- Top Rated in Florence
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Brac Libreria di Arte Contemporanea
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Vegetarian
Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Italian
Organic
Juice bar
This spot is a library, cafe and restaurant with vegan menu as well. Uses organic vegetable. Reservation suggested for Friday and Saturday nights. NOTE: Reported to be unreliable with bookings. Open Mon-Sat 12:00-15:00, Mon-Sun 19:00-00:00.
324 Reviews
First Review by Vesanto
Bearmina
Points +272
Hidden treasure - Edit
Difficult to find but glad we persevered.
Read moreBehind an unprepossessing and faded shopfront is a little veggie oasis.
Pros: Tasty vegan main courses, Calm retreat from tourist hustle & bustle
Cons: Limited vegan dessert options
Guest
FranziskaMagdalena
Points +46
title fits the product - Edit
great fresh vegan food/drinks
Read morethe staff were so helpful and friendly;
Our non - vegan friends were totally impressed and now look for food options on their travels!
thank you!
Pros: great vegan healthy food
Cons: no cons
Guest
Sooz
Points +116
Delicious and delightful! - Edit
We had been walking near the river and I turned to trusty Happy Cow to see which vegetarian places were nearby. The street is easy to find, there is no sign for the restaurant, but no trouble to find. As it was s Friday evening, it was fully booked, but they squeezed us in anyway :) So glad they did. I chose the 1 plate for 14 Euros, where you get a small salad (I chose the avocado), small pasta or rice and a wrap ur Scandinavian flatbread (I chose aubergine) - all of it was delicious! There are both vegetarian and vegan options, no meat. The room is full of interesting books and we dined by candle light. There is also a lovely courtyard. Staff were very helpful and friendly. Definitely recommend.
Read morePros: Delicious and innovative food, friendly and helpful staff, Ambience
Cons: it gets busy and booked, so make a reservation!
Guest
DebiraX1
Points +435
Oasis at 5 min from Palazzo Vecchio - Edit
Great hiden place. You will not see a signal...but if you know where is it, you will find a peaceful, beautiful, full of books place with an amazing food.
Read moreGuest
jspizz
Points +77
omg yum - Edit
really good delicious food, decent serving size and a great vegan cake. so moist. They can tell you which dishes are fully vegan.
Read morePros: yum
Cons: not many tables
Guest
Rapturedwanderer
Points +23
a real hidden gem - Edit
Without knowing about Brac, you wouldn't even notice it! There is only the tiniest sign on the door.
Read moreYou walk in and feel at home straight away, a super cosy atmosphere with a wall of beautiful books, a courtyard area that lights up your eyes from beautiful decor and food that makes you want to undo the top button of your jeans.
A fresh, wholesome, vibrant plate of yum!
I would book in advance, we had to wait until 2:30 for a table after arriving at 1pm,but it was well worth it.
Guest
LynneG
Points +33
Great find. - Edit
Yes, you could easily miss the narrow doorway at #18, but do persist because you will be rewarded! We arrived toward the end of lunch time and found a spot at the counter, but by the time our food was ready a table had opened up. Don't be put off if the front room is full, as through the courtyard in back is another, larger space. Everything we ate was quite good, and as others have said the unico meal (three items) is a great value, but I'm here to rave about the avocado carpaccio: thinly sliced avocado served on a delicious puree of vegetables and a bit of greens. I would eat this every day if I could! The Sardinian style 'sandwiches' are also very yummy.
Read morePros: Peaceful space, Unique choices, Great quality
Cons: Takes a while for food to come (enjoy the books!)
Guest
Ciad
Points +1515
Unique Vegetarian Restaurant - Edit
It is quite difficult to find; we walked right past it as it looks more like a book store if you just glance inside.
Read moreWe both chose the "piatto unico" where you choose a salad, pasta/rice dish and a typical Sardinian flatbread dish (almost like spanakopita).
A lot of care was put into each plate and everything was delicious. Meals you won't find anywhere else.
Some people have complained about the staff in their reviews but they were great when we were there. Very helpful with suggesting vegan options and finding us a place to sit.
Pros: Inventive dishes, Delicious
Guest
HalvardIvarjord
Points +26
Very satisfied! - Edit
Food was excellent. Great surroundings and nice envioment. Good vegan options.
Read morePros: Great food, Good prices for all the food you get
Cons: Food took a while to make, Very hidden place
Guest
StephenEamonn
Points +616
Great Expectations - Edit
Sometimes reading all the great reviews can be a bad thing.
