Take 50’s-style diner seating, recreate it with modern, inviting style, then serve up simple, delicious Italian food at a reasonable price and you’ve got Zeb Gastronomia, Florence’s unique bistro and food shop in the neighbourhood of San Niccolò, minutes away from the Ponte Vecchio, Uffizi Gallery and Pitti Palace.

Zeb is the innovation of owner Alberto Navari, who you will find dashing around the central galley while his mother, Giuseppina, works her magic in the kitchen, bringing the best of Italian culinary tradition to Zeb’s ever-changing menu.

Warning -- This food is habit forming! Zeb has been widely acclaimed but it’s the clients who give the best endorsements. Reservations recommended at the height of lunch hour (1-2pm) and for Fri/Sat dinner.

The food shop features an excellent selection of wines plus artisan beers, pastas, jams and honey, cookies and chocolate, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and of course cured meats and a sophisticated assortment of cheeses.

A cooking school is in the works, in collaboration with La Bella Vita Arts Workshops, a North America-based, woman-owned small business that specializes in the creation of programs that combine training in the arts with cultural tourism in Italy.