Ristorante Ricchi

Ristorante Ricchi was well worth a second try. We found this restaurant the first time in 2005 and were amazed at the proprietary versions of classic Italian recipes that it was serving along with very unique modern cuisine. Nouvelle Italian is what I would call it although Nuovo Italiano is probably what the locals called it. On the right side of Piazza Santo Spirito in the Oltrarno neighborhood of Florence, this restaurant specializing in seafood was a great find.

On our first encounter with Ricchi many of the courses we ordered were refined and elegant, with some of the dishes even employing foams. My 1st course had been fried goat cheese coated in panko crumbs, with black olive pate over a salad of radicchio. For the secondo I ordered sesame encrusted duck breast with honey orange sauce and leek foam. My travel notes described it as a triumph of taste and texture. Other members of our party ordered seafood pasta that included lobster; sea bass on a bed of creamed spinach; and a smoked lamb prosciutto. The following year one of our party who had loved the restaurant reported a disappointing meal, saying that the seafood pasta was not what it once had been. I noticed it had also fallen off a website restaurant recommendation list and wondered what had happened. I wanted to find out.

There is good news, Ricchi is still open and ready for business with a competent staff and a very good chef. There is also bad news, the restaurant is struggling after several years of management missteps. It no longer seems to specialize in seafood, as the non fish offerings were broad and therefore the focus isn't as sharp, nor are the dishes themselves. No more foams, fusion, nor nouvelle approaches, but good solid Italian classic dishes with modern twists. As you can tell by the photo on the left, the Caprese salad was nicely plated and a grassy, Tuscan olive oil was on the table ready to pour over it. My dining companion ordered the pear and Gorgonzola tortelloni that was delicate and luscious.

I opted for a salad that was large enough for 2-4 servings. Very atypical of Italian salads, it combined mixed greens with green apple, walnuts, fresh strawberries and parmigiano cheese. Again, the dressing was left up to the guest so I used the balsamic and olive oil for a bright, crisp taste. Finding a large salad in Italy is getting easier, but finding one with anything more than lettuce or tomatoes is another matter. I appreciated the variety of ingredients in this salad.

Since we didn't bother with the English menu my secondo was somewhat of a surprise, a good surprise. The Italian menu read Mille Foglie and included the words chicken and porcini. I thought it would be like a pot pie with puff pastry. What I received was dish of layered boneless chicken breast, thick slices of porcini mushrooms and parmigiano cheese. It was delectable and so very fragrant, a delight for the olfactory nerves as well as taste buds. The chef is obviously creative and modern in his use of seasonal ingredients, but his talent will not scare off the local clientele who may not have been ready for the gastronomic high jinks of foams, nor the fusion direction some of the older menu items had.

The flourless chocolate tort was decadent, though not overly sweet, so the restraint made it very Italian in my mind. It was almost a pure ganache. The staff comped us a nice dessert wine. Usually on my reviews I add a link to the restaurant's website and even though I wrote it correctly, it is nowhere to be found on the Internet. Unfortunate, since it would be nice to see their menu. While you're in the neighborhood, you might want to stop by their cafe one or two doors down for the lightest, creamiest gelato we have found in Florence.

RISTORANTE RICCHI
Piazza Santo Spirito 8/R

50125 Florence, Italy
Tel: (+39) 055 280 830

Closed Sunday

Open 7:30 - 11:00 p.m.