The miniature offspring of Il Santo Bevitore — one of Florence's best restaurants — Il Santino distills the parent's philosophy into a space barely wider than its doorway. The wine list favours natural and biodynamic Italian producers, the taglieri are assembled with charcuterie and cheese sourced from the same artisan suppliers as the restaurant, and the standing-room format creates the particular intimacy of strangers sharing a counter and a bottle. There are no tables. You stand, you drink, you eat with your hands, and the Santo Spirito piazza hums outside the open door.
Location
Oltrarno, Florence
Map
Insider Intel
A glass of whatever natural red the staff are pouring that day, paired with the tagliere misto — the cured meats and aged cheeses come from the same Tuscan suppliers that stock the restaurant next door. If a skin-contact white is available, try it here where the informality of standing and eating with your fingers matches the wine's unconventional character. Portions are generous for the price.
Between 6pm and 8pm when aperitivo culture fills Santo Spirito and the tiny space buzzes with the energy of people who are either warming up for dinner or have decided this is dinner. The piazza outside is at its best during this window. Later in the evening the crowd thins as people move to restaurants.
There are genuinely no seats — this is a standing-room wine bar and the format is the point. The space holds perhaps twelve people before it becomes sardine-like. No reservations. Located on Via di Santo Spirito, a short walk from the piazza. The Santo Bevitore restaurant next door takes reservations if the wine and tagliere turn into a full dinner impulse. Prices are gentle — glasses from five euros, taglieri around ten. The staff are warm and knowledgeable without being pushy. Card accepted.