Read moreThis place was hard to find and opened at 12 and not 10 as advertised.
The service was poor and the beautiful, unique surroundings I expected were bland.
Speaking of bland, my pasta dish was small and my girlfriend's salad was boring and overpriced.
We had been warned about being overcharged in Italy but didn't expect it in a veggie place off the tourist path.
Bottom line, go elsewhere IMO.
Cons: Bland food , Overcharged, Unfriendly
Guest
theexternvoid
Points +523
Tasty - Edit
I ordered a pasta with Indian curry spices. I was a nice mix of Italian and Indian styles. The wine was also awesome. Lastly, the table bread isn't the terrible dried out husks that they seem to serve everywhere else in Florence. In all a good experience.
Read moreCaveat: place is *packed* on Saturdays.
Pros: Tasty, Bread not terrible like rest of Florence
Guest
faerycake
Points +98
Stunning setting, lovely food. - Edit
We decided to give this a five, in recognition of the beautiful setting as well as the food! It's a really special place, full of books and beautifully decorated, with a little outdoor seating area in an inner courtyard (complete with cushions!). You can get a lovely menu for 12 euros, where you pick one thing from each bit of the menu (a salad, a pasta dish and a flatbread with toppings), and it comes to you on one plate. My (all vegan) selections were an avocado salad (tasty), a flatbread with green beans and some sort of veggie pate (very tasty) and fresh spaghetti with breadcrumbs, tomatoes & garlic (amazing)! My partner had stuffed pasta, and an aubergine & mozzerella flatbread. Staff were also very clear about what was & wasn't vegan. It really filled up after we arrived, so it's probably best to get there early. Excellent location, right near the Uffizi.
Read morePros: setting, location, menu
Cons: busy
Guest
EleonoreOppenheim
Points +16
Go here!!! - Edit
I read a review of this place here on happy cow and decided to check it out. My non-vegan, meat and cheese-worshipping wife and I went there without a reservation and were told it was all booked up, so we made a reservation for dinner the next night, and it was well worth the wait. The avocado carpaccio was a bit of thinly sliced avocado heaven, and the pasta I ordered with a vegan curry pesto was unbelievable. Sundried tomatoes, basil, walnut, curry, garlic, olive oil, and some kind of wonderful. This place passed the non-veg test of approval as well! Also, the list of biodynamic, organic, and just plain local wines is really great. The waitstaff are super nice, and you can see into the kitchen while you are sitting at the bar. Great bang to buck ratio, and Best meal we've had in Italy in a while!!
Read morePros: Delicious, Fresh, Great ambience
Guest
Plantp0wer
Points +105
Great food but unfriendly staff and poor service - Edit
We were very much looking forward to eating at Brac and the host of our B&B Home in Florence managed to book a table for us. When we arrived the waiter simply ignored us and once we managed to find our table we had to wait quite some time for our drinks, food, bill etc...It was very busy, and that's not a problem of course, but the staff made us feel we were rather a burden than that we were welcome. However, the food was great, we chose the mix of dishes for 12 euro which was good value for money. An another plus is the special ambiance as you're surrounded by interesting literature and art. Make sure you have an empty stomach when you go here!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Monday August 10, 2015
Guest
Joshilib
Points +378
great discovery - Edit
In short: great atmosphere, friendly and beautiful staff, non touristy (because it doubles as an Italian-language bookshop), nice drinks and food. Cheap. Strongly recommend.
Read moreGuest
lorenzonannini
Points +112
Great restaurant in Florence - Edit
I have eaten at Brac a couple of times and it's always been great! A couple of days ago I had Pane Frattau, Spaghetti all a Chitarra, and avocado carpaccio and everything was delicious! Recommended!
Read moreGuest
itzjac
Points +251
Best food I've eaten in Italy! - Edit
Since arriving in Italy I feel like I look like a loaf of bread! I have been filling up on mostly bread due to eating fairly bland tasting food at most of the places we have eaten. To be fair we have only travelled through Rome and Sicily so far, but I am a total foodie and really missing some delicious, as well as nourishing food since arriving in Italy!
Read moreWe checked into our hostel today and looked up veggie restaurants in Florence.. while I was a little disappointed by Rome, I thought Florence might raise the bar.. We found this place was less than 5 minute walk from our hostel so decided to head there for a late lunch.
