The Divine Dish

Lunch at Coquinarius Restaurant in Florence

Coquinarius restaurant Florence

My first meal in Florence was at the charming Coquinarius restaurant.  My Florence for Foodies tour guide buddies Nat and Sam recommended I pop in to include the wine bar/restaurant in one of my articles.

Inside

brick ceiling

This cozy Italian bistro only houses 10 tables, so even for lunch it’s best to make sure you make a reservation.  The brick ceiling and walls and wood banquettes and tables provide a charming setting.  I came to try their famed crostini plates.

Bianco di Pitigliano

My waiter recommended a nice glass of Bianco di Pitigliano to go with my mixed crostini appetizer and scozzese salad.  The wine was delicious.  Coquinarius has an extensive wine selection so I recommend to ask your waiter to select a bottle that will complement your order.

Mixed crostini plate

My mixed crostini plate was plenty for lunch all by itself.  I wasn’t expecting such large portions.  Included in my assortment was the following:

mackerel and avocado crostini

I started off with the mackerel and avocado crostini – both were light and resembled a mousse topping.

sun dried tomato and halibut with pepper jam crostini

I moved on to the sun dried tomato and halibut with pepper jam crostini crostini.  Both were hearty and very tasty.

liver, sausage and cheese, and goat cheese and fig crostini

My favorites were the last three – the liver (delicious), sausage and cheese (like a ragu) and the goat cheese and fig crostini (a perfect match – creamy goat cheese and fruity fig).

Next came my Scozzese salad, with lettuce avocado, warm chicken, huge pieces of salty fatty bacon (the best part) and balsamic vinegar.  A perfect choice to match with the hearty crostini.

scozzese salad

The chef also sent me out a sample of their ravioli with pear and cheese – Ravioli ripieni di formeaggio e pere – this was an excellent dish.  I was trying a full portion of this the same night at Quattro Leone restaurant, so I was happy to taste Coquinarius’ version of this dish.  If you are very hungry go for the cheese and pear ravioli, if not so hungry try the crostini appetizer.

cheese and pear ravioli

I highly recommend enjoying a meal at Coquinarius while in Florence, just make sure to make a reservation ahead.  Another plus is it is on the same street as the famed gelatoria Grom, where you can walk over for some dessert.  Located at Via Delle Oche, 15. Call 055 230 2153 for reservations.