I lived in Florence for a year in the early 2000s, and to be totally honest, found the eating-out options kind of a disappointment. Caught between a conservative food culture, and dumbing-down effects of 30 million tourists a year, the city’s restaurants seemed either stuck in a time warp, or to have simply caved to the demands of all those tour buses.

On a return visit, however, we discovered Il Santo Bevitore, where a young team is doing smart, fresh things with the extraordinary products that are available in Tuscany. Regular meals are a delight, and should you find yourself in Florence for New Year’s it’s the table to have.