Cafe Life Florence Book Review

If you're heading to Florence, thinking about Italian cafes, or just like reading about or looking at pictures of Florence, this is a very enjoyable book. Read it before you go, put it on your coffee table, or give it as a gift.

When I heard Joe Wolff speak about making Cafe Life Florence, I was inspired by his obvious passion and love for the cafes in his book. I received a review copy and found myself engrossed in reading the stories and looking at the book's photos. Just like his book talk, both his writing and Roger Paperno's pictures reflect their passion for the cafes they visited.

My only criticism of this book is that instead of the extensive personal research Joe and Roger put into their first book, Cafe Life Rome, they primarily used the recommendations of a bar owner in Florence introduced to them by one of their Rome contacts. They did, however, visit each place themselves to get the photos and personal stories. I wonder if visitor without the advantage of a contact person will receive the same warm welcome they did.

Joe and Roger take the reader to 18 friendly, family-run cafes, bars, ice cream shops, and bakeries in Florence. Half are in the Centro Storico, the area most visited by tourists, and the rest are in 4 other areas of Florence. Joe tells stories about the family, the cafe's history as well as the history of some of the foods. Roger's pictures beautifully illustrate the cafes, the people, and Florence.