"Open since 1911, a Tuscan institution where prosciutto hangs from the beams, bistecca grilling over embers — book a big table."
Whole prosciutti hang from the ceiling beams, and strangers share long wooden tables. Il Latini opened on Via dei Palchetti in 1911, when Angelo Latini ran it as a fiaschetteria pouring house wine by the flask. Four generations later the Latini family still cooks Maria's recipes on the ground floor of the Palazzo Rucellai, a few steps from Piazza della Repubblica, and still holds the licence to grill the Florentine steak over wood embers.
The kitchen does not chase reinvention; it defends a tradition. The headline is the bistecca alla fiorentina, a thick Chianina T-bone seared over embers, served rare and priced by the kilo, carved at the table for two to share. Around it comes the full Tuscan repertoire: a sweeping antipasto of house salumi and crostini, ribollita, pappa al pomodoro, the arrosto misto of mixed roast meats, and biscotti with vin santo to finish. A full meal lands around €50 to €60 a head before the steak, which is sold by weight.
House Chianti arrives in unlabelled bottles and you pay for what you drink. It is comfort cooking executed with a century of muscle memory. Read where it sits among the best Italian restaurants worldwide, browse the full Florence dining guide, or plan the night with our Florence restaurants for an anniversary.
The room is the theatre: low vaulted ceilings, hams swinging overhead, communal tables where you are seated beside whoever booked the same hour. Sound is loud and convivial, the lighting warm and yellow, the spacing tight by design so the place hums. There is no dress code and no hush; waiters in long aprons move fast and pour freely. It seats well over a hundred across two rooms, and on a full night it feels like one large Tuscan dinner party rather than a restaurant.
Book Il Latini for a team dinner or a big celebration because it is built for a crowd: long shared tables, platters of salumi to pass, a bistecca carved for the group, and house wine that keeps coming. Nobody fusses over a set menu, the noise covers a loud table, and the bill, steak aside, stays reasonable for the volume of food. It is also a reliable room to bring visiting clients who want the real Florence rather than a tourist set-piece.
Not for a quiet tête-à-tête or a vegetarian feast. Il Latini seats strangers at long shared tables, the room is loud and meat-led, and the wine flows fast.
Is Il Latini worth it?
Yes, if you want the classic Florentine experience rather than a quiet refined dinner. You are paying for a century of tradition, a properly grilled bistecca alla fiorentina, and a room with genuine atmosphere. It is touristy and it is loud, but the cooking is honest and the bistecca is among the best in the city. Go with a group, share the steak, and let the house wine flow; treat it as an event, not a hushed meal.
How hard is it to book Il Latini?
Book ahead, especially for weekends and the early evening. Il Latini runs two dinner seatings and the long communal tables fill quickly with both locals and visitors. Reserve direct through the restaurant's site or by phone a few days out, and ask for the first seating if you want a slightly calmer room. Walk-ins sometimes get a spot at a shared table early, but a reservation is the safer bet.
What should I order at Il Latini?
Start with the antipasto of house salumi and crostini, then build to the bistecca alla fiorentina, the Chianina T-bone grilled over embers and sold by the kilo for two to share. Add ribollita or pappa al pomodoro on the side and finish with cantucci dipped in vin santo. Drink the house Chianti, poured from unlabelled bottles, and pay for what you open. Come hungry; the portions are built for sharing.
Is Il Latini good for a group or team dinner?
Yes, it is one of the best group rooms in Florence. The long communal tables, family-style platters and shared bistecca are made for a crowd, and the loud, convivial atmosphere suits a celebration or a team dinner. The kitchen is happy to carve steak for the table and keep the antipasti coming. For more group-friendly options, see our Florence team-dinner guide.
Booked the first seating for a birthday of ten. They carved two enormous bistecche at the table and the antipasto kept arriving. Loud, warm and completely Florentine. The house Chianti is rough and perfect.
Took two visiting clients here instead of somewhere stuffy. Sat at a shared table next to a Tuscan family, ate the best steak of the trip, and the clients still talk about it. Book ahead.
Reserve direct through the Il Latini site or by phone. Two dinner seatings; the long shared tables fill fast on weekends.
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