there. I highly recommend trying the Fiorentina!! It’s an amazing piece of meat, and unlike any other I’ve had before.
Il Fiesolano is known for the Fiorentina! I’d like to try it sometime. I hope to get back to Italy soon!
I always eat pizza when I travel because it has vegetarian options. Thanks for your beautiful reviews on this Fieosolano restaurant as it looks true authentic flavors without any fusion. I love that peasant styled tomato thickened gravy with strong garlic flavors. Looks very similar to Indian gravies.
There were many vegetarian options! Lots of delicious kinds of pasta with cheese fillings, walnut sauces, eggplant dishes, and yes, that wonderful pomadoro soup with the complex spice blends. In that way, it is like the Indian gravies. (Yum, yum!) I bet you would enjoy these flavors, too, Yukti.