Il Vecchio e il Mare in Florence, review: the best Florentine pizzeria

Is Il Vecchio e il Mare really the best pizzeria in Florence? You're all asking me this after a few days ago, a well-known industry ranking proclaimed Mario Cipriano's pizza the best overall in the Tuscan capital. The answer, if you follow our reasoning, is yes. In the following lines, I'll try to explain why.

The environment

A romantic dinner. A business dinner. A dinner with friends. I've tried Il Vecchio e il Mare in every way since Pasquale Naccari's dream came true, a good 15 years ago. And the result, regardless of the company factor, has always been the same. This is because the restaurant, nestled in the brightly lit courtyard of Via Gioberti 61N, a historic Florentine shopping street just outside (but not inside) the historic center, offers an airy and comfortable atmosphere, elegant yet not formal.

It's a machine that runs like clockwork, despite its approximately 400 square meters of space, 30 of which are dedicated to the workshop with a large dough bench, plus a secluded, certified area for gluten-free dough and preparation, featuring a two-deck electric oven (one for pizza by the slice and one for gluten-free pizza) and a second Valoriani wood-fired oven for classic pizzas. A multipurpose space, where the meticulous and friendly staff moves in unison with their orchestrator, Pasquale himself, a skilled host and equally skilled wine hunter.

The menu

From seafood to pizza to desserts, all accompanied by a wine list boasting around one hundred labels (including at least forty Champagnes) and thirty beers (mostly industrial, it must be said). While quantity and quality, at least in restaurants, often seem mutually exclusive, Il Vecchio e il Mare is a welcome exception. The food menu boasts simple yet meticulously crafted seafood, including appetizers (seven), first courses (eight), and second courses (eight), along with, of course, a wide selection of pizzas, including classic, gourmet, gluten-free, peel-shaped, and pan-shaped. The menu alone features 15 standard pizzas and 4 specialty pizzas, plus pizzas of the day and alternatives.

In short, it's not surprising that the average bill—even for pizza—includes at least one appetizer, such as a trio of tartare (tuna, salmon, and swordfish) or a seafood steamer (with cuttlefish, calamari, shrimp, mussels, octopus, and crunchy vegetables), plus a pizza and, depending on your hunger and cravings, even a dessert. This increases the final cost of the dinner, which is higher than at a traditional pizzeria, but the quality-price ratio and the wide range of options undoubtedly justify the expense.

The pizza

If we're talking pizza (which is also why 90% of you are probably reading this article), Il Vecchio e il Mare has been the blessed realm of pizza chef Mario Cipriano since 2017. A Neapolitan, just over forty years old, he uses only select 100% Italian soft wheat flours containing natural, low-protein sourdough starter, with doughs slowly leavened for at least 36 hours and 70% hydration. These words translate into action when you try his pizza: easy to digest, tasty, and easy to chew.

Put more simply: light. The dough in this case isn't the absolute, self-centered protagonist, but rather the canvas of a painter where the work—in this case, the ingredient—is at the center of everything. This applies equally to classics, as demonstrated by his "Margherita Italiana" with 100% Italian peeled San Marzano tomatoes, Apulian fiordilatte with whey starter, and fresh basil. The freshness of the basil explodes on the palate, harmoniously contrasting the acidity of the tomato and that of the Camille Savès Cuvée Prestige Brut Champagne Grand Cru, chosen to pair with the entire dinner. And when it comes to originality, with the pizza of the day, "Se mi lasci non vale": a white base with smoked fiordilatte, fresh zucchini flowers, buffalo ricotta mousse, Cetara Armatore anchovies, lemon powder, and fresh basil gel. A trio of savory, citrusy, and creamy. Also worth trying, without fear of breaking the mold, are the pizzas, a bridge between pizzeria and seafood. A concrete example? The pizza of the day, with a white base and fiordilatte, fresh tuna tartare, and guacamole, a balanced blend of flavors whose description would perhaps never do justice to the tasting. It was the pizza of the day, because the tuna had arrived that morning.

It serves

It's reductive to simply call a place as wide-ranging as Il Vecchio e il Mare a "pizzeria." The Naccari family's is a full-service restaurant, where pizza is the star, the signature piece everyone wants, but it's also part of a star-studded cast of chefs and pastry chefs. For another example, consider the ten desserts on the menu, all homemade: classic desserts like Tiramisu and Hot/Cold Cheesecake, or typically Southern Italian pastries like Babà (neither dry nor soft, entirely soaked in rum), Pistachio Cannoli, or Sicilian Pistachio Semifreddo. I challenge you to find such a comprehensive offering in the city. An extra bonus, I'm sorry but I need to reiterate it these days: the kitchen is specifically designed to prepare truly gluten-free, or pristine, food and pizza.

Opinion

Il Vecchio e il Mare offers the ultimate pizza dining experience. Its location, service, wine list, attention to detail, and food & pizza offerings make it truly welcoming to all types of customers. This contemporary venue dispels the stereotype of a traditional pizzeria with just 10 tables, a single oven, and a minimalist service. Mario Cipriano's, on the other hand, offers an "atypical" Neapolitan pizza, eschewing the traditional pizza box but aiming to be tasted over and over again without weighing you down.

If you're looking for a modern experience that transcends pizza and beer, then yes: Il Vecchio e Il Mare is the best place for you in Florence. But if you're looking for a classic, purist pizzeria, then no. Because Il Vecchio e Il Mare is an evolved reinterpretation of the classic.