History, dishes and tradition of Trattoria 4 Leoni

From ancient fiaschetteria to elegant, contemporary trattoria: let's discover together the cuisine of this restaurant in the heart of Florence

Located between the Ponte Vecchio and Piazza Pitti, the Trattoria 4 Leoni owes its name to the Canto ai 4 leoni, between Via Toscanella and Via del Velluti, where bas-reliefs of the 4 lions in pietra serena adorned the cantons, one of which is still visible. A centuries-old history that began as a wine cellar, where the wine was served through the small window still present on via Toscanella, which then became the Hostaria, until the current trattoria, taken over by Stefano Di Puccio in 1995, after two generations of the Brogelli family, which has made it a contemporary and elegant establishment.

When the weather permits, it is possible to eat outdoors, enclosed by plants and flowers overlooking the Piazza della Passera. All around, shops, art studios and ancient workshops. Here, as in the past and as in the entire Oltrarno - perhaps the only district to preserve intact the most genuine character of a city in danger of being distorted by tourism - you can still find restorers, framers, blacksmiths, carpenters and carvers and decorators and antique dealers.

The cuisine is the typical Tuscan one, with its seasonal dishes and genuine raw materials, but also the great classics, such as Florentine steak, Florentine tripe, ossobuco in gremolada sauce, the gran fritto dell'aia, stewed beans, Florentine cod and grilled octopus, or as pappa al pomodoro, lasagne al forno and taglierini with white truffle and the famous pear flakes in taleggio asparagus sauce. To end on a sweet note, Maurino's fantastic cheese cake with an exclusive 4 Leoni recipe and the house tiramisu.