If we could only have one meal in Florence, Trattoria Mario is where we would have it. A typical lunch at Trattoria Mario is lively, even chaotic, but everyone seems to be having a good time. The staff goes about their business with efficiency, greeting local regulars, welcoming new guests and working with a passion that only comes from someone who honestly enjoys their job. Trattoria Mario doesn’t take reservations and their tables are in very high demand so they are always full. To guarantee yourself a seat, arrive early, it doesn’t take long before a line of hungry diners is spilling out the door.

The hand-written menu, which changes daily, is posted on the wall and dictated table-side. If you don’t know much in terms of Italian food vocabulary, we suggest you snap a quick photo of the day’s choices to make ordering easier. Dishes at Trattoria Mario are homemade and relentlessly Tuscan. Ingredients are selected according to what looks good at the market so once dishes run out they are crossed off the menu and you choose from the remaining items. The notion that slow food or locally sourced ingredients have become popular is laughable at Trattoria Mario because, at a place like this, what else is there?