If you’re thinking about celebrating February 14th in style and taking your Valentine out for a romantic supper, it really does have to be Italian – Sparkling cocktails, luxurious ingredients, relaxed dining, flickering candles and fragrant roses all make for a perfect Valentine’s date.

We’ve just uploaded our San Valentino menu, created by Lino, Max and JJ which promises to be rather special menu for you all to fall in love with; 5 exquisite courses with a choice of dishes followed by coffee and Firenze’s own homemade sweeties. Enjoy 4 courses for £50.00 or indulge in all 5 courses for £55.00.

Last years supper proved to be hugely popular, so we’d advise booking a table as soon as possible, we’re already filling up. Call 0116 2796260

PAPA (aka Pizza and Pasta Awards) has yet again awarded us with its prestigious Italian Restaurant Platinum award for 2011, and it really does feel like a giant hug, we’re that proud.

Founded in 1977, PAPA holds the glittering yearly industry awards to recognise outstanding quality and service within the Italian food, Pizza and Pasta industry, and in recent years, there are an increasing number of artisan restaurants such as Firenze stealing the limelight from some of the UK’s biggest names.

For years, we’ve been making our own pasta, and as well as using time honoured, traditional methods, Lino and his team are constantly experimenting with new styles and infusions taking pasta to another, luxurious level; to be recognised for this for another year running is a great achievement.

Thanks PAPA, we’ll hopefully meet again next year.

I walked into the kitchen the other day and got a warm fuzzy feeling; there, before me, stood a giant copper pot full of rich, golden Polenta.

The copper Polenta pot is an iconic item of any self respecting Northern Italian household, my personal memory of my first visit to Lino’s parent’s home, was seeing one of these beautiful cooking pots, slowly turning Polenta.

Much maligned and often misunderstood outside of Italy, but to taste Polenta cooked in time honoured traditional methods is culinary perfection. Absolutely gorgeous in many guises, it can be served soft with Taleggio and dribbled with a good olive oil, or crisp and griddled, simply deep fried into delectable chips or as a moist, luxurious Polenta cake; it’s ability to transform is almost limitless.

Here at Firenze, and true to Lino’s family traditions, we uphold and respect the cooking of Polenta, give it a try, and fall in love with an Italian classic.

It’s currently on our menu Filetto e coda al vino rosso con polenta and it really is divine.

The kitchens of Firenze are shrouded in mystery; Italian culinary delights magically appear from behind closed doors and transport customers to warm, sepia tinted visions of Italy.

In reality, Lino and his team work tirelessly to create both traditional and modern Italian food, taking exceptional ingredients and infusing passion and flavour into each and every dish they serve.

After 11 years, Lino has been persuaded to don his chef’s whites and teach a few of his culinary secrets in a series of cooking days hosted at the highly regarded, local cooking school: Bridge 67.

IN CUCINA A FIRENZE, AL PONTE 67 will run throughout 2012, but will be strictly limited to small numbers so early booking is advised.

Lino will be sharing some of his culinary secrets including pasta and bread making, preparing perfect fish dishes, divine Dolci and even how to serve up a tasty traditional Italian New Year’s Dinner. He’ll also be telling some stories about his beloved Italy, and why heritage is so important when it comes to his passion for cooking.

For further information on the individual courses and dates call Jill at Bridge 67 on 0116 279 6155 / 07711 999620

Although we’ve loved our old website, it didn’t allow us to keep in touch with you all quite as much as we’d have liked, so we’re experimenting with a brand new and very tasty version. More up to date menus, events and offers, a blog for us to give you an insight into the daily life at Firenze, and it’s altogether far more ‘social’, after all, we’re a family run Italian restaurant.

We hope you love it as much as we do, but any suggestions on content you’d like to see, we’d love to hear from you.

We’ll be moving the Boboli website over to the same format soon too.

Ciao. Lino & Sarah

Right at the end of our menu, you’ll discover E PER FINIRE, meaning ‘and to finish’, the contents of which constantly change depending on what the chefs fancy making, but no matter what appears, they’re full of love.

The Italian’s passion for a fantastic, strong espresso served with a plate of goodies is legendary, and at Firenze, we like to continue that tradition. We lovingly make hundreds of these a day, combining classics such as Macaroons and sugared nuts with modern variations of Fudge, Marshmallows and Jelly.

Currently, one of our favourites is the Macaroon; we make a selection of flavours which have included bitter chocolate, raspberry, pistachio, tomato & basil and rose. Ours are just the right size to pop in your mouth whole and let the flavours permeate your senses.

No meal at Firenze would be complete without trying a plate them; Caffe italiano con pasticcini £3.75