Osteria Francescana is a renowned restaurant by Michelin’s star chef Massimo Bottura. The restaurant offers high-quality Italian food and is located in Modena. Finding a table at this amazing Osteria can be quite a challenge. You have to book with months in advance, this is how popular and how requested Massimo Bottura’s restaurant is. Not for anything, it has been awarded not with one, but with three Michelin’s Stars. The chef made it into the World’s 50 Best restaurants with his Osteria Francescana, making having a meal at one of his restaurants is a must if you want to taste high-cuisine made in Italy.
For all those who have struggled to find a spot but still do not want to miss what it means to eat Massimo Bottura’s cuisine, there is some good news.
Gucci Osteria Florence
The talented and renowned chef has recently opened another osteria, this time at a new location. In the beautiful, culturally and historically rich city of Florence, there is a new landmark that you don’t want to miss, especially if you are a foodie. Massimo Bottura opened Gucci Osteria, on the ground floor of «Palazzo Della Mercanzia» . The building hosts the famous Gucci Garden, which contains the archives of the Maison, the museum and a beautiful boutique of this magnificent luxury brand. To make the whole experience a lot more intriguing, Gucci has partnered with Massimo Bottura to delight the brand’s customers with his high-quality cuisine, all in a wonderful setting where design meets fine dining.
The restaurant, called Gucci Osteria is rather small and can seat 35 people at a time, which makes having a meal a rather cozy and enjoyable experience. For the restaurant, Massimo Bottura has ideated a menu which he named «Vieni Nel Mondo Con Noi» (meaning «Come In The World With Us» in Italian), which is inspired by the chef’s numerous trips and experiences abroad, all adapted to the Italian cuisine. Massimo Bottura is well known for his creation of dishes that have roots in the Italian traditional cuisine which also refer to history, art, and philosophy, making the dish a sort of Bottura’s adaptation of the story of his beautiful country. The menu includes main dishes, sides, and delicious desserts. Bottura is assisted in the Florentine location by the chef Karime Lopez, specialized in patisserie and who worked side by side with Bottura at Osteria Francescana. Karime Lopez helps Bottura creating and ideating the dishes, with the result being a special mix of Italian, Mexican and Peruvian cuisine, which will make your mind and your tasting buds blow!
The menu includes iconic dishes of the Italian culture but also some variations of the most traditional dishes, in a sort of «innovative» tradition where customers can explore the world by sitting at the table and having delicious food. In the words of the chef, Massimo Bottura, the idea of the restaurant is to remember that once, just like today, during the Renaissance, Florence was at the center of culture, and it was a melting pot of different traditions.
The Menu.
The menu is a la carte and includes fish, meat, pasta, risotto, and several side dishes. The prices are similar to those of Osteria Francescana. The culinary experience is uncomparable and the dishes are wonderfully presented, with the best combination of flavors and colors that are a delight both to the eyes and to the mouth. If you are unsure about what to pick on the menu, you can always go for a tasting menu, which might seem a bit expensive but it is all worth the money. It includes 7 courses and it is the best way to try a little bit of everything from the chef and getting an overview of his style.
The atmosphere
The atmosphere of the restaurant is particularly good, thanks to its special setting in a beautiful historical palace. You enter the restaurant through the Gucci Shop, which sets the bar high for the service and set up an idea of quality and luxury. However, the ambiance is not too stiff and you can have an amazing experience at this beautifully designed restaurant. The atmosphere is mostly casual, dressing up does come up to you. The service is sublime and the staff does everything they can to ensure you have a good time at the restaurant. They will explain the dishes to you and a sommelier will suggest you the best wine for your meal.
The chef ensures that every detail is under control. The combinations of the flavors and the presentation of the dishes are all studied to the minimum detail which makes every dish unique and particularly beautiful, not only tasty.
Booking Process.
Please be aware that even this restaurant needs to be booked in advance. You can do so through the Gucci Garden website. The restaurant is open every day from 12:30 to 3 PM and from 7 PM to 10 PM for both lunch and dinner. As said before, the location is perfect and you can easily reach the restaurant from the center of Florence, being less than 200 meters from the famous Palazzo Vecchio. The piazza of the Palace, which is full of tourists during the day, gets quiet at night and creates a wonderful atmosphere where to have a delicious meal at a high-quality restaurant.
All in all, eating at Massimo Bottura’s restaurant is an unforgettable experience that you must-have, especially if you are into fine dining. If you happen to be in Florence or if you simply did not find a spot at the Osteria Francescana in Modena, you should try getting to Gucci Osteria. As mentioned before, the prices are a bit high, but the quality of the food, the experience, the atmosphere, and the exemplary service will be all worth it. Again, if you are passing by Florence, you might want to consider spending a night or having a wonderful lunch at this amazing restaurant, you will not regret it.
So, are you up to have a meal at one of the world’s best restaurants?