Restaurant in Florence, Italy
Counter-only Tuscan cooking, strong value credentials.
Zeb holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for 2024 and 2025 and ranks in the Opinionated About Dining Casual Europe top 330, making it the clearest value argument for serious Tuscan cooking in Florence. Counter seating keeps the format intimate and best suited to one or two diners. Book dinner two to three weeks ahead; lunch is walk-in only.
At €€ pricing, Zeb is one of the most credentialed-per-euro options in Florence. Two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand awards (2024 and 2025) and back-to-back rankings on the Opinionated About Dining Casual Europe list confirm what regulars already know: this is serious Tuscan cooking at trattoria prices. If you want to eat well in Florence without booking a €€€€ tasting menu, Zeb is the clearest answer in the Oltrarno neighbourhood.
Zeb is built around a counter, sushi-bar style, where diners sit side by side along a single surface. That spatial choice defines the entire experience. There are no white-tablecloth islands, no wide-spaced tables for a business dinner. Instead, you are close to the kitchen, close to other diners, and watching the food come together in front of you. For a date or a solo meal, that intimacy works in your favour. For a group of four or more expecting a conventional table, this format will feel cramped. The room is small, the seating is communal in spirit, and the layout gives Zeb a distinctly personal atmosphere that larger Florentine restaurants simply cannot replicate.
The San Niccolò district, on the Oltrarno side of the Arno, keeps Zeb slightly removed from the densest tourist corridors. That location matters for the evening experience: the street outside is quieter than the centro storico, which makes the 7:30 pm dinner sitting feel less rushed. If the spatial premise appeals, the neighbourhood reinforces it.
Chef Alberto Navari runs a menu rooted in Tuscan tradition with careful reinterpretation. Starters are listed on a blackboard and have included cappellacci with various fillings and pici pasta. Main courses have featured Florentine-style tripe, Tuscan beef stew, and beef tongue. This is offal-forward, regionally honest cooking: if you want safe crowd-pleasing options, some of the menu's leading dishes will be outside your comfort zone. If you want to eat what Florence actually eats, at the price Florence used to eat it, Zeb delivers that argument persuasively.
The Bib Gourmand designation is specifically awarded to restaurants offering high-quality cooking at moderate prices, so the Michelin recognition here is directly relevant to a value decision rather than just a prestige signal. For farm-to-table Tuscan cooking in this price tier, the combination of OAD ranking and consecutive Bib Gourmands puts Zeb in a very short shortlist for Florence.
The practical answer on timing hinges on one key policy: Zeb does not take reservations at lunch. The 12:30–3:30 pm lunch service runs on a walk-in basis, which means arriving early, particularly on weekends, is the only reliable strategy. On a Saturday or Sunday lunch, plan to arrive at or before 12:30 pm if you want to avoid a wait. Midweek lunch is more forgiving, but the Bib Gourmand recognition has increased foot traffic across all services.
Dinner (7:30–10:30 pm) is bookable in advance for Thursday through Saturday sittings, and that booking window is worth using. With a 3.9 Google rating across 830 reviews and multiple national guide inclusions, demand is consistent rather than sporadic. Book dinner two to three weeks out as a baseline, more during Florentine high season (April through October) and around major events like Pitti Uomo.
Wednesday is the closed day, so do not build a Wednesday evening around Zeb. Sunday service is lunch only (12:30–3:30 pm), with no dinner sitting. If your trip is structured around a Sunday night dinner, plan for an alternative.
For a special occasion framing, the evening counter sittings between Thursday and Saturday are the right choice. The dinner hour at Zeb, with the kitchen visible and the room intimate, is meaningfully different from a midday lunch visit. The later 7:30 pm start means you can take your time: the kitchen runs until 10:30 pm, and there is no pressure to turn over quickly given the counter format. That unhurried pace at an honest price point is exactly what makes this a sound choice for a date or a considered solo dinner rather than a rushed tourist lunch.
See the comparison section below for how Zeb sits against Florence's wider restaurant options across price tiers.
If Zeb's approach to ingredient-led regional cooking interests you, similar commitments to sourcing and seasonal menus can be found at Au Gré du Vent in Seneffe and BOK Restaurant Brust oder Keule in Münster. For Italy's broader fine-dining context, Osteria Francescana in Modena, Le Calandre in Rubano, Piazza Duomo in Alba, Dal Pescatore in Runate, Enrico Bartolini in Milan, and Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler in Brunico show what the country's broader restaurant range looks like at higher price tiers.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Zeb | €€ | — |
| Enoteca Pinchiorri | €€€€ | — |
| Santa Elisabetta | €€€€ | — |
| Borgo San Jacopo | €€€€ | — |
| Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura | €€€€ | — |
| Il Palagio | €€€€ | — |
A quick look at how Zeb measures up.
The counter-only format makes large groups a poor fit. Zeb seats diners side by side along a single surface, which works well for pairs but becomes logistically awkward for parties of four or more. If you are travelling with a group, consider a Florence restaurant with table seating instead — Zeb is built for one-to-two diners.
Zeb is a casual neighbourhood counter in the San Niccolò district of Oltrarno. The Bib Gourmand designation signals good value rather than formal dining, so everyday clothes are appropriate — no dress code is documented for this venue.
The counter is the entire restaurant at Zeb — there is no separate dining room. Every guest sits at the bar, sushi-style, along a single surface. That format is the draw, not an alternative option.
Dinner is lower-risk if you want a guaranteed seat: Zeb takes reservations for the evening service (7:30–10:30 pm) but does not take reservations at lunch. The 12:30–3:30 pm lunch window runs walk-in only, so you may wait or miss out during busy periods. For a planned visit, book dinner.
At €€ pricing with consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand awards in 2024 and 2025, plus an Opinionated About Dining ranking of #329 in Casual Europe (2025), Zeb delivers more credential per euro than almost anything else in Florence at this price tier. If Tuscan counter dining is your format, it is worth it.
The menu is listed on a blackboard and changes, so specific dishes cannot be guaranteed. Based on what the venue documents, the Tuscan classics are the point: cappellacci, pici pasta, Florentine-style tripe, and beef tongue have featured as recurring items. Order from the traditional side of the board rather than looking for international riffs.
Yes — the counter format is one of the better solo dining setups in Florence. Sitting side by side at a single surface removes the awkwardness of a table for one, and the casual neighbourhood atmosphere in San Niccolò keeps it relaxed. For solo diners, Zeb is one of the more natural fits in the city at this price point.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
