Trattoria Sostanza has been in business since 1869 and feels like it. The walls are covered in old photographs, the tables are communal and covered with paper, the service is brusque, and the menu changes with what is seasonal and good. Known locally as 'il Troia', it is one of those places where generations of Florentines have eaten and which foreign visitors either love or find bewildering.
The signature dishes are the burro e salvia (pasta with butter and sage), the butter-fried artichokes in season, and the chicken breast cooked in butter — simple preparations executed with care. The desserts (especially the bomboloni and the fruit tarts) are made in-house. Reservations are essential at dinner; lunch is sometimes easier to walk into. Prices are moderate for the quality. Via del Porcellana is a quiet street between the railway station and the Arno — the restaurant has no sign visible from the street, only a small brass plate beside the door.