Godi Fiorenza: comfort + quality

As the 19th-century street continues its urban regeneration, now planted with orange trees, Godi Fiorenza provides a much-needed retreat on the way to the Duomo. Stepping inside the casual chic restaurant, cozy velvety chairs and banquettes, glamorous chandeliers and deliberately distressed walls bearing wallpaper fragments and plaster patches furnish a spacious locale. On the sweltering summer’s day that The Florentine visits Godi Fiorenza, harried-looking individuals visually regain composure as they are ushered into the air-conditioned dining room, rehydrating with soft drinks while unhurriedly consulting the menu.

For such a central restaurant, the prices are remarkably honest. A generous helping of comforting spaghettoni alla carbonara is a bargain at 12 euro and potato-filled Mugello tortelli with meat ragù at 14 euro. “We try to keep things simple,” explains building businessman turned restaurant owner Baroi Ioan Catalin. “I buy meat and wine directly from trusted producers every week. At the end of the day, chefs work better if they have the best produce.” Given Godi Fiorenza is all about Tuscan food, bistecca alla Fiorentina with fillet steak boasts an entire page to itself on the menu, and the T-bone follows the same philosophy. “We only serve certified steak. We know where it comes from and the quality is guaranteed.”

Catalin’s background in the construction industry for Tuscany’s hotels and eateries means he’s seen everything, and he is now putting that professional expertise to use at his via Cavour restaurant. “I’ve learned that building a business takes time and how important it is to deliver constant quality and service.” This pragmatic approach is at the forefront at Godi Fiorenza, where the relaxed atmosphere is born out of simplification. Pointing to a wrought-iron rack hung with wine glasses on the wall, Catalin explains how everything has its place. That’s not to say that the restaurant lacks ornamentation: an old gramophone stands by the entrance, a signature wall of antique corkscrews and Renaissance-style candelabras lend character, while the showstopping chef’s table for six placed next to a mirrored wall has an allure all of its own.

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After picnicking on an olive grazing board topped with fragrant prosciutto, salami and pecorino, we tuck a homely courgette stuffed with veal and rustic pici pasta with a garlicky tomato sauce, washed down with a vibrant bottle of Bolgheri. On the adjacent table, a family of four international travellers look restored: the mum chats away with her daughters while savouring a plateful of thinly sliced beef on a bed of rocket, while dad checks a map for their next Florentine adventures.

Plus, a suggestion: if you’re on the lookout for a city centre location to celebrate a special occasion, the rear dining hall with lofty arches and pietra serena pillars sets the scene for intimate wedding receptions, birthday parties, graduation dinners and the like. “If a client wants a certain wine or a special type of cake, we’ll make sure they have it,” remarks Catalin.