Florentine gourmets now have a new haunt. Well, it’s actually an old haunt, suitably dusted down and brought back to new. It would in fact be ridiculous to talk aboutsomething new when discussing Sabatini, a name that is a slice of Florentine life in itself. With over eighty years of history, Sabatini has always reassuringly been there in Via Panzani, in the old heart of the city halfway between the cathedral and the station, although its close ties with the city were slightly slackened of late in terms of income and excessive popularity with the foreign market. Now everything’s changed and Sabatini, due to the strategic change of direction of the new owners, is back to being that great little treasure chest of history, beauty and flavour where culture lies amongst the pappardelle pasta and T-bone steak. Carlo Lazzerini and Claudio Schiavi were able to relaunch the restaurant’s appeal to locals above all.
“We’d like Sabatini to make a comeback,” says Lazzerini, “after having focused on international trade opening three guest
houses in Japan (the first of which way back in 1980) to welcome Florentines. Besides, the business was the first “luxury” restaurant back in the day when the big names
hadn’t yet arrived. Sabatini was mentioned in the books by the statesman Spadolini and traditional Florentine folk songs and “bets were paid off” with a dinner here. So
we now want to refresh the memories of adults and also welcome young people here.”Yes, young people too because during the dusting-down by the new owners, they also
had to remove the urban myth from the collective imagination that Sabatini was hard to reach. Its reputation developed by serving celebrities such as Phil Collins, Denzel
Washington, Zubin Metha, Mario Monicelli and Mina, just to name a few, means it’s no wonder that a piece of Italian history has been written on these tablecloths. Fame
does not however mean astronomical prices because you can eat well at Sabatini for 60 Euros. There are very few restaurants in Italy that can boast eighty years of history,
well even more if you consider that it was well-known in Florence as a wine merchant beforehand. It just makes Carlo and Claudio’s gamble even harder; a bet that’s been
won by focusing on the perfect balance between the necessary international trade and respect for the Florentine neighbours where tradition and quality go hand in hand in
the kitchen. So go and try out the restaurant in Via Panzani where you’ll be impressed by the added value of the typically Sabatini savoir-faire. Sit in the welcoming warmth
of wood and take a look at the spectacular winter garden or the walls where, yellowed in their frames, celebrities such as Primo Carnera greet you after having eaten at
Sabatini.
