Florence has another new restaurant to add to its roster.  Lo Spuntino joined the Santo Spirito neighborhood recently and the locals are lining up and going back for more.  We found out why last night when we visited for the first time.  It’s a tiny place on an ancient cobblestone street, but it evokes the seaside as soon as you step inside.  Maybe it’s the blue stripes that are reminiscent of beach umbrellas.  Lo Spuntino (little snack in Italian) is, as its sign says, all about fresh fish and wine.

Lo Spuntino, Florence, Italy, February, 2016                                                                   

A large chalkboard covers the wall behind the bar and displays the day’s choices, all of which feature fresh fish and alongside the same wall the varied and interesting selection of wines are ensconced in a back-lit display.

Menu Board, Lo Spuntino, Florence, Italy             

Wine Bar at Lo Spuntino, Florence, Italy         

The food is good.  Someone in that kitchen knows how to deal with fish.  We sampled a branzino roasted with potatoes, a dish of orecchette (little ear-shaped pasta) with a zucchini and salmon sauce, and a hearty bowl of pappardelle (wide noodles) with a thick red seafood sauce.  Each dish was infused with its own unique flavor,  perfectly done and beautifully presented.  I know we’re in the middle of Tuscany here, where things like ribollita and papa al pomodoro rule the winter menus, but finding a small, pretty, well-priced fish restaurant is as refreshing as your first trip to the sea just before summer begins.   Good going to the folks at Lo Spuntino……see you again soon.

Roasted Branzino at Lo Spuntino, Florence, Italy

Pappardelle with Marinaio Ragu, Lo Spuntino, Florence, Italy

Orecchiette with Zucchini and Salmon at Lo Spuntino, Florence, Italy