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Bistecca alla fiorentina at a Florence restaurant

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Bistecca alla fiorentina (Florentine T-bone steak)

Bistecca alla fiorentina · Florence, Italy

Photo: Thomas Oboe Lee · CC BY-SA 4.0

A huge T-bone steak several fingers thick, grilled over charcoal to 'al sangue' (rare) and ordered by weight.

Know before you go

  • Don't ask for well-done—many restaurants will decline or suggest you choose another dish
  • don't order just a small piece and then complain (it is cut as a whole bone-in steak)
  • don't pick up the bone at the table and gnaw at it with your hands (you can ask the waiter to cut the meat off the bone)

This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

Bistecca alla fiorentina is one of the most famous dishes of Tuscan cuisine: a thick bone-in cut from the loin of a calf or young steer, with a T-shaped bone in the middle, fillet on one side and sirloin on the other, traditionally from Chianina cattle, grilled over charcoal and usually cooked “al sangue” (rare). Italian Wikipedia cites the 19th-century gastronome Artusi as saying that the word “bistecca” comes from the English “beef-steak”. As for its history, a popular story links it to the Feast of San Lorenzo and the Medici family: every 10 August great bonfires were lit in the city and large amounts of beef roasted and distributed to citizens, and the English in Florence at the time called it “beef steak”. Such stories are largely legend, but the link between the steak, Florence and the Tuscan cattle-raising tradition is widely recognized.

Local customs

  • The steak is priced by weight, and one is often over a kilogram, suitable for two or three people to share
  • the chef usually seasons it only with salt, pepper and olive oil, grills both sides first, then stands it up to grill the bone side
  • at the table it is sliced and shared, often with white beans, roast potatoes or salad, and Tuscan red wine.

Religion & beliefs

  • Bistecca alla fiorentina itself has nothing to do with religion
  • the popular origin story is linked to the Feast of San Lorenzo on 10 August, and the Basilica of San Lorenzo was also the Medici family church, so dress appropriately when visiting. In the Catholic tradition, some people also avoid large cuts of red meat like this when abstaining on Fridays.

Etiquette & taboos

Etiquette & taboos

Rules that apply here

Essential restrictionsTemples & religious sitesCountry-wide guidance · Italy

Italy: Cover shoulders and knees in churches – the Vatican turns away those who do not

Do

  • Cover your shoulders and knees, whether you are a man or a woman
  • Take off your hat before going in
  • Carry a scarf or cardigan and put it on before entering
  • Switch your phone to silent and keep quiet
  • Smaller churches vary: follow the notices and staff

Don’t

  • Don't wear sleeveless or low-cut tops, shorts above the knee or miniskirts
  • Don't walk around or take photos during Mass

The Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica admit only appropriately dressed visitors and check at the door, so you can be stopped even after queuing; other major cathedrals often check too.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Official site: Vatican Museums – Useful advice

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · Italy

Rome's Spanish Steps: no sitting, eating or drinking

Do

  • Walk up the steps and keep moving after your photo

Don’t

  • Sitting, resting, eating or drinking on the steps

Banned by Rome's urban police regulations since 2019; media report fines of €250, rising to €400 for dirtying or damaging the steps.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: ANSA: Rome bans sitting on the Spanish Steps (2019)

Don’t DON'T

  • Don't ask for well-done—many restaurants will decline or suggest you choose another dish
  • don't order just a small piece and then complain (it is cut as a whole bone-in steak)
  • don't pick up the bone at the table and gnaw at it with your hands (you can ask the waiter to cut the meat off the bone)
  • don't forget to check the price per 100 grams on the menu.

Locals appreciate DO

  • Florentines appreciate diners who order it the traditional way, “al sangue” (rare), with several people sharing one large cut
  • asking about the origin and weight of the beef and listening to the waiter's advice on portions makes ordering much smoother. The whole steak is often shown to the table before being carved, a common way of serving it.

Plan your visit

Practical info

Travel tips

  • Florence's old town, the San Lorenzo Central Market and the Oltrarno area have many long-established steak houses
  • a meal takes about an hour and a half, and popular places need booking for dinner. Before ordering, check whether the menu price is per 100 grams or per kilogram
  • the waiter will show you the whole raw cut to confirm the weight. You can combine it with the Basilica of San Lorenzo, the Central Market and the Ponte Vecchio. Dietary notes: the traditional doneness is “al sangue”, almost raw in the center, so pregnant women, children and people with weaker immunity can ask the chef to cook it more or order another dish
  • it is not suitable if you do not eat beef
  • Tuscan red wine contains alcohol. Prices and opening hours are set by each restaurant
  • popular old shops often have queues, so going outside peak mealtimes is more relaxed.
Sources & verification notes

English Wikipedia: Bistecca alla fiorentina

Italian Wikipedia: Bistecca alla fiorentina

Japanese Wikipedia: Bistecca alla fiorentina

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