Il Vegetariano
A Florence vegetarian institution since 1981: communal tables, charmingly rustic decor and colourful, generous veggie cooking long before it was fashionable.
Il Vegetariano has been serving colourful vegetable cooking in Florence since 1981, which is to say, long before any of it was fashionable. That head start shows. This is a restaurant entirely comfortable in its own skin, with nothing to prove and no trend to chase.
The room runs on communal seating, with a handful of small tables for those after a more intimate dinner à deux. The shared benches do their job: conversation flows, strangers become company, and the place has long been somewhere like-minded people meet as much as eat.
For all its popularity, Il Vegetariano keeps the feel of a well-kept find: adored by locals, busy without being polished into something slicker. The menu is generous and nutritious, with a good number of vegan choices, so it works wherever a diner happens to be on a plant-based path.
Old-school in the best sense, the restaurant is humble, simple and unobtrusive. It refuses to let any kind of showiness pull focus from the food; you eat well, amongst charmingly rustic decor, served by friendly staff who clearly mean it.
For travellers who want plant-forward dining with genuine roots (a Florence institution rather than a concept), Il Vegetariano is a warm, characterful choice, and a reminder the best vegetable cooking has been quietly happening for decades.
