The "Relais Grand Tour" and the "Maison Grand Tour" are located in the same building, right in the heart of the historic center of Florence, in Via Santa Reparata 21 black, within an important historical and cultural triangle between the Galleria dell Academia, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, and the Basilica of San Lorenzo.
The Duomo is just a 5-minute walk from us, and the Uffizi Gallery is 15 minutes away.
The famous San Lorenzo market with its garment, footwear and food stands is very close by, and in the area are many small and characteristic restaurants that the Florentines themselves love to frequent.
Just five minutes from the Relais & Maison Grand Tour is the Basilica of San Lorenzo with the Medici Chapel.
The location of our Relais is also ideal for our guests that love to shop and wish to get to know and explore Italian high fashion: The Fortezza da Basso - renowned for the Pitti fashion shows - is only a 10-minute walk away, and the boutiques of Armani, Prada, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Pucci, and Stefano Ricci, just 15 minutes away, between the Duomo and the magnificent Piazza della Signoria, located immediately next to the Uffizi Gallery.
The Ponte Vecchio offers a romantic and suggestive point of view over the city and the Arno river, which you will cross to reach Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens, located next to the Carmelite Church and the Brancacci Chapel.
You cannot leave Florence without having visited the "Oltrarno", full of places with a popular flavor and many small artistic and historical realities strongly connected to the fabric of the city, where you will have the opportunity to meet the real Florentines. Two examples of extremely significant places of art such as the Church of Santa Felicita and the Church of San Miniato al Monte at Piazzale Michelangelo will enrich your visit to Florence in a unique and unforgettable way.
Florence is the perfect location to explore the Tuscan region and its gorgeous towns.
A great place to visit, very easy to reach in 30 minutes by bus or 15 minutes by taxi, is Fiesole, located on a hilltop. An interesting walk is from the central square of this small town (piazza Mino), following the direction for San Francesco church, which has the most enchanting view of Florence. Make sure to visit also the archeological area with its Roman theatre. There are a couple of good places to eat, one of them very romantic with a terrace overlooking Florence.
Other small towns to visit on a day trip across the countryside are not difficult to reach.
The most well known is certainly Siena, world-famous for its Palio (horse racing), and for the medieval narrow streets, and its marvelous cathedral. It can be reached both by train and by bus.
From Siena you can't miss San Gimignano with its towers, and the lovely towns of Montalcino and Montepulciano, where wine tastings are a must during a daily tour in the Chianti area.
Pisa and Lucca are easily reached by train from Florence. While Pisa is famous for the leaning tower and the Piazza dei Miracoli, Lucca is a small medieval town with one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the area. Both are great options for a day tour.
Arezzo and Cortona are also reachable by train from Florence. Arezzo is famous in our country to represent one of the most important Antique Markets (first weekend of each month). Vendors are over 200, and they offer paintings, a wide range of furniture, objects from the past, terracotta, restored works. Visitors are about 20.000 each weekend, and they are not only collectors and dealers, but also people curious about art and history.
Cortona is a very beautiful village up a hill, very famous for the Italian artist Piero da Cortona. The church of San Domenico has an altar piece of the 15th cent. and works of Singorelli and Beato Angelico, who also frescoed the cells of the San Marco Convent (today the San Marco Museum) a block away from the Relais Grand Tour.
Our region is world-famous for its wines: from the Brunello di Montalcino to the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and from Chianti Classico to Sassicaia. Excellent smaller wine producers can also be reached exploring the countryside, and it's not unusual to find a small cellar where a wine by the glass is offered together with a tasting of cheese and salami.
We also have a special olive oil: the Extra-Virgin Tuscan olive oil is perfect for the "bruschetta", on beans, salads, and on the T-bone Florentine steak itself.
As for typical food preparations, soups like the "ribollita" (made with cabbage, beans, onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil, bread), and the "pappa al pomodoro" (prepared with bread, tomatoes, onion, celery, extra-virgin olive oil) are both Florentine specialties, just like the "fagioli all'uccelletto" (beans in tomato sauce), and the famous Florentine steak.
Tuscany is famous for grilled meat, for the "trippa alla fiorentina" (tripe coocked in a sauce made of tomatoes, onions, celery and parmigiano), and other more simple specialties like prosciutto Toscano. Another interesting typical preparation to try is the "bollito misto": pork, beef, chicken, with potatoes, carrots, celery and onion. The meat is sliced and placed inside a bun with a sauce made of parsley, chilli, garlic and basil, or is served in the pot with mustard or a home-made mayonnaise.
As for cakes and biscuits, the famous Cantuccini and Vinsanto are a must at the end of a good dinner. We also have the "ricciarelli" typical from the Siena area, and the "brutti ma buoni" (ugly but good). The Panforte cake, and the "castagnaccio" (made with chestnut flour, sugar, raisins, olive oil, and rosemary) are some of the most typical seasonal cakes in Florence.
At the beginning of out street, on the corner with Via Guelfa,
this is a lovely little restaurant, open for dinner from 7pm.
Great food and wines, wonderful service, and a very interesting menu, with excellent vegetarian options as well.
Italian creative cuisine,
1 minute walk away from us.
Wonderful food and wines, lovely service,
and a very welcoming and cozy atmosphere,
Italian and Tuscan cuisine, with the entire menu also available in gluten-free version.
In Via delle Terme 23/r, 15 minutes walk away from us, near the Uffizi and the Ponte Vecchio.
Tiny, family-owned, typical Florentine trattoria,
Recently awarded for the best Florentine steak in town.
Traditional Florentine and Tuscan cuisine.
3 minutes walk away from us, near San Lorenzo church and the Medici Chapels.
One of our favorite wine bars and bistrot in town.
Wonderful food and wines, great service,
Wine pairing.
Italian creative cuisine.
15 minutes walk away from us, near Piazza della Signoria and Uffizi.
In via Del Giglio 28/r, about 7 minutes walk away from us,
this is one of the best places for pizza in town, offering also gluten-free and lactose-free options.
At the end of the street, 1 minute walk away from us.
A lovely place not just for breakfast, but also for aperitivo and wines.
Open from 7.00am to 10.00pm.
Located in Via delle Ruote 30, about 5 minutes walk away from us, this is a lovely vegetarian restaurant.
In Via delle Oche 15R, 10 minutes walk away from us, near the Duomo.
A lovely restaurant, with a bistrot-like atmosphere, offering pastas, salads, smoked fish, Italian cheeses, and home-made cakes.
In Via delle Ruote 26 R, 5 minutes walk away from us,
this is a good and typical restaurant, where food is simple and well prepared.
In Via Tornabuoni 64/r, 10 minutes walk away from us, and open Monday to Saturday from 10.00am to 9.00pm, and Sunday from 11.00am to 8.00pm,
this is a high-end, small, traditional fiorentine café, wine-bar, and shop,
the ideal place to relax or have lunch after shopping in Via Tornabuoni, where all the main boutiques and jewelleries are located.
Near San Lorenzo Church, one of our favorite places for ice-cream in town.
A wonderful leather artisan laboratory and shop, in Piazza Santa Croce 8, open every day from 9.00am to 6.30pm.
Via degli Speziali 7R, Piazza della Repubblica area. Mon-Sat 10.30am-7.30pm. Sun 2.30-7.30pm. Men's and women's shoes, different styles, from eccentric to elegant.