- Top Rated in Florence
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Brac Libreria di Arte Contemporanea
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Vegetarian
Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Italian
Organic
Juice bar
This spot is a library, cafe and restaurant with vegan menu as well. Uses organic vegetable. Reservation suggested for Friday and Saturday nights. NOTE: Reported to be unreliable with bookings. Open Mon-Sat 12:00-15:00, Mon-Sun 19:00-00:00.
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- Outdoor seating
- Reservations required
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Last update on 20 Oct 2021 by Guest
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295 Reviews
First Review by Vesanto
etka
Points +73
good and popular - make reservation for evening - Edit
I agree with the previous reviews - good food and reasonable prices (for Florence). It is best to get the mixed platter. Make a reservation if you want to come in the evening because they fill up quickly (it is a small restaurant). The staff were nice - we didn't have a reservation but they suggested that we wait around and eventually got a table. They also translate the menu for you. Beware - the waiting area/room in-between the bar and the restaurant is a smokers paradise - or a non-smokers nightmare. It seems that here vegetarian does not go along with non-smoking.
Read morePros: good food, reasonable prices, firendly staff
Cons: waiting area allows smoking
Guest
priya108
Points +120
Mmmmm yummy - Edit
A hidden jewel. Quite literally as they do not have a sign or name anywhere visible outside. We just got lucky really with how easy we found it.
Read moreThe food lived up to its Italian name.It was truly delicious and great portions for the price.
Also, small note, they didn't have an English menu which is unusual in the heart of Florence, but the staff speak English.
Definitely worth a trip or two ;)
Pros: Great food, Great Portions, Nice ambiance
Cons: Can be hard to find, No English Menu, Menu fragile, & will charge for damage
Guest
Eike
Points +198
Nice Restaurant in the Heart of Florence - Edit
While the décor and library/gallery ambience is a little unconventional for an eating place, don't be deterred. Tucked away in a quiet street in Florence and perhaps a little difficult to find, this vegetarian restaurant also has several delicious vegan dishes. The atmosphere buzzed with lunch-time diners while we enjoyed our vegan Tortellini and fresh salad. Definitely worth a visit.
Read moreGuest
JesseWaugh
Points +415
Pretentious Misery - Edit
Italy is a happy place but not here. Like other reviewers have stated they forgot our reservation - why we needed a reservation in the first place is beyond me. The hostess and "waiter" were absurdly rude and miserable. The menu consists of about eight choices, none of which include any vegan protein (tofu, beans, etc.). We ended up getting two plates of rice with vegetables and a bottle of water and paying €23 for the privilege of eating in this wanna-be 'artsy' palace of pretense. I felt like I was trapped in Bjork's kitchen.
Read moreCons: Pretentious , Miserable
Guest
vegegiraffe
Points +27
Great place - Edit
Thanks to other reviewers on Happy Cow we found this restaurant. Still no exterior signage that it is one. Dropped in at lunch time and were able to book for the evening. delicious food (though where are the pulses?) Full of diners but very quiet and restrained atmosphere for an Italian venue. we had interesting combination plates. recommended, would definitely go back.
Read moreGuest
veg.dan
Points +124
brilliant. - Edit
This is one of the best veggie restaurants I've been to. The menu is varied, lots of options and the food is awesome. I had the sampler plate. I left very content and the owner is very welcoming. The atmosphere and fit out is cool but be sure to book. I was lucky to get in as a walk-in. Highly recommended.
Read morePros: food., atmosphere.
Guest
ncvhappycow
Points +8
Brilliant Food - Edit
After a few days in Rome where I was tired of overcharged pasta and pizza, I was glad to find this place via happycow. Excellent selection of beautifully prepared food. The platter to share is to die for. Coming back tonight.
Read morePros: cost, fresh, atmosphere
Cons: none
Guest
beavers
Points +102
If at first you don't succeed.. - Edit
This was the best of the three veggy places we ate at in our short holiday in Florence, yet we nearly didn't make it. We made a beeline here on the first night (a Sunday) but could find no sign of it in the dark little back street it was supposed to be in (which is not even shown on some maps). We had another attempt for lunch on the day we left, and even in the daylight nearly missed it. It has no obvious signage and looks like a small bookshop - only when you get in do you see that beyond the small bar, with tempting cakes, there are too more rooms. In the first of these we ran into a English student who said the place was her little secret and gave some advice on what to pick. The waitress, however, was very helpful anyway, translating the menu and guiding us through. We went for two 12-euro platters, on each of which you could select three of the main items on the menu. The choice, colour and flavours of what arrived was eye-popping - and they filled two huge plates. Helpfully the menu makes it clear which items were vegan (probably half the options). As well as doing great food Brac is a magical place in itself - a cross between a library and an art gallery with sofas to relax in over coffee. An exciting and memorable eating experience.
