Kalimera L’Angolo Greco
By Maddie
Kalimera L’Angolo Greco is a small Mediterranean and Greek cuisine on the outskirts of the Santa Croce square near Sant’Ambrogio market, open Monday through Sunday, between 12.30pm and 14.45pm for lunch and between 19.30pm and 22.30pm for dinner. It is located in Borgo LaCroce, 33/r; off the beaten path that the typical tourist might take, it is a hidden gem only fifteen minutes away from the Duomo. Reservations are not needed for small groups for early lunch or dinner. There are tables inside and outside of the restaurant, but only seats roughly 60 guests at a given time, with two to four guests at most tables. Large groups should call ahead to ensure seating. Offering authentic and fresh Greek cuisine, this trattoria will fill your stomach without emptying your pockets. The atmosphere and blue and white, beach themed decor transports guests to a small island off mainland Greece, with its intimate seating and attentive staff making the experience a valuable one.
Kalimera offers a 10-euro lunch menu, separate from their dinner menu. The food they offer ranges from salads, gyros, skewers, hummus, tzatziki dip, and typical Grecian desserts; there are three lunch plates to choose from, each of which consists of a small portion of several typical Mediterranean style dishes. One of the menus included a Greek-style salad, pita bread, roasted potatoes, chicken and pork skewer, hummus, stuffed vine leaves, tzatziki sauce and a bottle of water, which was reasonable, given the relatively low price. The house red wine (called Nemea), and baklava was also ordered. It had no outstanding aromas and it was a very good, light wine to pair with the variety of food eaten. Overall, for one lunch critic some of the flavors were too strong and overpowering. The pieces of pork on the skewer were very fatty, and the potatoes were slightly cold. However, the hummus and tzatziki sauces were delicious, with a wonderful creamy texture, along with the pita bread and chicken. The service was great, the server cleaned and prepared a table when asked to be seated outdoors, even though the section wasn’t open yet. The server also checked in regularly, and the food came out quickly. Overall, the second lunch critic thought the food overall was delicious. The chicken skewers came with yellow pepper, all grilled to perfection. The stuffed vine leaves had a very distinct and interesting flavor, something unlike anything ever experienced. The roasted potatoes seemed like the least ‘typical’ Mediterranean food on the plate, but they were still quite tasty. The price for lunch ranges from 6 to 20 euros depending on what is ordered, including drinks and dessert.
Kalimera’s dinner menu offers a much larger selection of menu items, for a wider and more expensive price range, depending on what is ordered. While similar menu items to lunch are featured on the dinner menu, portions are bigger, and there are less dishes that feature a wide sampling of multiple Greek culinary products, and more specialized, individual dishes. Two different critics visited at dinner time at 19:30 for when it opened, and split the pita bread and hummus and spanakopita appetizers, or stuzzichini, as they were called on the menu. They supplied an ample supply of pita bread to dip in the homemade hummus, and a large slice of spanakopita to share. Both starters were equally as fresh and delicious, and also quite filling. The very patient and attentive server brought out two whopping gyros to the table, which contained creamy tzatziki sauce inside the pita wrap, soaking into the fresh tomatoes, chopped pork, feta cheese, and French fries, all held nicely together by a paper holder that contained all the contents while ensuring clean hands. What remained of the gyros were wrapped up and taken home; they were equally as good leftover the next day. The visit ended with a hefty slice of delicious chocolate cake with dark chocolate drizzled over the top, and both critics left extremely satisfied. The bill split evenly, both checks came out to 18 euros. A bottle of water, two appetizers, two gyros, and a slice of chocolate cake were 36 euros, which was slightly more expensive than the quality of food they provide, but relatively reasonable. Overall, Kalimera L’Angolo Greco supplies authentic Greek and Mediterranean cuisine to guests, and the atmosphere transports them to an island like Santorini. While there were issues with the Greek salad, overall it was a positive experience, rating Kalimera as very good, satisfying restaurant to return to.
Address: Borgo la Croce 33/R, 50121, Firenze.
Phone: +39 005 200 1719.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/kalimeralangologreco/?
Email: ristorantekalimerafirenze@gmail.com