Mr & Mrs Smith

Maria Novelli at Riva Lofts suggested that we go to Trattoria Sant'Agostino when we asked for somewhere with great food, simple and informal. It was great. Even the the menu was in Italian, the owner translated it all for us and served us a wonderful meal. Having declined desserts as we were so full and with our taxi ready to take us back to the hotel, I spied what I thought were chocolates on the bar and went to take one. The owner explained that they were not chocolates but gave me a complimentary slice of delicious, rich, chocolate tart complete with plate and fork to enjoy back at the hotel. I believe Maria Novelli is a regular and she kindly returned the utensils for us. A great touch!

The owners' daughter Alice made us feel very welcome and gave us some super advice on what to see and do, and what to avoid. We felt at home at Riva Lofts, as it was far enough from the touristy atmosphere of Florence, but close enough to reach the main areas by foot or bike. Riva Lofts have plenty of bikes for you to borrow and ride over the river and around the park. Rooms are spacious and lofty! There are plenty of DVDs to borrow if you feel like you don't want to venture into town, but we went at low season and had the whole garden and pool to ourselves. Just a short distance away, there are lots of good restaurants located on Borgo San Frediano. At these places, you will be dining with the friendly locals. Aperitif is the latest craze in Florence. Have drinks and nibbles at the Continentale on their rooftop Sky Lounge, which is another Mr & Mrs Smith hotel. It's an excellent place to drink cocktails and watch the sun set.

Gozzi Sergio (Piazza San Lorenzo): the best restaurant in Florence, full of local people and the best Italian food – so good we went twice. It only serves lunch and the wait for a table can be long even with a booking, but it's worth it.