La Leggenda dei Frati, Restaurant Review - Florence

Cuisine: Michelin Star Italian
Style Points: 5/5
Location: Museum District, Florence
Price: £££
Overall: 5/5

Covid-19 Safety Measure:

• Temperature check at the door

• All staff and guests wear masks indoors

• Hand sanitiser given at entrance to all guests

La Leggenda dei Frati is nestled on a quiet up-hill street inside the gardens of the museum Villa Bardini that was built in the 17th century, past the iconic Ponte Vecchio.

With one Michelin star under its belt and refreshingly named after a legend of three friars and their drunken antics one summer’s night in July, I knew I was in for a memorable night in Florence.

 The restaurant is unsurprisingly modern and gorgeous inside, with a minimalist design and low ambient lighting and plenty of space between tables for social distancing. Upon arrival, your temperature is checked as an extra safety precaution.

Food?

Once seated by the impeccably dressed servers and treated to an aperitivo, the chef and owner Filipo Saporito greeted and welcomed us before explaining what we were about to be treated to. A very friendly and down-to-earth man, it was delightful to speak to Filipo and you may think that he spoke to us as a one-off but he actually speaks to all the diners during the night and it certainly leaves a lasting impression.

But let’s get onto to the food. We were sampling the Chef’s Choice Tasting Menu with wine pairing and couldn’t wait to start. I won’t go through all the dishes but will mention some of my favourites and rest assured, each dish is worth trying and is unique in taste and presentation. To start, there was a variety of focaccia breads served with fresh lard that was really difficult to resist devouring immediately. It’s not often that the bread basket deserves a mention but this was certainly an exception.

One of the standout dishes that has been on the menu since 2004 (so you know it’s good!) is the Chicken Liver Terrine. Served with more of the delicious lard from Colonnata, the home of the best lard in Italy, dried figs, salad leaves, and crème caramel. Even my husband who usually loathes chicken liver agreed it was a delicious dish that had wonderful flavour.

The dish with Red Shrimp from the Sicily town of Mazara, renowned for its shrimp, was another stand-out for me. Smothered with velvety potato foam and garnished with candied lemon and intriguing coloured powders, it is a bowl full of surprises and the wild salmon eggs and roasted hazelnuts hiding inside give the dish an extra bit of texture.

The Whole Spelt Spaghetti with calamari, courgetti foam, and topped with breadcrumbs and burnt lemon was a beautiful combination of flavours and was a pleasure to eat. The calamari was also cooked al-dente and to perfection.

I have to mention the Cod Fish with Macaroni as it has given me new found respect for a pasta that is usually smothered with melted cheese and microwaved for three minutes. This dish was delicious and had so many flavours and textures coming from the tomato, olives, white beans and candied orange. A mélange of wonderful flavours and ingredients that worked together harmoniously.

Moving onto dessert and we weren’t disappointed in the slightest. The ‘pre-dessert’ was Toasted Rice with caramel, blueberry sorbet and buttermilk foam. If you remember and loved Ricycles, the Kellogg’s breakfast cereal of toasted rice coated in sugar that tasted divine when added to milk, this is the desset version of that king of cereals. The malty flavour from the buttermilk foam and crunch of the caramel glazed rice was just heavenly. Like all great desserts, it conjured up warm memories of childhood and that’s never a bad thing in my opinion.

The actual dessert was Whisky Cream with caramel, chocolate and banana bread. Again, another delightful dessert that looked like a work of art on a plate.

After a wonderful dinner accompanied with plenty of fabulous wines from all over Italy, the chef had one more surprise under his belt for us. We got up and followed him down a corridor and into an elevator that took us to the museum itself. Not telling us what we were being led to, we were more than a little bit curious and continued to follow Filipo, feeling like Alice going down the rabbit hole as we did. We arrived at a nondescript door which chef opened to reveal one of the best panoramic views of the city that Florence has to offer. It’s an incredible view that includes the stunning Duomo and many other historic landmarks. 

Chef told us all guests were treated to this delightful spectacle after dinner and it truly was the perfect way to finish what was a fabulous multi-sensory dining experience.

Price?

The 9 course Chef’s Choice Tasting menu is not cheap, coming in at around £130 per person plus an extra £80 for wine pairing. But if you’re dining at a Michelin starred restaurant you know you’ll be parting with some serious money and there is also an a la carte menu with dishes around the more affordable £30 mark.

Overall?  

For me, dining at La Leggenda dei Frati is a must when visiting the beautiful city of Florence. Although the city is full of fabulous restaurants serving amazing Italian food, this Michelin starred restaurant will live long in the memory and will definitely give you bonus points with your other half.

Chef Filipo is a delight and he certainly does a great job in making each diner feel welcome and special. A special mention must also be given to his wonderful and knowledgeable team of servers who provided an immaculate service and contributed greatly to a memorable dining experience.

Book your table at La Leggenda dei Frati at Villa Bardini
Address: Costa San Giorgio 6/A – Firenze
Phone: +39 055 0680545
Closed Monday

COVID Notice: Please make sure to check and abide by government travel guidelines. Please also respect the rules and regulations of the restaurant to keep you and other guests safe. Thanks!

My meal was complimentary, all opinions are my own.

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