Handpicked: Osteria Santo Spirito

We make no secret of our love of all things Italian at Cookbook Confidential and this little eatery in Florence became a firm favourite on our recent city break there. Situated in Piazza Santo Spirito, this restaurant has a lovely terrace overlooking the Basilica di Santo Spirito where we sat as we inhaled the delicious goodness they kept bringing to our table. It’s commonly said of food in Italy but it really is true that the ingredients are the stars of the show. We fell upon Chitarra con Pomodori Datterini e Basilico, a simple pasta dish of basil and tomato and agreed it was one of the best pastas we’d ever eaten. It’s a sin to be in Florence and not taste the ribollita so we also devoured a hearty dish of this regional soup – if you can call it soup when it’s so packed full of bread and vegetables that the spoon can stand up in it! Florence is a haven for food and wine lovers so book yourself a long weekend and don’t forget to pop into Osteria Santo Spirito when you’re there:  http://www.osteriasantospirito.it/