Read morePros: Imaginative choices, Helpful staff, Atmosphere
Cons: Hard to find
Guest
hirundinidae
Points +28
wonderful food and art bookstore - Edit
A real find - delicious food and very friendly staff. I'd highly recommend this to anyone wanting to try innovative italian food in a unique arts bookshop. I'd heard it gets busy in the evenings but I went for lunch and was able to walk in and sit at the counter. The service was excellent and the waitress chatted about the various alternative arts scenes in Florence.
Read moreGuest
TofuCelt
Points +229
Rubbish - Edit
We found the road to this restuarant quite easy, but not the restuarant. It wasn't until an old man outside the building asked us what we were looking for that he told us we were outside it. We went to this restuarant three times but we were not notified of having to make a reservation until the second time we went. Some of the staff, especially the owner, were not all that friendly, which was an immediate turn-off for us. The service was quite slow, but that is usually okay with us, because after a days sight-seeing, we just wanted to sit down with our glass of wine and wait to have our food served to us. When we finally got our food, the proportions were quite small and lacked imagination. As with everywhere in Italy, the food was extremely expensive. Our stomachs just about got filled as our pockets rapidly emptied. The best thing I can say about this restuarant was the wine we had. Once again, another vegetarian restaurant that lacks imagination and creates quite bland foods. Why are so many vegan/vegatarian restaurants so lacking in imagination? A lot of improvment needed here.
Read morePros: Quite central
Cons: Expensive, Lacks imagination, Service
Guest
Riontra
Points +20
Quiet gem in the middle of a hectic town - Edit
We found this using the search in Happy Cow, otherwise we would never have found it, it's hidden and the sign could be larger. It's really not far from the city center. What a wonderfully peaceful atmosphere, specially in the inner courtyard where you find a small art library. Without a reservation on a Friday evening we were placed on the bar which was quite okay. The food was excellent, I don't really remember what we had, but it was vegan and tasty and not very expensive. The second time we made a reservation and got a table in the back which is not really that cozy but the food was still very good and creative. Very much recommended!
Read morePros: Food, Price, Atmosphere
Cons: Hard to find
Guest
Signal
Points +61
Best Tortellini Ever - Edit
Very hard to find, we passed it several times before thinking this may just be the place. Glad we persevered as it had some of the best food I have tasted in Italy. It was a bit slow to serve and it was more quality than quantity, but the staff were friendly enough and I found the decor interesting and comfortable.
Read moreWould definitely go there again if I were in Florence, if only for the tortellini which was magnificent.
Pros: Tasty food, Relaxed
Cons: Hard to locate
Guest
Jonathan Smith
Points +170
Creative cuisine - Edit
I've been to BRAC a few times now and although it can be busy there is a comfortable waiting area between the two dining areas. I found the staff very friendly, chatty and good humoured. The food is creative - try pasta with curry pesto. Sounds odd but it's delicious. Also had an amazing fennel & orange main course salad with almonds, raisins and olives which was the bees knees. It's very central location makes it probably the most convient veggie option in Firenze.
Read morePros: Good vegan choices, Location , Friendly
Cons: Extremely busy!
Guest
Zmeika
Points +281
Wonderful experience - Edit
When I read that there are only a few tables to eat, I sent them an email in advance, asking for the reservation. But everything was already taken, so we went there to eat at the bar area....When we arrived we were asked to wait 40 min, but is was worth it. We just went to drink a coffee in another bar (Il Volume).
Read moreSo even my bf, who is usually not very generous to the compliments, said that our meal was delicious. We took "Piatto unico" - which is a choice of few items for a very fair price of 12 euros......To be honest, I was really surprised when I just saw my plate. Beautifuly presented! And the taste was just WOW. The staff was friendly and helpfull. We talked a bit with Sasha, their chef.
I would definitelly recommend "Brac" as place to go for a dinner, even you can only seat in the bar )))
Pros: food, Price, Atmosphere
Cons: Only few tables
Guest
SP
Points +1430
recommend - Edit
The dish I ordered was only average but the free bread was delicious. If I could go back again I would, and try different dishes. The place itself was packed with locals, which to me means it's a good place. I must've been the only 'tourist' there, and it was really nice to be close enough to the tourist areas, yet not in a touristy place. In addition to WiFi, they also had two iMacs available for use to customers for free :) Overall, I recommend this place!
Read moreGuest
Joyatri
Points +524
Best meal in Florence - Edit
We went to Libreria Brac for lunch in May. We showed up the day before and arrived too late for lunch. Dinner was booked for that evening so we made a reservation for lunch for the next day.
Read moreThe atmosphere, service, menu and food were all outstanding. We started with the Insalata Siciliana which was a lovely mix of fennel, olives, oranges, raisins and almonds. Our entrees were tagliatelle with seitan ragu and tagliatelle with artichokes and spinach (see photos above). Both were very well seasoned and scrumptious.
