Acqua al 2
Out of the Ordinary
Back to Acqua al 2
I like this place and foods...
Reviewed by: SANYOUNG from on May 20 2009
If you are looking for an authentic Italian experience, this is the place for you. The food was terrific and the ambience can't be beat! We had two nights in Florence and this was a recommended restaurant from the hotel. We loved it so much - we went back the next night to try the things we didn't the first night.
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Oct 15 2008
Aqua is the typical tourist restaurant. We usually only eat at "local" tratoria's and restaurants so maybe we just expected the same quality of food and hospitality. Although the restaurant looks inviting it's clearely more concerned with turning over tables. In general, the food was good, my cannelloni's were excellent, but the staff was overwelmed, disorganized and owner Steffano was gruff to one of my friends and outright rude to me when I sent back my dinner. Afer asking why I returned the steak, (not why I didn't like it) I told him politely I didn't care for it, he told the waitress to kick us out and then tried to charge us for it!!!!!(I ordered the green pepper steak, the sauce was a viscous pool of white tasteless paste.) He claimed his dish was "world renowned" :). (I have had this dish before at a local Florence tratoria, "Guscio's" and it was fantastic. no white sauce ) In addition, our waitress was overwhelmed and while taking our order, Stephano interupted her 3 times and made her deliver the dishes to other tables. The whole experience was a bit strange. In our 10 days in Italy, this was our only issue.
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Apr 23 2008
If and when you go to Florence, you HAVE to try this restuarant. The likes of Jake Gyllenhall and other A list actors have been spotted here, and once experienced its easy to see why. The food is to die for. I suggest their pasta sampler for an appetizer and blueberry or balsamic steak as an entree. Yes, I know that when you go to Italy you're supposed to eat pasta, but trust me - it's more than worth the change of pace. Each of the steaks is a premium cut, cooked exactly to your specifications (by the way, if you like your steak medium rare, order medium or medium well. They tend to undercook them) The sauces, while sounding strange, complete one of the BEST meals you will ever have. No joke. I lived in Florence for a semester and this was by far and wide my best discovery.
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Mar 07 2008
I do not remember if they took reservations, so there was a bit of a wait. But it was well worth the wait. It is noisy but fun.
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Mar 01 2008
A lot of people in a really small place but the food and wine worth it ! A bit noisy...that's the only bad point as smoking inside restaurants is now forbidden in Italy (this was the other bad point).
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Nov 10 2007
My wife and a I just returned from our trip to Florence. Aqua al 2 was food highlight of our trip. I concur with the previous poster...the blueberry steak is unbelievable. Dont not visit Florence without stop at Aqua.
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Aug 20 2007
If you have to eat stale bread and dry salami for your whole trip through Italy just to save enough to go here for dinner then do it. It is real Italian cuisine without peer. We went for dinner and before we finished our main course we rebooked for the following evening. Make sure you book or you will standout in the street with all the other hungry diners. Very romantic, very cool.
Reviewed by: BL from on Jul 06 2007
Jorie and I dined here on our honeymoon, and we both agree, this place had the best food we had in Italy. If you ever go to Florence, this is a must do! We were actally told to go here by people we met on the train from Rome, who were going up to Florence just for the evening, just to eat at Acqua al 2. I wish we could thank them somehow for leading us to this amazing restaurant. also, i was in the mood for something and since i couldn't read italian i told the server what i wanted and just hoped it would be good. it was exactly what i was looking for, though i'm sure it wasn't on the menu
Reviewed by: nick from on Feb 15 2007
We just got back from Florence last week and we had one great meal after another. Acqua al 2 was great. Although the staff did appear a bit gruff at first, our waitress was very pleasant and most helpful as we ordered our meal.
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Jan 28 2007
Out of the Ordinary
Back to Acqua al 2
I like this place and foods...
Reviewed by: SANYOUNG from on May 20 2009
If you are looking for an authentic Italian experience, this is the place for you. The food was terrific and the ambience can't be beat! We had two nights in Florence and this was a recommended restaurant from the hotel. We loved it so much - we went back the next night to try the things we didn't the first night.
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Oct 15 2008
Aqua is the typical tourist restaurant. We usually only eat at "local" tratoria's and restaurants so maybe we just expected the same quality of food and hospitality. Although the restaurant looks inviting it's clearely more concerned with turning over tables. In general, the food was good, my cannelloni's were excellent, but the staff was overwelmed, disorganized and owner Steffano was gruff to one of my friends and outright rude to me when I sent back my dinner. Afer asking why I returned the steak, (not why I didn't like it) I told him politely I didn't care for it, he told the waitress to kick us out and then tried to charge us for it!!!!!(I ordered the green pepper steak, the sauce was a viscous pool of white tasteless paste.) He claimed his dish was "world renowned" :). (I have had this dish before at a local Florence tratoria, "Guscio's" and it was fantastic. no white sauce ) In addition, our waitress was overwhelmed and while taking our order, Stephano interupted her 3 times and made her deliver the dishes to other tables. The whole experience was a bit strange. In our 10 days in Italy, this was our only issue.
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Apr 23 2008
If and when you go to Florence, you HAVE to try this restuarant. The likes of Jake Gyllenhall and other A list actors have been spotted here, and once experienced its easy to see why. The food is to die for. I suggest their pasta sampler for an appetizer and blueberry or balsamic steak as an entree. Yes, I know that when you go to Italy you're supposed to eat pasta, but trust me - it's more than worth the change of pace. Each of the steaks is a premium cut, cooked exactly to your specifications (by the way, if you like your steak medium rare, order medium or medium well. They tend to undercook them) The sauces, while sounding strange, complete one of the BEST meals you will ever have. No joke. I lived in Florence for a semester and this was by far and wide my best discovery.
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Mar 07 2008
I do not remember if they took reservations, so there was a bit of a wait. But it was well worth the wait. It is noisy but fun.
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Mar 01 2008
A lot of people in a really small place but the food and wine worth it ! A bit noisy...that's the only bad point as smoking inside restaurants is now forbidden in Italy (this was the other bad point).
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Nov 10 2007
My wife and a I just returned from our trip to Florence. Aqua al 2 was food highlight of our trip. I concur with the previous poster...the blueberry steak is unbelievable. Dont not visit Florence without stop at Aqua.
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Aug 20 2007
If you have to eat stale bread and dry salami for your whole trip through Italy just to save enough to go here for dinner then do it. It is real Italian cuisine without peer. We went for dinner and before we finished our main course we rebooked for the following evening. Make sure you book or you will standout in the street with all the other hungry diners. Very romantic, very cool.
Reviewed by: BL from on Jul 06 2007
Jorie and I dined here on our honeymoon, and we both agree, this place had the best food we had in Italy. If you ever go to Florence, this is a must do! We were actally told to go here by people we met on the train from Rome, who were going up to Florence just for the evening, just to eat at Acqua al 2. I wish we could thank them somehow for leading us to this amazing restaurant. also, i was in the mood for something and since i couldn't read italian i told the server what i wanted and just hoped it would be good. it was exactly what i was looking for, though i'm sure it wasn't on the menu
Reviewed by: nick from on Feb 15 2007
We just got back from Florence last week and we had one great meal after another. Acqua al 2 was great. Although the staff did appear a bit gruff at first, our waitress was very pleasant and most helpful as we ordered our meal.
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Jan 28 2007
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