Alle Murate is an elegant Florentine restaurant situated in a fourteenth century palace. It is a beautiful building with eye catching frescoes. It is situated on Via del Proconsolo, near Santa Croce Florence.

The menu at Alle Murate is traditional Tuscan with a few innovative and creative twists. Thus though the ambience and service is always excellent it always get mixed reviews for its menu.

Some of the dishes we recommend at Alle Murate include the typical Tuscan bean soup, especially zuppa di fagioli e gamberi, tagliatelle all’olio nuovo, macaroni with cinta senesi sauce, tono fresco and all the sea food dishes. Duck and the steaks especially the Florentine steak are preferred by some.

Chef Montano is the owner and chef at Alle Murate. His desserts are to die for and whatever you try you will get a glimpse of confectionary heaven. Try the signature dessert which is a humungous chocolate torte with whipped cream. Ummmmm delicious. The wine list is fairly extensive and you can be sure of getting the best Tuscan wines from their extensive cellar.

The prices at Alle Murate are on the higher side and larger portion sizes would be definitely appreciated by many. Alle Murate is definitely one of the better restaurants in Florence. It is ideal for an intimate dinner with its beautiful ambience, subtle lighting and tasty food and excellent wine. It is better if you make prior reservations. Come join us in Florence and we can give you the best of Florence in all its diversity.

Roughly translated as Florentine beefsteak, Bistecca alla Fiorentina is very popular and common on most menus in Florentine restaurants. This simple but flavourful steak can be described as a porterhouse. It is an excellent and wholesome dish favoured by the Florentines for its freshness and taste.

There are many legends involved with naming it Bistecca alla Fiorentina or Florentine steak. The most colourful one is the story which dates back to 1565. It goes this way. In Piazza San Lorenzo beef was being spit roasted to feed the multitude gathered there. A few British visitors began shouting beefsteak, beefsteak. This appealed to the creative and innovative Florentines who called it “Bistecca” adding Fiorentina or Florentine to give it more appeal. Whatever maybe the truth Bistecca alla Fiorentina or Florentine steak is very popular from centuries.

Florentine steak is generally accompanied by a pat of butter, or a lemon wedge. Favourite accompaniments are green salad, fried potatoes or boiled cannellini beans (white ones) tossed with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper.

Florentine steak generally complements the reds from Tuscany whether it’s a Chianti Classico Riserva, a Super Tuscan like Brunello or even a Barolo.

The best of Bistecca alla Fiorentina are all got from the special white oxen from Val di Chiani quite close to Arrezo. Thus Chianina beef is the secret of getting the best and tenderest from Florentine steak.

Bistecca alla Fiorentina may be a simple T Bone or porterhouse to some but in Florence it is a signature dish. Do come and join us for an excellent Bistecca alla Fiorentina the next time you come to Florence.

The iris has been blooming in the city of Florence as far back as memory goes. The Florentines identified this beautiful flower with their native city to such an extent that they adopted it for its symbol.

The Giglio, as the iris is called in Florence, was the sign of the Ghibellini in the Middle Ages. Their ensign depicted a white giglio (pronounced geel-yo) against a crimson background. But the Ghibellini were defeated by the Guelfs who came up with the idea that a reversal of the colours would fittingly symbolize the overthrow of their rivals. So they adopted the symbol of a crimson iris against a white background. And so it remains to this day.

The stylized Florentine iris has two stamen positioned between the petals, and roots growing downward, symbolizing heaven and earth, growth and stability. The flower itself stands for purity

The symbol was emblazoned on banners and etched on the first silver coins of the Republic and then on gold Florin. Today, it adorns jewellery knick-knacks, even pastries and confectionery.

Catherine de Medici took the flower with her when she went to France, and it was adopted by that country, where it is more commonly referred to as the fleur-de-lis.

The Iris once bloomed everywhere in Florence, on rooftops and terraces. The banks of the river Arno were home to long stretches of the wild white Iris. Today, the flower is not so common in the city of Florence, but you can feast your eyes on beauty if you visit the Podere dei Bastioni, a garden devoted to the Iris. It has a whopping 2500 varieties of this flower, in myriad colours and unique shapes. The entrance is from the Piazzale Michelangelo, and there is no charge, so come along and wander along the slopes of the hill east of the Piazzale Michelangelo, between 10 am and 12 noon, and again from 3 pm to 7 pm.

The garden is open from the for the first three weeks in May, and each year, there’s an international competition for Iris breeders, which draws enthusiastic participation. Ever since the crimson Iris became the emblem of Florence, breeders have been trying to develop a flower of that shade, and each year, the Gold Florin Prize is awarded to the bloom that comes closest to that particular shade of red.

Do look out for the iris when you’re in Florence, you won’t find it hard, since it’s the leit motif of the city. If you want to carry away something really special to remind you of your visit, choose from one of several brands of exquisite perfume distilled from the flower, and the fragrance of Florence will linger in your life.