Our last night in Florence found us by happy accident at the Ristorante Hosteria Il Desco. Mum and I stumbled across it one afternoon while wandering some of the quieter back streets of Florence. While we were booked at the always delicious Parione, it was lovely to try something new.

We had an early-ish seating in the green themed dining room. The tables quickly filled with a cast of characters who many seemed to know one another, bouncing from table to table with the day’s news or to offer smells of that evening’s truffles, just procured. There were many solo female diners which also made my heart happy.

I started with the caprese salad topped with black truffle. While she wasn’t anything to look at with the creamy burrata making a mess of it, she was delicious.

The second plate was a pistachio cream pasta topped with red Sicilian shrimp, always a good bet. Very nice and I got away with sharing just one bite.

The other diners in the group feasted on steak, veal, and other pastas- all with great reviews. At the conclusion of the evening our new found Florentine friends insisted the pistachio cheesecake was lifechanging and made by a local nonna. It was served with eau de vie and made for a satisfying final course.

The familiarity, decor, and food has Il Desco set up for repeat guests to be added to their already quite loyal clientele. Such a nice surprise and find.