Founded in 1886 and claiming to be Florence's oldest restaurant, Buca Mario sits in a vaulted cellar near the Piazza della Repubblica. The food is reliably traditional Tuscan — ribollita, tagliatelle with wild boar, bistecca alla Fiorentina — cooked without innovation but with the confidence of a place that has been feeding people the same dishes for well over a century.
Not a budget option, but the atmosphere — low arches, white linen, unhurried service — is the right setting for the cuisine. Best for a longer evening dinner rather than a quick lunch.