Tag: michelin star

A Comprehensive List of All Massimo Bottura’s Restaurants in Modena

When it comes to contemporary Italian cuisine, few names resonate as profoundly as Massimo Bottura. The culinary maestro, renowned for intertwining tradition with avant-garde innovation, has firmly established Modena as a global gastronomic destination. Here’s a comprehensive list of Massimo Bottura’s restaurants in Modena that have reshaped the city’s culinary landscape.

  1. Osteria Francescana
    Undoubtedly the jewel in Bottura’s crown, Osteria Francescana has been twice crowned the world’s best restaurant in the “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants” ranking. Nestled in the heart of Modena, this three Michelin-starred restaurant offers an unforgettable dining experience that intertwines tradition with modernity. Each dish narrates a story, whether it’s the evolution of Parmigiano Reggiano or an abstract representation of a walk in the Apennine woods.
  2. Franceschetta58
    While Osteria Francescana offers a fine-dining extravaganza, Franceschetta58 is its laid-back sibling. This space is where Bottura experiments, breaks down, and reconstructs traditional Italian recipes into contemporary masterpieces. With a more casual ambiance, it offers a dynamic menu that changes regularly, ensuring diners are always in for a delightful surprise.
  3. Casa Maria Luigia
    While primarily a guesthouse, Casa Maria Luigia showcases Bottura’s gastronomic excellence in a pastoral setting. Located a short drive from Modena’s city center, this 18th-century estate offers a curated dining experience for its guests. The menu often includes historic dishes from Osteria Francescana. Furthermore, the culinary journey here is heightened with immersive experiences like wood-fired feasts and cold-smoked delicacies, helmed by talented chefs like Jessica Rosval.
  4. Il Gatto Verde (Upcoming)
    The latest buzz in Modena’s culinary scene, Il Gatto Verde or “The Green Cat,” is Bottura’s venture into sustainable dining. Though much about this restaurant remains shrouded in delightful anticipation, early indications suggest that it aims to be one of the world’s most eco-friendly dining establishments. With its name resonating with a historic Modenese locale, expectations are high for a dining experience that merges the best of old and new.
  5. Il Cavallino
    Situated directly opposite Ferrari’s historic manufacturing plant in Maranello, Il Cavallino restaurant has a rich history that dates back to the 1940s when founder Enzo Ferrari would dine there with close associates. Now, in collaboration with the genius of Bottura, the restaurant has undergone a significant transformation, blending the past’s glory with a modern touch. The interiors, curated by designer and scenographer India Mahdavi, pay homage to the Ferrari world, while the menu celebrates Italian tradition, with dishes inspired by Ferrari’s family and Bottura’s signature creativity. Under the watchful eye of chef Riccardo Forapani, a 13-year veteran from Francescana, the new Cavallino is set to offer an unrivaled Italian dining experience.

In addition to these establishments, Bottura’s influence can be felt in various collaborative projects and initiatives in Modena and beyond. From the “Refettorio” soup kitchens that combat food waste and support the needy, to gastronomic events and festivals, Bottura’s touch is pervasive.

Whether you’re a culinary enthusiast eager to embark on a gastronomic pilgrimage or a casual diner seeking to savor genuine Italian flavors, Bottura’s establishments in Modena promise experiences that are both soulful and sensory. Each restaurant offers a unique lens through which to explore Bottura’s culinary philosophy, making them essential stops in the heart of Italy.

How To Get a Reservation at Osteria Francescana? Actually, You Can’t

osteria francescana met Bottura

Or rather, you can try. But it might be more complicated than you’d imagine.

The world-famous award-winning, (three) Michelin star holding restaurant has become a celebrity of its own – one everyone who decides to visit Italy has at least once thought about eating at. And with good reason, since the dishes served by Chef Bottura at the Osteria Francescana find their roots in traditional, top-quality Emilian cuisine, but without forgetting to make a move towards the future, innovating and presenting products and produce with a refreshing, new look. The only problem? Booking a lunch or a dinner can be quite the process.

The Osteria’s Fame

In the past few years, Massimo Bottura, the chef behind the Osteria Francescana, has been praised and regarded by the culinary world for a number of reasons: for being true to his roots in his style, mission and choice of ingredients, for bringing innovative ideas – literally – to the table, and for creating new dishes that contribute to create a unique dining experience.
Thanks to this, Chef Bottura’s fame has skyrocketed to the Olympus of Italian haute-cuisine, making his restaurant, one of the most exclusive in Italy, and the best restaurant in the world, according to “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016”. The waiting list to book a table is of four months, so if you need to book for a specific date, or period of time (based on the days you’ll be in Modena), you need to be prepared.

How to Book

First of all, as we already established, the restaurant is fully booked, and sold out, for the next 4 months. New reservations start on April for the month of July, and so on.
At this link, http://www.osteriafrancescana.it/reservations/ you can see the reservations’ calendar with available dates and, if you skip forward using the arrows, you can see the instructions about booking a table: reservations open on a certain date and time, so if you want to get in early on the waiting list, prepare to call, or email the staff accordingly.
By making a reservation you are in fact inquiring about booking a table, and the Osteria will get back at you in the next 96 hours – enough time to sort the tables and pick clients from the waiting list for that date. If someone cancels their reservation, that’s all the more chance you have for your request to go through, but it can be though.
Being flexible with dates and times is a great way to get in the Osteria’s “good graces” and your reservation is more likely to be confirmed. A great way to show the staff you’re fine with multiple dates, and okay with going either at lunch or dinner is making a call.
For a successful call, remember to be nice and accommodating. Ask the staff if there’s something that can be done to fit you in, pointing out your availability.

More info can be found clicking on the following Quora and Tripadvisor links. Along with inquiries about how to make a reservation and how to contact the restaurant, you can also find other tips, reviews, and frequently asked questions about the Osteria’s dress-code and more.
https://www.quora.com/How-hard-is-it-to-get-a-reservation-at-Osteria-Francescana
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/FAQ_Answers-g187803-d1160010-t918838-I_ll_be_in_Modena_in_a_few_months_how_did_you.html

Alternatives to the Osteria Francescana

Of course managing to find a spot at the Osteria can be done, but if you couldn’t book a table in time, or your reservation didn’t go through, don’t fret: there are more fantastic dining experiences to be had in and around Modena that’ll be sure to leave you a great memory (and after-taste) of your visit to the city.
Here are a couple of alternatives that you can rely on for a great lunch or dinner out, and don’t forget that the internet is always available if you need to look up restaurants and osterie on the spot. Or, you could just look around, and you’ll see plenty of quaint little places with great local and traditional menus.

The Osteria Franceschetta

Chef Bottura also manages this Osteria, with the collaboration of other famous chefs. The menu is rich of interesting, fusion-style dishes that still find their roots in Italian and local, Emilian cuisine, but without forgetting a twist in the presentation, tastes and colors.
Choosing this restaurant will make it so that you’ll still enjoy an incredible experience alongside Bottura’s ideas and creations but in a different ambient, with more affordable options that those of the Osteria Francescana, and a more relaxed booking experience.
Reservation is advised, and can be done through the Osteria’s website:
http://www.franceschetta.it/en/

L’Erba del Re – Award-winning Restaurant in Modena

This restaurant can boast one Michelin star, along with many other awards and great results achieved through the years. If you couldn’t get into Osteria Francescana, the Ristorante L’Erba del Re is an excellent alternative, with traditional and innovative dishes, made with locally sourced and top-quality ingredients. Tasting menus for a well-rounded culinary experience are available.
http://www.lerbadelre.it/

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