The story
Nestled in the hills of Settignano, Caffè Desiderio is a historic bistro that has earned a devoted following and a 4.7-star rating. With a scenic, cosy setting and gluten-free options, it feels like a local gem—one that Sentieri Golosi calls “a beautiful historic bistro with excellent homemade food.” The kitchen turns out dishes from coccoli to pasta, all built on high-quality ingredients.
Highlights from the reviewer’s visit include the Coccoli con Prosciutto e Stracciatella and the Tartare di Manzo con Stracciatella e Pomodorini Confit, as well as Spaghetti allo Zafferano con Cipolle Stufate and a Diaframma di Manzo con Crema di Aglio Nero. The meal closed with Gelato alla Crema con Fragole e Vermouth. Equally notable is the wine list, curated by passionate sommelier Michele, making this a must for diners seeking both thoughtful food and drink.
Synthesised by AI from every creator’s review. First reviewed 2024.
Most-loved dishes
AI summary of what 5 dish mentions say about the food
Caffè Desiderio’s coccoli con prosciutto e stracciatella earns rapturous praise, with reviewers hailing the warm, pillowy dough and creamy stracciatella as the soul of the menu. The overall vibe is one of cozy, indulgent comfort that feels both rustic and refined.
“These coccoli are very hot, very crunchy on the outside and melting on the inside. The ham is Tuscan but not too salty, and the stracciatella refreshes and softens everything. In my opinion, this place could easily take the spot for the best coccoli in Florence. The coccolo is perfect — not greasy at all.”
What creators say
1 creator has covered Caffè Desiderio. Most active: Sentieri Golosi
Caffè Desiderio in Settignano is a beautiful historic bistro with excellent homemade food, from coccoli to tartare to pasta, all made with high-quality ingredients, and a great wine selection curated by the passionate sommelier Michele.
Dishes mentioned
Coccoli con Prosciutto e Stracciatella
These coccoli are very hot, very crunchy on the outside and melting on the inside. The ham is Tuscan but not too salty, and the stracciatella refreshes and softens everything. In my opinion, this place could easily take the spot for the best coccoli in Florence. The coccolo is perfect — not greasy at all.
Tartare di Manzo con Stracciatella e Pomodorini Confit
This beef tartare is perfect. The meat is from Mugello, hand-cut with a knife, seasoned only with oil, salt, and a little pepper. The stracciatella and confit cherry tomatoes are amazing — the tomatoes are very sweet and tasty, small but strong. The garlic and thyme aftertaste enhances the meat instead of overpowering it. World-class tartare, honestly.
Spaghetti allo Zafferano con Cipolle Stufate
These are spaghetti from the Setaro pasta factory in Torre Annunziata, one of the last truly artisanal pasta makers. They use a beautiful bronze die from the early 1900s and dry the pasta in hot air as they used to. The pasta is made with stewed blonde onions and Iranian saffron pistils. It smells great, the pasta feels like real pasta, it has the sweetness of the onion and the spiciness of the saffron. I smell lemon peel which really refreshes the mouth. This is the first time I've tasted pasta with onions this good.
Diaframma di Manzo con Crema di Aglio Nero
This is beef diaphragm from Mugello farms, with a little black garlic cream, served with snow peas first steamed and then sautéed in a pan, and a mixed salad dressed with extra virgin olive oil from this hill and verjuice — an ancient Tuscan acidic condiment made from grape must. The diaphragm is very, very good. The snow peas are cooked perfectly — not mushy, still a little crunchy. The diaphragm is already very tasty on its own, and the black garlic cream adds depth. It's cooked perfectly rare but hot inside. Perfect cooking.
Gelato alla Crema con Fragole e Vermouth
This is homemade cream ice cream with strawberries and vermouth, with a cat's tongue biscuit made with flour and rice, so it's gluten-free. The ice cream is very good — you can taste all the ingredients: lemon zest, orange zest, egg yolk, and vanilla. The strawberries are really good together with the ice cream. The biscuit is also good.
