Harry's Bar, Florence

The welcome, the unpretentious service, the best burgers on the planet, the potato chips-Bologna reds, the club sandwich, the dessert trolley...yes they have a desert trolley, the fresh peaches, the belinies. The wonderful Leo who welcomes you as if you are a regular even though you are from New Zealand and only drop by once in 4 years. He even remembered the children from a previous visit. Expensive yes, but not a bad way to spend an hour or two over lunch and a refuge to revive from a stifling crowded Firenze.

Trudging back to the car after a long afternoon in town, it was sheer serendipity to fall on Harry's Bar - just an unsculpted stone's throw from the Arno. A haven from the welter of all the ornate and ancient, babble and crush, this place is fresh, correct and set for service, conspicuous for its stylish propriety. And... Harry's washrooms are as immaculate as its bar. At 6pm over second drinks, a travelling companion and I agreed, archetypal in most other respects, Harry's may also boast probably the cleanest lavatories in all Italy.

I have been visiting Firenze every year for the past twenty five and always find time to get to Harry's Bar to relax. Some people seem to think that Harry's is a place to escape Italy, very sad. Harry's has been serving first class drinks, food and advice for many years - - but remains an Italian bar / restaurant that just happens to have attracted American and British clients. I give it a 4.5 on the 5.0 scale. Jack from Chicago

Stumbled across Harry's in Florence after ruling out the dingy, over priced Harry's in Venice. We sat at the bar (while ready the Herald Tribune for the Sox score). The bartender, Leo, a fixture at Harry's, couldn't have been nicer. He showed us the photos of all the celebs and autographs. Our bellini and vodka martini were great. We took a photo with Leo and he gave us one of their beautiful menus as a keepsake. Play it right at just have a drink at the bar to keep away from the overpriced meals and poor service (that others seem to experience).

Food was very ordinary. Though there were many, many waiters, service was not particularly efficient or friendly. Prices were excessively high. Wealthy Americans will probably be happy to say they ate at Harry's bar, but I can't think of anything else good to say about it.