Hemingway’s in Florence… I’m going to need to change my shorts

If you’ve any appreciation for chocolate, walk right across the city to get here. In fact, if you happen to be in Italy, get on a train. In fact, just get on a plane wherever you are.

It was toward the end of quite a long, though very enjoyable, day. We’d walked around the southern edge of the city. Up and down hills. Marveling at views. Listened to some monks. Ate some biscuits. And now we were tired and on our for dinner…. Dinner would have to wait.

I’d heard about this place, and as a testament to Mrs.Waxy’s tolerance for my wiles, she had patiently listened to my read out each review and dabbed my chin with tissue as I drooled over menus. So when we spotted it as we dragged our feet to dinner and she said “no, really, we should go in right now”; it really was an act of love.

We ordered pretty much randomly from the menu and got a triple shot of fine rum, a collection of chocolate truffles with a watermelon jus poured liberally over them and the thickest greatest 70%cocoa-ist hot chocolate I’ve ever had.

The rum, which I don’t normally like, had a smokey flavour akin to whiskey, and that absence of burn which denotes fine spirits. The truffles were fresh and delicious, a thin crisp layer of dark chocolate cradling a creamy succulent centre. And the drinking chocolate! Ah, the chocolate! So thick your spoonleft erect and defiant peaks in its wake. At 70% cocoa; the flavour was rich and deep and long-lasting. Like a fine wine.

Needless to say I left the place staggering, drunk and on a crazy sugar high. Dinner was off and Mrs.Waxy helped me back to our room to sleep it off.

It’s a great place. The staff are friendly. There’s a real buzz in the air (though that may have been the alcohol and sugar rush) and there’s a lot to see nearby.

Eoin: 8
Billy: 8 (which is quite surprising, but a cup of solid chocolate is pretty filling)
Google map here