Libreria Brac

Fantastic lunch, great selection, and beautiful setting.

A must try place in Florence.
Seeing a vegetarian menu with so many cool options was a thrill to my eyes. The ambience is of an enchanting bookstore with comfortable seating area. It is different and arresting.
They are very innovative with their menu. We ordered the combo platter — combination of pasta /​spaghetti, salad and wrap. Everything tasted very fresh and the amount of portions were good. You will definitely feel full if at all you are able to complete your platter :).
The chocolate cake was delicious, a perfect ending to a wonderful dinner.
This place does not have any banner /​boards outside. It is a bookstore with no fancy depictions but once you enter you will realize you are in a different aura.
Do make a reservation, it is a busy spot.

Place is pretty great but there are some hits and some misses. Aubs and I shared 6 things, in order of best to worst we shared: pear pecorino, spinach lasagna, spinach flatbread, cabbage salad, tagglietela vegetables, and then the eggplant flatbread special.
Pear salad came with shaved pieces of pear and pecorino cheese drizzled in sweet balsamic. Very refreshing and a great way to begin a meal. The spinach lasagna was awesome, not to heavy and very flavorful, I’d highly recommend these 2 items.
The spinach flatbread was very good, the flatbread tasted more like a toasted pita chip and the spinach was moist and in long strands. Cabbage salad salad was good, it consisted mostly of cabbage but also came with walnuts and mushed white beans.
The taggleateli didn’t have much flavor it was very plain and came with julienned bell peppers and some pieces of broccoli. I didn’t like the eggplant flatbread, nothing seemed to go together. The eggplant au gratin tasted very plain. The flatbread was actually a large pita chip that was great by itself and then it had a large sphere of mozzarella on top that didn’t seem to fit in. Regardless, this place has too many great dishes to subtract a star.

Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuudes. This place, is incredible. Hands down one of the best meals we had in Italy. Seriously, GO HERE. Eat some amazing lasagna, buy a book, whatever.
Number whaaa. Definitely make a reservation, before your fancy trip if you’re only in Florence for the night. We popped in and made one for the next night in person, and all they had left were seats at the bar. Don’t suck at life and miss your chance to eat here!
We both had the Piatto Unico, which just makes good sense people. A salad, a pasta, and a «wrap» all at once. The wrap is like a crispy tart thing almost? And it’s delicious. Fresh ingredients, expertly prepared, and visually delightful. This place is nailing it.
Also, the bread that comes pre meal is a delight all on its own. Prosecco and fancy bread?
Sì, grazie.

After weaving through the streets of Florence, two friends and I finally found this cute bookstore and restaurant. The environment is extremely cozy, we ended up sitting on the bar which got us a great view of the kitchen. The food is so expertly prepared that it was a free show in itself to have this view. I ordered the «piatto unico» which allows you to pick a salad, a pasta and a «wrap», almost like a folded up, crispy crêpe with filling. Overwhelmed by the many delicious sounding options, my waiter was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu, able to offer me great recommendations that all ended up being DELICIOUS. My plate started with the insalata cruda, julienned carrots and zucchini with a light soy and sesame dressing. Next, I had the special wrap, which was light and delicate in flavor, filled with a creamy white bean paste (vegan) and topped with sautéed kale. The wrap itself was crispy and light on the outside and soft and creamy in the middle. The sautéed kale was a perfect balance. And finally, the pasta. I picked the fresh ravioli which was filled with a mixture of ricotta, other fresh cheeses and spinach. It was topped with very flavorful cooked tomato and basil. To say I had an amazing meal is an understatement. Everything screamed of freshness and was extremely full of flavor. The portions were abundant but very reasonable, especially for their reliance on fresh produce. I will 100% be coming back here, it especially seems like a perfect place to spend the afternoon doing work in one of the tucked away table. I can’t wait to come back and try more of their selection! The brunch menu sounds amazing as well. I also definitely recommend making a reservation! They don’t have extensive seating and we saw a couple people get turned away!

Fantastic vegetarian choices including avocado carvachio. Also soy cappuccinos! Fun atmosphere as it is an actual librarie.

