In Florence, far from the most predictable tourist circuits, Nonna Lella is born, a new restaurant that tells first and foremost a story of return. That of Andrea, who after years of important experiences, all of the highest caliber, decides to return home and invest in a personal and professional challenge.
Andrea’s career path has taken him through structured kitchens, demanding environments, and important chefs, places where quality is not an option but a prerequisite. These experiences have left him with technique, vision, and rigor.
But at a certain point, his needs changed: no longer just executing, but building something that has its own meaning, rooted in the territory and at the same time open to the present.
This is how Nonna Lella came about. Not as a nostalgic tribute, even though it is her grandmother’s nickname, but as a conscious project. A place where Florentine tradition becomes living matter, to be worked with respect and a contemporary spirit. The dishes start from a solid memory, but are lightened, reinterpreted, and made current through technique and research, without losing their recognizability.
Nonna Lella’s cuisine is high quality, thoughtful, never ostentatious. Each dish is the result of a balance between flavor and cleanliness, comfort and curiosity. The menu evolves, follows the seasons, and reflects the journey of those who have chosen to return to do well, not to replicate models already seen.
Even the location, deliberately outside the tourist center, is a statement of intent. Nonna Lella is located in Via di Ripoli and caters to those who live in Florence or want to truly discover it, to those who are looking for authentic but not predictable cuisine, capable of recounting a new phase in the city’s cuisine.
The sequence of dishes—a harmonious journey
Venison tartare, an appetizer that elegantly opens the palate: clean meat, shallot confit, and an aromatic oil that accompanies without overwhelming.
Immediately afterwards, the Spiedini di fegatelli bring you back down to earth with a renewed tradition: the sweetness of the onion, the freshness of the mint, and the vibrant acidity of the beetroot create an unexpected balance.
The Terrina di patate arrives as a soft, essential pause, where the hazelnut enlivens the dish and gives it more depth.
The journey rises with the Mazara red prawn, bright and vertical, supported by a Champagne bisque that amplifies the sea and a basil mayonnaise that balances its roundness.
Closing the sequence of appetizers is the smoked Australian Wagyu: a short, intense bite,brought to life by the anchovy sauce that leads the dish to a savory and contemporary finish.
We move on to the first courses with delicacy:
Tagliatelle with buffalo butter and courtyard reduction introduce a modern comfort zone, where simplicity becomes an aesthetic choice.
Spaghetti with cacciucco sauce, squid ink, and smoked ventresca raise the tempo: a dark, deep sea, constructed with precision.
The Ravioli del plin stuffed with venison bring us back to game, but with lightness: the lovage cleanses, opens up, and makes each bite elegant.
The Risotto with leeks and white chocolate closes the chapter with a surprising note: soft, bright, perfectly balanced.
In the second course, the pace becomes more confident and structured:
The Fillet Wellington speaks of technique and respect: juiciness, puff pastry, and a red wine that brings it all together.
The Pigeon with figs and Swiss chard brings a darker, earthier harmony, where sweetness and intensity coexist without clashing.
The sea bass fillet, with iodized sauce and baby spinach, brings us back to purity: a clean, linear dish that gracefully concludes the journey.
The wine list is excellent and expertly illustrated. And what about the desserts? We were particularly impressed by the caramelized pear millefeuille with red wine and Buontalenti ice cream.
It is a cuisine that moves forward naturally, without ever forcing the tone:
from the initial elegance to the central depth, to the final clarity.
A journey designed for those who love to be guided, without the need for special effects, but with the certainty that each dish has its own voice, its own pace, its own meaning.
Nonna Lella is a place that was born from a return and looks ahead.
A cuisine that does not seek shortcuts or labels, but works on time, gesture, and matter. Here, tradition is not exhibited: it is understood, traversed, and restored with freedom.
Every dish is a choice, every detail an act of consistency.
For those who love to eat well without needing explanations, for those who seek true, silent emotions that linger.
Nonna Lella is young, but already knows who she is.
And she is in no hurry to prove it.
For Andrea, Nonna Lella is more than a restaurant: it is a bet on himself, on the territory, on an idea of catering based on quality, identity, and the future.
A challenge that starts at home but looks far ahead.
