A few steps from the Uffizi, Tuscany’s rural food traditions have found a decidedly urban home: inside a burger bun. Il Bovo, an independent project, brings Chianina beef and ingredients from small Tuscan producers to two locations in central Florence, in via dei Neri and via Nazionale, near Santa Maria Novella railway station.
“Our idea is simple: to bring genuine Tuscan products into the heart of Florence by working directly with small local farmers and artisans. Behind every cheese, every cut of meat and every traditional speciality, there are people, places and stories worth telling. The burger is simply our way of sharing them,” explains Marco Mantovani, one of Il Bovo’s founders.
At the centre of the project is Chianina, the imposing white cattle breed historically raised in Tuscany and central Italy, closely associated with the region’s agricultural heritage and Florence’s famous bistecca alla Fiorentina. At Il Bovo, this prized beef becomes a freshly prepared burger, served in bread supplied by an artisan bakery in Florence.
The connection with the countryside goes well beyond the breed. Near Pistoia, Podere Veridiani is a family-run farm established in 1969, where a limited number of animals and daily care remain central to the work. Direct relationships with small farms like this are part of Il Bovo’s approach to sourcing its ingredients. At Pecora Nera, in the hills of the Casentino above Subbiano, Cristian raises sheep and goats and produces pecorino in the farm’s own small dairy. In Reggello, Selvantica Buche di Viesca produces honey among woodlands and wild blossoms. These are the kinds of ingredients that give Il Bovo’s burgers their Tuscan character, without needing elaborate recipes.
Even the pancetta has a story. Rather than arriving pre-sliced, it comes whole and is cut daily in Il Bovo’s kitchens before being cooked to order. The hot dogs are made with sausages from artisan producer Tradizione Salumi, while the beer selection includes a Golden Ale from L’Olmaia, the craft brewery in Tuscany’s Val d’Orcia.
The menu puts these ingredients together in combinations rooted in the region. Del Chianti pairs Chianina beef with Tuscan pancetta, pecorino and onions cooked in Chianti wine. Il Contadino balances the savoury character of pecorino with the sweetness of honey. For truffle lovers, Il Tartufo combines beef with Parmesan cream and truffle.
Beyond burgers, there is bardiccio, a traditional rustic sausage from the Valdisieve countryside, served in a bun, alongside Tuscan-style artisan hot dogs and freshly cut potatoes prepared in-house.
Despite all this attention to the ingredients, Il Bovo follows a deliberately informal, fast-casual approach: freshly prepared food, counter service and a relaxed atmosphere, without the formalities of a traditional restaurant.
The compact via dei Neri location is just a short walk from the Uffizi Gallery and piazza della Signoria. The larger via Nazionale venue, close to Santa Maria Novella station and the Central Market, offers more seating and the possibility of reserving a table.
In a city celebrated for its culinary heritage, Il Bovo offers another way to discover Tuscany: through an everyday burger, with a direct connection to the farmers, shepherds and artisans behind its ingredients.
IL BOVO – Tuscan Burgers & Local Farmers
Via dei Neri 20R, Florence – near the Uffizi Gallery
Via Nazionale 110R, Florence – near Santa Maria Novella station
Instagram: @ilbovohamburger
TikTok: @ilbovohamburger
