Giacomo Valli_Florence - Jet Set Life

Giacomo: You just go there and they have all the pieces, like on display, and you choose your
piece and they do it however you want it. And… top place if you’re into steak and how it should
be made.
Rob: Okay, and what about for scene? Let’s say that food is not that important to you but you
know, you’re taking your lady out or you’re going out on a date; you want to go to a place that
just has a nice scene and food is not that important, what’s your recommendation there?
Giacomo: Well, concerning restaurants I would say the scene should be next to the Arno
because you know how romantic and magical the Arno at night with its lights and reflection is.
Rob: Yeah.
Giacomo: So, two places pop in my mind. One is Nuove, which has an outside terrace right on
the Lungarno next to the Ponte Vecchio, which is extremely nice and food is very good actually.
And another place is Lungarno Hotel’s restaurant which they have renovated recently, and I
was there actually last night and I was amazed by that place and how they did it. It’s beautiful;
right on the Arno like outside the window you can say they have a little ‘walking terrace’ kind of
thing that you can sit down there so you’re actually eating on the water; on the Arno, and it’s
absolutely gorgeous.
Rob: Okay, so what’s your personal favorite? If you had to pick a spot that you just think you
know, “This is the best restaurant for me. I just love this place.” Which one’s your favorite?
Giacomo: Well, just until yesterday, which I went to the Lungarno Hotel renovated restaurant, I
would have told you Garga. Garga is an extremely particular restaurant here in Florence.
Owned by an artist who made all the decorations on the wall and the paintings on the wall
itself; he made them on his own. And the cuisine is simply, is just amazing, I’ve never seen
anything like that. Everything is new and different and it just always surprises you.