We arrived at 2.30 - half hour before the kitchen closed - and the place was still relatively busy from the lunch crowd. The waiter asked if we had a reservation - I replied that we didn't and he said no worries he would just need to clean off a table. We waited a couple of minutes then were taken to our table. The restaurant has bookshelves filled all the way around and has a lovely ambience with artwork all around too - I really love it!
Looking through the menu, there didn't seem a huge amount of vegan options, but I wasn't too worried as all the meals I saw coming out looked amazing. I decided to try the asparagus & green bean flatbread as the chickpea, fennel, celery & dill salad. Both wonderful choices! They were super delicious and also nourishing - you could taste the good quality of the ingredients - and this is what I love a bout good veggie food! My boyfriend ordered a tomato pasta dish and really enjoyed his too and he really loved the chickpea fennel salad too!
Prices are pretty cheap - well we thought so after being in Rome.. 6 Euro for a big salad and 7 Euro for each of our meals.
We heard the place gets booked out so booked a table for the following night. As we are from Australia we eat dinner a lot earlier than most Italians so we booked for 7pm - which turned out to be a great idea as when we arrived we were the only people in the restaurant and there were candles and beautiful laid tables it felt so private and lovely. The staff were wonderful and the food was wonderful again. The only dish I was a little disappointed with was the fettucini with spring greens & lemon - I found it a little bland. Everything else - flatbreads, salads, wine - delicious!
Highly recommend for a delicious and nourishing veggie meal in Florence! Just make sure you book if you go at regular meal times as I think they get very busy! :)
Pros: Food! :), Decor & Ambience, Location
Cons: Vegan items not labelled, Fettucini w lemon and greens
Guest
andrea
Points +716
Great time - Edit
We went one night, and they were too busy, but we made a reservation for the next night. The staff there is so sweet! Our server spoke English fairly well. I got this 12eu sort of combination plate. You choose one salad, one pasta, and one of these special flatbreads. I wanted the gnocchi special and she said that was fine for my pasta choice. The fennel salad was awesome. The eggplant flatbread was sublime. The gnocchi were a problem. I had no idea they were gluten-free and I'm a GF-hater. They really were like glue. When I told them this, the sweet young lady up front (a manager or owner?) came back and offered to bring me some tortelloni even though my husband had eaten the gnocchi (hates to waste food!). THEN, the chef shows up; i was embarrassed. He apologized and said he's not allowed by the state to say GF on the menu because the kitchen is not separated etc. So nice of him. My husband had the special seitan and potatoes (10eu), it was a very generous portion and he really liked it. True, it's not vegan, but there were plenty of options including two desserts. And the prices are very reasonable. (There is s small coperto for bread/service)
Read morePros: Staff, Yummy food, Cozy atmosphere
Guest
natasha vegan
Points +184
Vegan lunch near Uffizi - Edit
We were lucky to get a table on a Tuesday lunch. We had a lovely salad & great apple crumble. Was clean & cheap. Nice atmosphere. Staff were very friendly. Would go again. Liked the library /book shop atmosphere. The potions were generous. Close to Uffizi.
Read morePros: vegan, friendly, good location
Cons: busy
Guest
dkinjer
Points +305
We went when the menu choices were limited - Edit
It was not the right time for the more interesting dishes, and the vegan options are limited, so we had an avocado dish - sliced thin with an interesting sauce. Quite tasty, and the bread was also tasty. We shared a dessert, which was good.
Read moreThe shop was certainly interesting and different - like sitting in a small library. (But the nearness of the WC kind of ruined the atmosphere, as the WC opens right into the room where we ate.)
So this review is based on a limited exposure to what they have to offer, but I'd say give it a chance.
Pros: Interesting atmosphere
Cons: limited vegan options
Guest
jamtoenail
Points +43
Odd and uninviting - Edit
I must have hit this place on a bad night.
Read moreStaff was unfriendly, and service was slow. My wife's menu and mine were different, and neither reflected the reality of what was available. The people at the table next to ours were asked to finish their dessert and coffee at the bar, because they had stayed too long in the restaurant.
Food was actually pretty good, though.