I love this place. Casual, sophisticated, ambient, hidden. I often come for a relaxed lunch or brunch. Beautifully decorated, lots of interesting art books and most important of all, delicious. They have a great menu using very fresh ingredients and their piatto unico is a good way of sampling a selection of different dishes. Their wine list isn’t so ordinary either. I appreciate their modern twist on Italian food with a dash of international cuisine — not many places like this in Florence. Make a booking to guarantee a table but they’ll squeeze you in if you’re willing to wait a bit in their courtyard. There’s enough books to keep you entertained so if you’re not in a rush, be patient and you will be rewarded.

We had a really nice lunch here a few months ago. Especially the tasting menu where you can choose multiple things on the same plate is highly recommended. The place looks great as well. Books everywhere and bikes too. It can be quite busy so maybe book!

This place is such a hidden gem. A vegetarian restaurant/​bar/​bookshop. I’d advise you book as it is quite popular. They offer an a la carte menu but for those wanting to try a bit of everything the ‘piatto unico’ is the way to go. Not only is it a total bargain but it means your plate will be stacked full of a salad, a pasta and a bread option. Our whole table opted for this and we weren’t disappointed! Not only is the food fantastic but the décor is too.

Hidden gem. Found this place while perusing through Unilocal on our Italian honeymoon. So far, we’ve sadly been generally disappointed with the food in Italy! – tourist ridden restaurants with oversalted, heavy food seems to be the theme. But this place was the complete opposite.
The place is really magical. Trendy small bar that leads into a small garden then into a «book shop» restaurant area. Prices are more than reasonable… we chose the «price-​fixed» option which lets you choose 3 things from each part of the menu. The food was fresh, delicious, not overly salted or too heavy.

Whoa. So wonderful. Amazing food. Great books.

We second the advice to get the Piatto unico. Great chance to try some amazing flavours, eat some amazing (and some homemade) food. The ambiance is amazing with the veranda between bar and restaurant. The music is modern and lovely which goes well with this fine dining feel in the middle of shelves and shelves of books. Can’t rate highly enough.

My experience in this library bar has always been great.
Today for the first time I tried their Sunday brunch menu which it’s different from all the dishes they normally have, and wasn’t disappointed.
First let’s appreciate the calming colors details this place offers, drawings, books, computers for people that need internet access, free wifi wooden furniture, a cascade of light coloured stripes over your head in the courtyard, fascinating machines, music.
The regular menu has two options, you order à la carte or a mix plate with 3 tastings in it (appetizer, main course, veggies), all freshly made, express, with high quality season’s ingredients, amazing ginger centrifuge drinks, healthy desserts, bio coffee and a selection of different milk kinds.
We ordered a cabbage and potatoes cream soup, a Sardinian lasagna crispy bread filled with pumpink, red caramelized onions and leek, veggies rice with dal lentils.
Meat lovers were actually talking about asking seconds. Just saying…

Came here a few months ago after being frustrated that I could not find a single place that had Vegetarian Lasagna until I found Libreria Brac. It’s one of those secret restaurants that I walked past accidentally while trying to find it. When I was walked in, it seemed modestly sized until the waitress lead us to the back where it looks like someone’s library, except for the tables that were set. The food was excellent and the books were too. I would definitely come back the next time I am in Firenze! :)

What a great place! A local recommended this place to us when we visited Florence & said we would probably need reservations. We decided to walk by late one night to check it out & see if we could grab dinner. We stood outside a moment making sure we had the right place. It’s easy to miss! When you walk in there is just a small bar area & no tables. We were too late for dinner & i asked about reservations for the next day– dinner was booked but we were able to get lunch.
We returned the next day & were walked past the bar area, through a small courtyard & into the small back dining room. It has 6 tables & is in what looks like an old bookstore.
We ended up ordering combo meals– you get to pick a salad, side dish, & rice/​pasta dish for about € 10. It was a lot of food & was very fresh! I got risotto & my husband got the lasagna. We were both happy with our meals.
I would recommend this place. The only downside to tourists is you do need a reservation so you either have to pay long distance to call or walk there a day or 2 ahead of time to make them.

