You are on the outskirts of the historical city centre and the people who pass are almost never tourists, but locals on their way home from work, or on their way out to ‘aperativi’ (drinks and nibbles) or perhaps dinners in pizzerias just like this.

 

As you stand chatting with the first of the friends to arrive, a couple passes by, their skin tanned from weekends passed beach-side. They are dressed in matching white flowly linen pants, brown toes peep from leather sandals. Large sunglasses add a mystery to their chicness.

 

An elderly man passes by on a old bicycles that you can hear from metres away. A woman walks past with a small and overly pampered dog on a leash.

 

Once all of your group arrive, you enter the Pizzeria.

 

Inside there are several large rooms scattered with tables of diners. Despite a seating capacity of 250 people, if this were a Friday or Saturday night, there are times when you will not get in without a booking, so popular is this, possibly the best pizzeria in Florence.

 

The walls are covered with large black and white photographs of Naples, where the pizza here originates from. The menu contains 27 types of pizza, all with Neapolitan names. The pizza makers are all from Naples too, the flour used to make the dough comes from Caputo, the tomatoes are from San Marzano and the mozzarella cheese comes from Mondragone.

 

This is the real Neapolitan pizza in the heart of Florence.

 

The name, Funiculì, is taken from the 1880 song, Funiculì Funiculà, with lyrics written by journalist Peppino Turco and the world-famed tune added by Luigi Denza. It was written to commemorate the opening of a Naples ‘funicolare’ (a funicular railway) that gave access to mount Vesuvio. To this day, you can hear the song around the world, the tune instantly recognisable and almost guaranteed to get stuck in your head!

 

In the Funiculì pizzera, your waiter guides you to your table. He brings your group a glass of prosecco, on the house, to sip whilst you peruse the extensive pizza menu.

 

You start with the antipasti (starters), of which there are an extensive number on the menu. Between you, you order the delicious Zuppa del Golfo Calda - a delicious mix of fruits of the sea - mussels, pippies, octopus and calamari. A mix of seasonal fried vegetables and the Zi’ Filippo -fried pizza dough.

 

You choose your pizzas, then chat and sip your bubbles whilst waiting just a short time for your pizzas to arrive.

 

When they come, the conversation dies down as you all enthusiastically eat your delicious pizza, each exchanging slices so you can taste all the types on the table.

 

It is not long before you start pushing your plates away, your bellies too full to finish the remainder of the pizza.

 

The bill is bought to your table with a round of limoncello - a delicious syrupy lemon liquor.

 

You pay the small amount for your dinner and leave, out into the cooled night with the sky still tinged with azure.

 

There is not much discussion required to all agree that a gelato would go down just perfectly right now….

 

The Funiculì pizzeria is located on Via Il Prato 81r, in Florence Italy. There is also another Funiculì restaurant in the nearby town of Sesto Fiorentino, in Piazza IV Novembre 52.

 

In Florence, the restaurant opens for lunch from Monday to Friday, from 12.00pm to 3.00pm. Both restaurants are open for dinner 7 nights per week, from 7.00pm in Florence and 7.30pm in Sesto Firentino, closing at 1.00am.