Osteria del Cocotrippone
Review by Haley Frasca, Lauren Fromin, Julia Ripperton, Charlotte Filardi, Kelly Hauk
This small, quiet restaurant is located on Via Gioberti, an easy spot to get to, although it is away from the busy city center. This made the experience better because it got us away from the tourists and into an area where the locals eat. Although the restaurant was very small and quaint, but we did not need to make a reservation. There were many local Italians, and we could tell it was not a tourist trap. The inside is cozy, with the brown wood paneled walls and booths and basic seating outside on the patio on the street in front of the osteria.
The menu is a paper menu, adding to the rustic atmosphere, nothing too fancy. The menu options are typical Tuscan dishes that tend to be served typically in the region, such as bistecca Fiorentina (Florentine steak), tortellini, cannellini beans, rabbit, etc. There were so many different options, it was hard to choose what to order!
As an antipasto, we got fiorentino brushettando with various spreads on top. One had spinach sautéed in an olive oil. Another was a bruschetta with cannellini beans, similar to the one we made in class. And the last had a melted hard cheese. All three were on an unsalted very fresh piece of bread. This appetizer seemed to be very characteristic of the osteria, as we saw many locals ordering it to share. Each of the toppings on the bruschetta were perfect and the consistency was great. The bean one was a favorite because of the way the beans were cooked and the flavoring added to them. Next, we ordered truffle ravioli. We really liked that the truffle was not too dominant over the ricotta cheese flavor, as it can sometimes be an overbearing flavor. We also liked the hint of it in the ravioli and the buttery sauce that went along with the ravioli. Lastly, we ordered an apple pie type of dessert. This was absolutely delicious, and cooked to perfection. The cinnamon flavor throughout the apple dish was just the right amount. The dessert was served warmly, which made it even better. We also tasted the homemade tiramisu, and while the taste was still great, the ratio of cream to lady fingers and coffee was off, in our opinion. There was much too much cream and it was a much thicker texture than tiramisu dishes we have had at other restaurants in Italy.
In all, we had a very enjoyable experience at Cocotrippone and would recommend it to tourists, locals, or students who want an authentic, home-cooking, Italian restaurant away from the busy and touristy city center. The small, intimate setting was very cozy and made us feel welcomed and comfortable. While the location is a bit of a walk from the main city center, it is worth it if you are looking to dine like the locals do. If you are looking for a private setting and fine dining this may not be the best option as you are seated very close to the people next to you and the food is much more like home-cooking. The service was wonderful, very accommodating and friendly even when with our lack of Italian. The owner of the restaurant was very welcoming and treated us as though we were local Florentines. The food seemed as though it was original Florentine dishes and the ingredients they used in their dishes seemed to be very thoughtfully chosen based on seasonality, with menu variations from season to season. The food was good, as well as the prices (between 10 and 20 euros) and for the amount you paid the food was well portioned. We paid about 22 euros each, after splitting an appetizer and getting our own meal and our own dessert. Overall, we would highly recommend this cozy, welcoming, authentic restaurant for anyone looking to dine the way Florentines do.
Osteria del Cocotrippone
Via Vincenzo Gioberti, 140, 50136 Firenze
Tel.: 055 234 7527
Hours: Monday-Saturday lunch 12:00-3:00pm; dinner 7:00-11:00pm; Sundays lunch 9:00am-5:00pm; dinner 7:00-11:00pm