Pros: Good food
Cons: Limited wine list, Slow service, Unhelpful staff
Guest
HappyGina
Points +85
charming little place - Edit
i only went for tea and dessert, so here's my humble little review on that:
Read morei enjoyed the atmosphere. there are essentially 3 areas to this place. the main bar area that you first walk into, which has a classy feel to it. then, the next area you enter is the "outdoor" area, that has some various, chill kind of seating. then the back area, that is more like a restaurant with tables. the whole place is surrounded by books, and even in the restroom there was a "Linus" magazine (from "Snoopy"! :D)
anyway- the server seemed stressed, so i didn't how to take him. was he mean? having a bad day? or just stressed? not sure. he was just not your typical smiling, friendly person (which I personally love), but he wasn't "mean". i don't know, the whole place, to me, seemed a BIT intimidating or something.. not bad I suppose, just didn't feel completely at ease.
the teas i had were great though! (2 types of green teas) and the dessert (some kind of vegan tort) was AWESOME!
it looked like the meals coming out of the kitchen were DELICIOUS, but some were definitely vegetarian (with cheese), so I'm not sure what vegan choices they have. i asked, and the guy showed me the menu, but that didn't help me at all because it's not a separate menu, nor was it in English.
so! i am interested in knowing what vegan choices they have, but may not go back.. so... take this weird review as you will :)
Pros: great green jasmine tea and vegan desser, interesting atmosphere
Cons: server not so helpful
Guest
MichelAllon
Points +13
Great restaurant - Edit
This small restaurant delivers great creative and artistic food in a wonderful atmosphere and very friendly efficient service. Very worth the visit.
Read morePros: Good value for your money, Great atmosphere, Incredible food
Guest
m@earthville
Points +10434
Great food, pleasant ambience - Edit
I can imagine that some people might overlook this place, but that would be a pity. Yes, it might like a bookstore that added a café as an afterthought, but the cooks really know what they're doing. The food was some of the best i had in Florence. Servers were kind, warm, and helpful, and a bit of English is spoken.
Read moreI got a combination plate that included a main dish, a salad, and a side. All three were very well prepared and delicious, and it was quite filling. They helped me understand which dishes were vegan. I only wish there were a few more vegan options for the main dishes (there were only 3 on my visit).
Cappuccino with soy milk was great, too.
Pros: Great food, with several vegan options, friendly, cozy atmosphere, good coffee
Cons: Somewhat limited vegan options
Guest
wyrd
Points +3523
Great food and atmosphere - Edit
I've been at the Libreria Brac tonight with my girlfriend. We had booked in advance, and got a table for two in the room full of books, so we had the chances to browse a few books on art (basically exhibition catalogues) while we were waiting for the food to arrive after we placed the order. Nice.
Read moreWe opted for the "piatto unico" option, which is a pizza-side dish with one salad, one pasta (I got tortelli with arugola pesto), and one "pane carasau" (it is a flat bread typical of Sardinia) with cheese/ricotta. Everything was really tasty, and portions are generous.
We also had a couple of Menabrea beers, bread, and cakes (one yummy chocolate cake with no flour, and one delicious apple tart).
What can I say? It is a great place, the music was good (David Bowie, Coldplay, Crosby Stills Nash and Young...), the food was extremely nice, the staff was kind... we had a great evening.
And we paid 43 euro in total (including one coffee). Certainly fair.
We'll go back there!
Pros: Great food, Nice atmosphere, Friendly staff
Cons: None
Guest
borovnica
Points +34
Very cosy - Edit
Very nice place, I visited in the evening- it was cosy with the candles lit on. The staff was friendly, food really good- I had vegan lasagna. It wasn't too expensive. They had three dessert options- one was vegan.
Read moreThe location was good too- very central- near Ponte Vecchio.
All in all I liked it a lot.
Pros: Central, Ok prices, Atmosphere
Guest
tarchi
Points +28
The best choice in Florence - Edit
Brac is probably the best one of the many vegetarian restaurants I visited around the world. And it is in the city where I usually live! I discovered it only some months ago, thanks to a colleague; in fact I ignored that this bookshop situated in the heart of the popular and artistic Santa Croce district was not only a bookshop. Now, after tasting various dishes of its menu, I can say that, besides the unique athmosphere of the place, Brac offers an excellent and very original kitchen. The "mixed plate" is rich, very well-cooked and creative, but if you decide to choose a first course or a main course made on the basis of the Carasau Sardinian bread, I think that you will not deceived. Desserts and wine are of the same level. For a complete dinner, you will spend 25 (without wine)-35 euros.
Read morePros: Creative kitchen, Unique athmosphere (art bookshop), Correct price
Guest
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