Want to immediately feel like a classy Florentine shopping on the uber chic Via Tornabuoni? But don’t really want to drop a few thousand euros at Bulgari? If you stop in Procacci, you can pretend – at least for a half hour or so – that you are a barone or principessa, from one of the old families of Florence.
As more and more bars and restaurants ‘update’ themselves, installing creepy halogen light fixtures, new, shiny bar tops and music piped in straight from the top forty, it’s getting harder and harder to find authentic, old world patina.
Procacci’s wood paneled room glows only with years of beeswax and the soft yellow brass fixtures. The only sound track is the softly rustling pages of the newspapers as clients settle in at one of the green marble-topped tables. Thankfully time will stand still – at least for now – since one of the old families of Florence, the Antinori, have bought it decided not to touch an iota of it’s original charm.
Grazie.
Make your way to the glass case atop the bar, where you’ll find small platters of what you’ve come here for: tiny soft rolls, gently spread with truffle butter. A few of these, with a flute of sparkling prosecco, is the prefect pause in your otherwise hectic shopping or site seeing schedule.
Or maybe you’ve just stepped out from your own Florentine palazzo? 
Procacci
Via de’ Tornabuoni 64, Florence
+39.055.211.656
Open 10am-8pm, Mon-Sat
For more information about eating in Florence download my app, EAT FLORENCE available at iTunes and for Android.
This looks like the perfect spot to relax after a day of museums, shopping or just strolling around the city-grazie!
Exactly!
Another great post. As for the buns, should I be looking for any particular names or are they all the same.
They have a wider selection than they used to, but definitely go for the ones labeled ‘tartufi’. I also love the butter and anchovy.
OMG the wine prices by glass — I would fly today for the atmosphere and wine alone!!!
I know! Hard to stop at one!
Grazie Elizabeth, once again, for featuring one of my favorite spots in Florence. On our day trip from Rome last year, we stopped here twice, in addition to lunch at Sostanza … 🙂
Great minds…..
I love the beauty you find, and your aesthetic eye. Totally agree. Who wants to wander the streets of Europe only to discover it has become modernized and commercial. Can stay home for that. Your apps were what guided us to so many beautiful places we would never found otherwise.
Love this place–the perfect spot to stop after a visit to the Ferragamo museum…
That’s exactly what I did! The Ferragamo museum is one of my absolute favorites in Florence.
Oh my, what a positively civilized spot. Thanks, Elizabeth!
My wife and I are planning on taking the Grand Tour of Italy from Paris to Rome and back, next year. I am SO glad that I found this blog. It is providing us with many, many places to see and try.
Thanks so much Elizabeth, keep up the great work.