We finished the meal with an apple and strawberry crumble, which was nice, but not as good as the entrees and salad.
Updated from previous review on Monday June 13, 2011
Pros: delicious food, friendly staff, pleasant atmosphere
Cons: hard to find
Guest
MarcGabel
Points +15
Quiet, unique, and fantastic food - Edit
We arrived as Lunch was over, but the owner and her Chef son still took care of us, cooking unique, very italian yet fully veggie creative dihes. Atmosphere was open air and closed in, books, cafe area, and totally nice staff. A fine place to eat in Florence. And you might even find a good book to buy!
Read morePros: excellent food, great relaxed atmosphere, nice folk
Guest
Alessandro
Points +518
Strongly positive first impression - Edit
This small restaurant offers a relaxing and fascinating atmosphere inside a contemporary art bookshop. I went for lunch at Brac a couple of days ago and I found creative, delicious and reasonably priced dishes.
Read morePros: Soft music and free internet , Excellent quality , Helpful staff
Guest
earthdave
Points +129
Spectacular - Edit
Hard to find, with no obvious sign. But once there, it was so outstanding.
Read moreThe decor is fascinating, with a courtyard in the middle of the place decorated with hanging coloured ribbons. The back seating area has a wall of art books for sale.
The dishes were so impressive, delicately flavoured, Italian dishes we had never had. Given time, we would have gone back again to try other dishes. Too bad we had no space for dessert of soy lattes!
You must go if in Florence. This is not the heavy Italian food you get everywhere else.
Pros: light inventive fare, wonderful surroundings, intimate
Cons: you must search it out, check when it's open, we found it closed
Guest
sshssh
Points +72
good food, good location - Edit
The food was very good, prices very reasonable. BUT I also had a chocolate cake that wasn't really good. After finishing it I asked if they prepared this cake themselves and the answer was NO. so I don't know - the cakes they don't prepare there might contain animal fat, a common thing in Italy (strutto = lard). Anyway - good location and the place is very known in Florence among young people!
Read moreGuest
giorgio
Points +41
Happy to have such a nice restaurant in florence! - Edit
Yes I'm happy to have such a nice restaurant in florence. I'm not going to talk about his culture aspect which is really appreciated by many but about deliciuos and healthy food served there. I went there with my wife a friday evening without reservation but fortunately they offer me two seats at the bench and we were served a dish with three preparations: tortellini stuffed with topinambur,dumplings stuffed with spinach and tofu and salad with walnuts: simply wonderful I devoured everything forgetting the good habit to chew food properly but fully satisfied and happy for vegan! Really quite cheap in a such friendly atmosphere!
Read moreGuest
bkoffman
Points +40
Hidden Gem - Edit
This easy to miss restaurant has a delightful atmosphere full of fun original art and great art books, but it is the great and flavorful food that is the real delight. A wonderful variety of fresh tasty treats that change depending on what is in the market. Make the effort to find this small restaurant and you will be rewarded with a great taste of Italy, even without cheese or meat. Service was very friendly and efficient. Our best meals and meal experience in Italy.
Read morePros: Fresh tasty food, Wonderful staff, Good value
Cons: Hard to find
Guest
aadams1217
Points +134
This is what FRESH tastes like - Edit
I went here last night with my boyfriend for dinner and wasn't sure what it would be like. I am SO glad I went.
Read moreThe place is tucked away on a quiet street. We walked in, unsure if this was the right place, and were escorted to the back for dinner by a very nice waitress.
Very chic but not pretentious atmosphere. Candlelight, soft music playing on a record player, and not too many people. Very low-key, yet nice.
We had a starter of raw tofu with lemon juice, almost like a vegan ceviche. Delicious and really creative. (~6 euros)
My boyfriend had tagliatelli with seitan ragu, which was great, and I had the tortelloni with potato and ginger in a sweet sauce, which was alos tasty. (7 euros each, I think)
This place is incredible. Even if you're not vegan/vegetarian, it's a really nice place to eat. The chef even came out to talk to us and tell us that he makes everything fresh when it's ordered.
Pros: fresh, reasonable price, friendly
Guest
SMO
Points +37
Best food we had in Florence - Edit
A gem of a place, which offered veggie and vegan choices. The Piatto Unico enables you to sample three different menu items served on one platter and is great value. Don't be put off by what seems to be a very small bar/seeting area as the main eating area is to the rear.
Read morePros: Excellent food, Very helpful staff, Relaxed pace
Guest
Vesanto
Points +46
Beautifully served, great food, inexpensive, near - Edit
This restaurant serves great food, has a lovely atmosphere, is very near the Uffizi and not far from the Duomo. We went back several times
Read moreVesanto (Canada)
Pros: Tasty attractively served food, Inexpensive, Friendly warm staff
Guest
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