Pitti Uomo Regulars Share Their Favorite Spots in Florence
The fashion community knows Florence like the back of its hand. WWD asked designers and menswear professionals attending Pitti Uomo to share their favorite spots in town.
MILAN
— Save for locals, nobody knows Florence better than the fashion community, commuting to the storied town twice a year for Pitti Uomo. Despite the packed schedule that leaves little spare time, the menswear community knows how to recharge and chill in between the shows and appointments.
From the best food destinations (Brunello Cucinelli has one favorite trattoria) and city landmarks one never tires of contemplating to hotels, cafés and art galleries, fashion executives and designers reveal their secret spots to check out in town.
Brunello Cucinelli
“I have no doubts, the place I am most fond of is my beloved Trattoria dei 13 Gobbi, in the heart of the historic center of Florence, some steps away from the
Church of San Salvatore in Ognissanti where the great spirit of Italian art, Sandro Botticelli, rests.
“I've got some wonderful memories linked to this place since the first time I entered, first of all because it has always remained true to the best Florentine gastronomic tradition and I, for example, find their rigatoni with tomato and mozzarella particularly special. Additionally, I must say, great cuisine always goes hand in hand with the refined art of hospitality. I am convinced that good food goes wonderfully with a warm and friendly atmosphere you can sense there, in sync with the true Italian and Florentine tradition.
“I have the impression that I have always known the Trattoria dei 13 Gobbi. Florence, after all, is such a familiar city for us, so close to our feelings that my wife Federica and I visit it often, always very pleasantly. Many years ago while browsing one antique dealer after the other in that neighborhood, I happened to have dinner in this place, near the Hotel Excelsior where I usually stay, and I immediately fell in love with it.”
Bruce Pask senior editorial director at Neiman Marcus
“There are so many favorite, memorable spots in Florence it's almost impossible to narrow it down to one. I always try to find a moment to appreciate the extraordinary art and architecture here to add to the fashion intake: Fra Angelico's wonderful Annunciation fresco is in a convent in the center; Donatello's bronze sculpture of David is also a wonder and a total contrast in style from Michelangelo's monumental crowd pleaser not far away. As far as great spots, it's hard to beat hanging out with friends, sitting on the wall overlooking the Arno River opposite the old Harry's Bar (now closed) watching the sun set with a perfect Negroni in hand.”
Kuba Dabrowski fashion and streetstyle photographer
“The amount of visual stimuli, handshakes and small talk at Pitti Uomo might easily get a bit too much. Therefore my favorite places in Florence are ones where I can find some peace and quiet.
“One of these places is Todo Modo, a cozy bookstore/café located in Via dei
Fossi, right next to Piazza Santa Maria Novella. The selection of books is amazing, a lot of niche publications that I do not see anywhere else. Even if you don't speak Italian, it's inspiring to look at the beautiful covers. Food is simple but good. There is a lot of space to work on your laptop. The place is also interesting for people watching, the crowd is very different than at Pitti, but Italian intellectuals tend to have a lot of (usually understated) style, too.”
Matthew Hranek founder of The WM Brown Project
“Of course there are terrific restaurants and bars in Florence that I love but my first stop is always Farmacia Munstermann on Piazza Goldoni. I go there for the house-made beauty products like shave creams, body lotions and scents but my absolute ‘can't live without' product is their body powder (discovered on an unbearably hot and humid day a while ago at a June Pitti Uomo). It's a wonderfully essential, oil-scented, non talc-based body powder that I use all year but it is particularly useful in the summer!”
Annagreta Panconesi creative director at LuisaViaRoma
“One of my favorite spots in Florence is Atelier de' Nerli (Piazza de' Nerli 8/9r), which is both an art gallery and a restaurant offering seasonal food, reinterpreted with a contemporary approach and always beautifully presented — here you can experience exactly what the city of Florence is all about: art and fine cuisine. However, a little gem that always makes me feel at home is Trattoria da Ruggero (Via Senese, 89 Rosso), a classic Florentine trattoria in which to enjoy the typical tastes of the traditional cuisine.”
Walter and Mariano De Matteis designers at Kiton’s KNT
“When we are in Florence we always stay at Hotel Excelsior, nestled in the heart of the city nearby the Arno River, Ponte Vecchio and the Duomo. Our father has been a patron of this hotel for many years, and it feels like a second home to us ever since we started visiting as children. Despite its classic ambience, what we cherish the most is the warm and welcoming demeanor of the staff, some of whom have been there since our early years.
“Our connection with Florence runs deep and authentic. Initially established for business purposes, it has evolved into a network of cherished spots and familiar faces. These are places we hold dear, and the people we've come to know, creating a sense of belonging that we share with our family whenever we're in town.
