Where to eat a real Florentine steak in Siena

History and identity of the Florentine steak

If you are in one of the most beautiful cities in Italy and you are wondering where to eat a real Florentine steak in Siena, you first have to know its history. During the feasts of San Lorenzo in Florence, under the Medici family, large loins of veal were cooked on the grill and offered to the people. This gave rise to a ritual that, over the centuries, has made the Florentine steak the symbol of Tuscan conviviality. Even today, it is still the most popular dish in every meat restaurant in Siena, but beware: true florentine cooking cannot be improvised, it has precise rules that not everyone respects.

What a Florentine steak really is

Many think that the T-bone steak is a cattle breed, but it is not: it is a precise cut. It is made from the loin of adult beef, with fillet and sirloin joined by the characteristic “T” bone. By tradition, the weight must not fall below 1.2 kg and the thickness must exceed the famous 4 fingers (approx. 4-5 cm). It is cooked only once: barbecued and rare. The outside must have a crispy crust, the inside remain soft, juicy and pink. What makes the difference is the marbling, those veins of fat that melt when cooked, giving flavour and tenderness. Coarse salt and a drizzle of good oil are enough to complete the dish: the rest is scene.

If you would like to learn more, we have written an article on the maturation of meat and its importance in taste.

What to know before ordering a Florentine steak in Siena

In Siena the T-bone steak appears on many menus, but few serve it as it should be. If you come to the city to eat the real Florentine steak, you have to be prepared, because it is not enough to read the word on the sign outside a restaurant to have a real dish.

It often happens that cuts are too thin, origins are unclear or cooking is done in a hurry on electric hotplates or gas grills. The Florentine steak has precise rules: a minimum thickness of four fingers, live wood embers and rare service. Only in this way does it retain its identity.

This is where the difference between an ordinary restaurant and a real steakhouse in Siena. At Premiata Braceria Toscana we make no compromises. The loins are matured on sight, the cuts come from prized breeds and the embers burn in front of our guests. We don't simply serve meat, we serve T-bone steak the way it should be.

Where to eat the real Florentine steak in Siena: Premiata Braceria Toscana

At the Premiata Braceria Toscana the Florentine steak in Siena is our signature dish. The loins of Chianina, Rubia Gallega and Galician Friesian rest in the visible ripening rooms, because quality must be seen before it is tasted. Cooking takes place on the Argentine wood embers, always in the centre of the room, as tradition dictates.

When you order a T-bone steak, you are not left to chance: we explain the differences in taste and marbling and recommend the right goblet from among over 200 wines on the list.

This is not just any old Florentine, it is the experience of a real steakhouse in Siena.

The best meat restaurant in Siena is waiting for you

If you are looking for where to eat T-bone steak in Siena, there is only one choice not to make a mistake: Premiata Braceria Toscana, the steakhouse of reference in town.