The Ponte Vecchio that crosses the river Arno in Florence is the oldest bridge in Tuscany and by happy chance the only one in the city that, allegedly due to a direct order from Adolph Hitler himself, wasn’t blown up by the retreating Germans as they cleared out from Florence in their withdrawal from Italy during the Second-World-War.  Knowing how the Germans used to like to blow things up that must have been a one-in-a-million fluke! 

The first bridge on this site was built back by the Romans and was constructed of wood on piers of stone.  It was ruined in 1117, reconstructed but destroyed again in 1333 by flooding and then rebuilt once more in 1345, but this time more sensibly in stone.  Due to the high volume of traffic using the bridge, a number of shopkeepers set up shop to catch the passing trade. The first merchants here consisted primarily of blacksmiths, butchers, and tanners catering mostly to travelling soldiers who were passing through but when the Medici family moved into Florence bringing with them vast wealth and an appreciation for the finer things in life they promptly cleared the bridge of all the dirty trades that were probably a bit of an eyesore anyway and certainly responsible for polluting the river below. 

They replaced them with goldsmiths and more similar upmarket shops and today it remains lined with medieval workshops on both sides with some of them precariously overhanging the river below supported only by slender timber brackets.  A number of these shops had to be replaced in 1966 when there was a major flood that consumed the city and damaged some of them but this time was unable to destroy the bridge itself.  The flood story is an interesting one and a good account can be found at

www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/c-d/cities06.html

Running along the top of the bridge is a corridor that the Medici had built so that they could cross the river without having to mix with the riff-raff below and is now an art gallery.  When I visited the bridge it was busy with street traders and shoppers and the ever-present scrounging beggars of course.  Along the bridge there were many padlocks locked to the railings and especially in the middle around the statue of the Florentine sculptor, Cellini.

This, I found out later, is a lover’s tradition where by locking the padlock and throwing the key into the river they become eternally bonded.  This is an action where I would recommend extreme caution because it sounds dangerously impulsive to me; I think I would further recommend taking the precaution of keeping a spare somewhere in case I needed it later.  Apparently all of these love tokens do lots of damage to the bridge and thousands of padlocks need to be removed every year.  To deter people there is a €50 penalty for those caught doing it and that is a much higher price than I would be prepared to pay for eternal bondage!

Actually, it may be that there is some truth in this tale because according to ‘Eurostat’ even though the divorce rate has doubled in the last five years Italy has one of the lowest rates in the European Union.  Sweden has the highest and although I don’t know this for a fact I’m willing to bet that across all of Europe the Vatican State probably has the absolute lowest!

Last time we visited Florence, Panda had prepared one of her famous Google Maps itineraries full of bars, restaurants and ice cream shops that needed sampling. Of the two days we were there, we visited two fantastic restaurants – Sesame (sadly not open this time) and Golden View Open Bar.

We wanted to visit them both again, but due to Sesame’s closure, we were just able to enjoy Golden View this time round which was a bit of a shame, but saved our wallet a little for the inevitable beating Golden View would give it.

Mojito at Golden View Cafè

We went there firstly on the 4th to enjoy two extremely expensive mojitos. They’re not the best mojitos ever (in fact, I think I make better ones) but the view (as explained later) is unbeatable, and I think the cost of the mojito must pay for the rent of the place. They are big on aesthetics though and the mojito looks like a work of art.

This was purely a prelude to dinner the next day though which was, as before, breathtaking.

There’s always a slight fear that somewhere may not be consistent – the last time perhaps being a fluke, pure luck that it turned out to be such a good evening – but with Golden View you feel immediately you’re in safe hands. The restaurant is pure class.

The first thing that strikes you is the view; it must be one of the most aptly-named restaurants in the world. If you can get a table near the window, do, because you’ll be gifted with eating a damn fine meal looking at the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge with the River Arno running underneath it.

On a warm night (such as the one we had) they’ll open the windows just to make it even more beautiful, with the breeze cooling you just enough – and putting the candle out at regular intervals as well adding a little extra fun to the proceedings.

The menu seemed the same as it was last time – a very wide selection of mouthwatering dishes, all of which sounded fantastic and made the decision making process that much harder. The drinks menu is also full of wines that I’m sure were all wonderful (and in many cases, damn expensive).

On certain days you’ll be lucky enough to have live jazz played there as well which, combined with the food, the service, the ambiance and the view all make Golden View one of the most beautiful, romantic restaurants you can eat at.

Bad points? Well, it’s certainly not cheap, so save your money for it and remember that you’re paying for a special night. And perhaps order off the menu and don’t be tempted by the specials since the prosciutto we ate, although beautiful, was not worth 20€ – I’d want that meat taken from a cow owned by the royal family for that price.

We ordered:

Prosciutto di Cinta Senese 20€ Good
“Cinta Senese  - A delicacy ham“
It was a good prosciutto admittedly, but we ordered it without knowing the price, since the waiter recommended it. When we learnt how much it costed, it came back up again.

Tagliere di Formaggi con Mostarde 13€ Excellent
“Assorted cheese plate served with Spicy Fruit Jams“
Gnagno and me call it “The Ratatouille Experience” –  a mix of flavours that go wonderfully together and take you to a whole new dimension of taste.

Ratatouille Experience

Bocconcini di Rombo e Gamberoni con Bacche di Ginepro, Porro, Alloro e Birra Rossa 24€ Good
“Fresh Turbot bites with Juniper Berries, Bay leaf, Leeks, Red Beer and Prawns”
The fish was very delicate and the complement of flavours was wonderful.

Filetto di Manzo al Tartufo 35€ Good
Fillet of Beef with Truffles
It was good, but not the best fillet I have eaten – and a bit expensive.

Variazione di Cioccolato 10€ Excellent
Different types of Chocolate desserts
Gnam gnam!

Drinks:

2 Glasses of Chianti Classico – 10€ Good
2 Glasses of Montepulciano – 14€ Good
2 Moscato Passito Dessert Wine – 14€ Heaven

Afternoon drinks:

2 Mojitos – 24 €
1 Bottle of Water – 5€

CONCLUSION

Food: Everything was good, some plates were excellent. The presentation of the plates is amazing, and the taste doesn’t disappoint. GOOD.

Service: The waiter was the best waiter I have ever encountered in my life. No need to say more. EXCELLENT

Atmosphere: The place is amazing, the view on the Arno river is beautiful at night, the candlelight creates a heavenly experience. Plus, there’s Jazz – it’s overwhelming really. EXCELLENT

Value: Here’s the weakness of the place. I’m not willing to pay 20€ for a plate of prosciutto, ever. I know it was my mistake, because I ordered without knowing the price. But also, the fillet wasn’t the best fillet I have ever had, and for 35€ I expected it would be. We spent 150€, and I am more than inclined to spend that sort of money for EXCELLENCE in food – but not just for GOOD. AVERAGE

Overall: It’s the perfect place to go for a romantic night – this is one of the top romantic restaurants I have ever been to. The view is amazing (when you book the table, ask to be put near the windows, and in room 3, where there’s the Jazz), the food is good, the service is spotless and just with the right measure of friendliness, the price is a bit too high.

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