This restaurant was a very unexpected and wonderful surprise. If you blink you may miss this hidden gem but it is worth the search. Food was well prepared and full of flavor. If we come to Florence again we would definitely come back to Brac.

My favorite café/​restaurant in Florence. Intimate, hidden from the street, casual but pretty. The inner courtyard is great to hang out for hours, reading or using their wifi. Their summer spritzes are great, too bad there’s no aperitivo though :(
I’ve been for dinner once while hosting a vegetarian friend and the food was excellent! I was surprised at how full I was and I was sharing a plate with my boyfriend!

It’s a caffe! No, it’s a library! No, it’s a restaurant! No, it’s a bar! WAIT… it’s… all four! Seriously lovely.
This place is super unique and different. A husband-​wife owned vegan-​vegetarian restaurant that unless you’re actually looking for it, or are super curious and go all the way in thru the first part of the bar that looks more like a very small bookstore… you’ll never know what’s behind on the other side!
Sasha is the chef and his wife Melisa is behind the counter making sure everything goes smoothly.
I went there with a friend, we sat at the counter for lunch because we did not make a reservation in order to sit on the other book room (NOTE: make reservations). We ended up talking with the owners who worked there, and their family members who were there, all very cool people. Another reason I love small family owned restaurants! Sasha’s mom, Pinky, was there taking care of Sasha & Melisa’s newborn baby. She was well around 90, and extremely hilarious. She is a well travelled young-​spirited lady, who STILL travels by plane! Such a pleasure to talk to during our lunch.
We had the pear carpaccio with parmesan and balsamic, you’d never think they would go well together but they do.
Greek salad is superb, and of a reasonable size. I also had the eggplant crispy dish (eggplant on top of a thin crispy layer of pastry), but it was way too crispy for me and it all came apart when I cut it.
They’re open til midnight and look forward to coming here to get a cocktail and chill in the patio! They also have books and two MAC desktop computers.
AND free wifi.
What a find!

An absolute oasis of relaxation, good food, coffee, wine and bookshop. This is a place that I love to bring people for a chat and which is so nicely centered in historical Florence. The outside area is absolutely charming and they are open for both lunch, aperitivo/​dinner or you can come just for a coffee and cake (they have soy milk for those who are lactose intollerant).
It is a vegetarian restaurant so you won’t find meat on the menu but the food is awesome. I would also say that this place is easy to miss so just take extra special care to look at the addresses. If you are on via dei bardi going towards ponte alle grazie its the street to your right before the river.
Prices are good, I don’t like going to places and finding out its so expensive that I can only go back occasionally, instead a cappuccino is 1.50 or so and the dishes are not pricey.
For a shit down meal — make reservations! they have limited space inside and this is definitely somewhere that you want to linger.

This place is delicious in every sense. This is one of my favorite places to eat lunch or have a late afternoon tea. The food is exquisite at this vegetarian restaurant. The first time I came in, I walked past the tables that already had their food and I saw a wide variety of delicious plates. By the time I was seated I was filled with anxiety, how am I going to be able to choose just one dish? So what are you to do? Bring your friends and then you can sample multiple dishes!
I recommend getting a piatto unico, which is a combo plate of 3 different choices from their menu. You choose a salad or carpaccio (in this case a thinly sliced fruit), a pasta or rice, and a vegetable/​cheese choice. The best meal I had here is when I came with my sister and her friend and we ordered two piatti unici and shared them. So we basically ate a sample of 6 of their dishes… our plates were completely clean after we were through. My favorites were the tortelloni with ginger sauce and the avacado salad. I also recommend the chitarre pasta that consists of spaghetti with sun dried tomatoes, parsley, hot pepper and crunchy breadcrumbs.
Brac is also a library, so the dining area is surrounded by books that you can browse and look at while your waiting for you food. The ambience is really chill here, if you want to stop buy just for a cup of tea or coffee they have a beautiful courtyard with big comfy chairs where you can sit and relax with a book or chat with a friend. The prices are pretty reasonable as well. € 12 for a piatto unico, € 6 – 8 for a meal. Don’t forget to check out their assortment of wines as well.
Whether you are a herbivore or omnivore, you’ll be coming back to Brac again and again for their scrumptious meals.