When I was bouncing around Europe after college, I was figuring out travel as I went. If you want the full backstory, I talked about the whole trip here: https://www.ipopin.com/traveling-europe-after-college-without-going-broke/. By the time I got to Florence, I had the basics down — where to book trains, how to find a bed for the night, and the unspoken rule that good food can be anywhere, not just in expensive places.
That day was supposed to be about Michelangelo’s David. My friend had tickets for the same time, so we decided to meet up beforehand for lunch. I didn’t have a spot in mind. Pulled out my phone, opened the Michelin Guide app, and just started scrolling. You can set it to “inexpensive” which, honestly, is the only way I use it. It cuts out the overpriced nonsense and just leaves places someone’s actually checked out and said, “yeah, worth eating here.”
I landed on this small restaurant tucked a few streets away from the museum. No stars, just recommended. Open for lunch only, which made it feel a bit like we were in on a secret. I called ahead (well, “called ahead” meaning I asked the hostel to do it because my Italian is terrible) and booked a table.
We showed up to a quiet room, a couple of locals already halfway through their meals. It smelled like something you’d want to eat even if you weren’t hungry. I went for steak with asparagus, my friend ordered the same, and we split a bottle of wine. The plates came out simple, nothing showy — just good food done right. Perfect char on the steak, still pink in the middle, asparagus cooked so it was soft but still had a bit of snap.
Here’s the thing: in the US, if you’re short on time, you ask for the check, pay, and leave. We had to get to our reservation, so halfway through, I tried that. The waiter actually stopped us. Not in a rude way, more like confused. He told us to finish our food. “You don’t leave the table like that,” he said. And in that moment, I realized we were the rude ones for trying to rush out.
So we sat back down. Took our time. Finished the steak, asparagus, the wine. It was a little tight getting to the David after that, but it didn’t matter. The meal had its own pace, and forcing it to move faster would’ve ruined it.
When we finally walked into the museum, full and relaxed, the statue was right there — all marble and impossible detail. The food and the art sort of blurred together in my memory. That’s the part that sticks.
That lunch taught me more about traveling than I expected. Yes, the Michelin Guide is great for finding quality spots without guessing, but also, slowing down is part of why the food tastes good in the first place. You can plan trains, book tickets, follow maps, but some of the best parts will be the ones you don’t cram into a tight schedule.
If I ever go back to Florence, I might not find that same restaurant again. Doesn’t matter. I’ll remember the steak, the asparagus, and a waiter making sure two rushed tourists learned how to eat lunch properly.
