New Year's Eve in Florence: dinners in florentine restaurants

Looking for a special way to ring in 2009? Look no further than the city of Florence.

From street festivals to restaurant specials to free concerts of every kind, the events that mark “Capodanno” in Florence are as various as they are astounding! Theaters in and around the city provide entertainment. Dining establishments dress up their menus, and, should you prefer to spend the evening under the stars, step out into the nearest piazza. You are bound to find a spectacle fit for the occasion. Pass San Silvestro’s feast day (and night) in cheerful company in Piazza Santa Croce with a free concert. This year, Maestro Giuseppe Lanzetta will direct the Philharmonic Orchestra of the European Lyric Theatre (Teatro lirio Europeo), showcasing Strauss and Verdi. Piazza Pitti is also a fine venue for a free classical concert. Following its success of last year, Capodanno al Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio will feature live music and excellent “Fish and Chips” for all. Wander over to Piazza Santo Spirito, where an association of local merchants will put on a grand evening. For the third year, the Uffizi Center organization will bring back its Capodanno Banquet and Ball, to be held near the Duomo of Florence in the center of the city, at palazzo Gaddi. And when it’s all over, New Year’s Day young musicians from the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole will perform a free concert in the Teatro del Maggio Musicale at 11:30 a.m.
Of course there will also be many festivals, parties and special dinners in other local venues and even theatres where the celebration will be interrupted only at midnight and only momentarily for a traditional toast.
Found what you were looking for yet? Read on.
The Finest Capodanno Dinners in Florence

Alle Murate Dining with Dante frescoes.. The fine restoration of the Guild has recreated an emblamatic location from 14th century Florence. These frescoes were intended to highlight the autonomy and greatness of Florence by portraying the genius of its humanists and poets, Dante, Boccaccio, Petrarch. And the first of these is Dante. In the centre of the valuted ceiling is a magnificent circular representation of medieval Florence surrounded by its walls, the Arno river and the crests of the town of Florence, the fleurs-de-lis, the Guelph eagle and the cross. The recently restored 14th century premises of the Guild of Judges and Notaries in the heart of Florence, offer a unique experience in Florentine art and archeology, dating from the Roman epoca until early Renaissance. A life time experience: eating there for the New Year's Eve!
New Year's Eve December 31, 2008
Capon stock with hand made ravioli and Valdarnese hen’s special egg
Red prawns from Sicily, turnip tops sauce and bresaola from Chianina beef
Tortelli stuffed with burrata and ricotta cheese, sea bass ragout
Pumpkin soufflé, foie gras, black cabbage sauce
Free range lamb from Casentino country: leg stuffed with artichokes, stewed shoulder and fried chop
Variation on chocolate and citrus fruit: dark chocolate cake with tangerine sauce, orange jelly and white chocolate mousse
150 euro per person Wines are not included (Spumante included)
for info and reservation please send an email to: silvia@allemurate.it
Ristorante Alle Murate Via del Proconsolo 16/r Tel. 055240618
http://www.allemurate.it See some pictures of the restaurant here
While you are waiting to dine you can visit the frescoes with a free audio guide available in 7 languages.

Osteria del Caffe Italiano, Dine on fine Tuscan cuisine in the center of Florence (close to piazza Signoria and Santa Croce square). The restaurant is in a historical palace belonged to an aristocratic florentine family.
Taste the real Bistecca alla Fiorentina (T-bone steak), cooked on a real grill, and obviously italian pasta, pizza and tuscan specialties. You can order from the menu (a la carte) or choose the 5 dishes selection for a special dinner.
Here are some tuscan dishes you can find on the menu:
Tuscan croutons with: soprassata, Colonnata lard, sage-flavoured chicken livers, white cannellini beans, cherry tomatoes with basil. Platter of tuscan cheeses with sweet chutneys. Mixed mushroom and potatoes soup, Borrage purèe with radish, ribollita “The traditional Florentine vegetables soup”, Beans soup and crunchy pork rind, Scamorza cheeses, Mafaldine pasta with wild pork ragout, Ravioli stuffed with pumpkin and black cabbage sauce, Tortelli stuffed with potatoes and pecorino cheese from Pienza, Cinta Senese pork sauce, Oven-cooked lasagne.
Large mixed platter of freshly coked vegetables, Mixed platter of vegetable flan with stewed chickory, Lamb leg stuffed with artichokes and fried chop, thyme aroma, grilled chicken’s breast marinated in rosmary, garlic and lemon with vegetables, Stewed and crunchy polenta, Joint of beef braised in Chianti Classico with creamed potatoes, Veal lever with onion sauce and broccoli purèe, Choice of mixed boild meats with green sauce, preserves in vinegar,and hot Cremona mustard.
Wood fire grilled specialities
Fiorentine steak served with beans, coke green and roast potatoes
Brick roasted Valdarno cockerel with roast potatoes
Pork chop from Casentino country
Grilled or balsamic vinegar flavoured filet of beef
Osteria style sliced beef
Skewered meat with grilled vegetables
Remember to make a reservation: this tuscan restaurant is very popular in Florence and you can find it full! info@caffeitaliano.it

Capodanno 2008 2009 at Al Maracana, Via Faenza, 4 (Florence) Maracana hosts the one and only Brazilian New Year’s celebration in Florence, and boasts a spectacle of Brazilian dance.

Capodanno 2009 at Fortezza da Basso. Participate in this festival of dedication to Florence. Banquet by reservation.

Capodanno 2009 at Yab, Banquet by reservation with a special guest of Channel 5 and music and dancing to follow.

Auditorium Flog, Via Mercati 24-B, (Firenze) will feature live music and dance from 10:30 p.m.