Alla Vecchia Bettola
A loud trattoria on the corner of Piazza Tasso with marble-topped communal tables, a menu written on butcher's paper each day, and the penne that everyone in the room has ordered.
- Area
- San Frediano
- Address
- Viale Vasco Pratolini 7
- Tables
- Long and marble topped, shared
- House wine
- Served from the flask, charged per person
- Booking
- Recommended
- Checked
- August 2026
- Price
- €
- Go for
- Long marble tables shared with strangers, a famous plate of penne, and a room that behaves like a very large family dinner.
- Skip if
- You want an intimate evening. You will be sitting with other people and it is loud.
What everybody agrees on
Read across public reviews on TripAdvisor, Yelp and Italian sites in September 2026.
- Nearly all
Penne alla bettola is the dish. It has its own name, people order it before looking at the menu, and it is what they describe afterwards.
- Most
Sitting at long communal tables with people you do not know is the experience, and visitors consistently describe it as the most Italian evening of their trip.
- Most
It sits outside the tourist centre, by Porta San Frediano, and reviewers say crossing the river was worth it.
- Often
The house wine comes from the flask and is charged by the person, which regulars like as much as the food.
- Often
Service is fast and friendly, and waiters steer you towards what the kitchen does best.
- Some
It is noisy and crowded. Several people say conversation is hard work.
What to order
Penne alla bettola, then the fiorentina if there are two of you. Ask for the house wine from the flask rather than a bottle; it is part of how the room works.
Before you go
- Getting there
- Viale Vasco Pratolini, just beyond Porta San Frediano, twenty minutes west of Ponte Vecchio.
- Booking
- Worth doing. They fill on weekday evenings too.
- Expect
- To share your table.
Open since 1979, started by the people behind Nerbone in the Mercato Centrale. You sit on wooden benches at long tables, share with strangers, and pour your own Chianti from a straw flask. Penne alla bettola, in a tomato and cream sauce with heat in it, is what most tables order. Also good for bistecca. Service is fast because they turn the room several times. Book about a week ahead. Closed Sunday and Monday.