“We love the restaurant Buca Lapi, one of the most historic places in the city, where the owner keeps the Tuscan tradition alive. We really like the atmosphere: the kitchen is open, the walls are covered with posters that recall the history of the place, which was an inn where coachmen used to stop to have a glass of wine and eat a bowl of tripe served on a newspaper. The newspaper, passing from hand to hand, would crumple and then be stuck to the walls. Even the menu is special. We have been attending the restaurant since we were children, and our family always organizes a dinner every time we are in Florence. We have many memories connected to this place.”
Vasiliy Piacenza brand manager Piacenza Cashmere
“Florence is a wonderful city and I have a strong bond with it thanks to my cousin Felice Piacenza, a Tuscan native who has lived in town for many years. He made me discover so many places, such as the Locale Firenze cafè, the Aqua Flore perfume store and the Giunti Odeon Libreria e Cinema [Library and Cinema]. I love jogging at the Parco delle Cascine park along the Arno River and reach Piazza Michelangelo.”
Massimiliano Giannelli owner of the Société Anonyme store
“As locals we don't go very much to the city center and tend to stay where our shop is, the Sant'Ambrogio district, one of the most beautiful places in Florence. Here you can find a flea market that is very characteristic and a reference for the Florentines. In terms of restaurants, I really appreciate Cibreo, while Teatro del Sale is a place for socialization, relaxing and entertainment.”
Domenico Gianfrate owner of the Gianfrate showroom
“I really love the Fuor d'Acqua restaurant serving fish meals, which I'm gluttonous of as an Apulia native [an Italian seaside region]. I've been going there for over 20 years, with groups of friends during Pitti Uomo to enjoy some time together and have fun. I discovered it one night when tired of having typical Florentine cuisine and meat. I made a bet on the place with a group of friends and although skeptical at first, we had a wonderful evening and dinner.”
Massimiliano Giornetti director at Polimoda
“The Bardini garden is a special spot for me. Since I'm not from Florence, I discovered it when it reopened to the public in 2005. Replete with a villa, it has belonged to the Mozzi family since the 13th century, and it was renovated over the centuries to become the home of one of the most famous and historical Florentine antique dealers, Stefano Bardini, also the owner of the Bardini museum.
The most characterizing element for me is the blooming wisteria [which creates] this huge, incredible, lilac tunnel that blossoms between mid-April and early May. It's one of my dearest corners and the most romantic spot to overview the city. I think that the Bardini museum certainly offers the most beautiful and magnificent view of Florence. Seeing it from this tunnel is a unique treat, because the flowering of wisteria plants is extremely ephemeral. From my perspective, it really gives you the sense of how much beauty is fleeting. It lasts a moment.”
Nick Wooster fashion consultant
“My favorite secret moment in Florence is a visit to the Gucci
Museum. It's the rightsized counterpoint to the traditional Florence mega destinations such as the Galleria dell'Academia of Florence (to see The David), or the Uffizzi. At the Gucci Museum, you can shop, discover and have a bite to eat. My favorite part of the entire museum is the Gucci Cadillac Seville. As an artifact, it sums up 1979 better than any other object in the world. Plus, the restaurant is great.”
Scott Schuman
fashion photographer and founder of
The Sartorialist
“The Hotel Stella d'Italia has been created by my good friend and fantastic artist Betty Soldi. I've known Betty for several years (she's Florentine) and I've always been more than impressed, let's say inspired, by the beauty and grace of her work and the environments she's created. Betty has a unique ability to create something beautiful that is respectful of the past and tradition while still making it feel somehow totally new, spirited and lively. I can't wait to begin and end each of my
Pitti days in such an energetic, deeply Italian location!
“I've been attending Pitti for almost 20 years and every time I'm there I'm
inspired by some element of art (be it painting, sculpture, architecture) and I always end up in Libreria Art & Libri, in
Via dei Fossi 32R, looking for books about that subject. It's a serious art bookshop with serious books and even more serious (and kind-ish) staff.
“It's not the most beautiful shop in all of Florence but if you want to experience what it was like to buy underwear and socks in, say, 1933, Quercioli & Lucherini in Via Porta Rossa, 45 is the place. One summer [edition of] Pitti I somehow didn't pack enough underwear and popped into this shop because it was close to my hotel. The shop is charmingly old-school so most of the stock is behind the counter. I was pleasantly surprised by the thorough and thoughtful questions that were asked when trying to help me make my decision on which pairs to buy. These are the types of shops that I wish would update their look and selection because the service is fantastic but the selection and ambiance make it challenging to find a lot to buy — basically what's good is really good and the rest is just so-so.
“I love to have a drink at Caffe Gilli, via Roma 1, because that was the location of Ruth Orkin's famous ‘American Girl in Italy' photo. Of course it seems like a ‘real' photo but now there's been a lot written about the creation of that image and other images from that day. It's always fun to learn about other photographers' processes and to walk in their steps through that process.” ■