YOU ARE READING
Modena: playful Michelin star gastronomy at Bottura’s Osteria Francescana
SAVE
MENU
Restaurant Reviews

Lucas Senderowicz | 12 April 2017
Osteria Francescana
4.1
Food:
Service:
Ambience:
Value:
Specialises in:
Cuisine:
Price:
Best time to visit:

While we were planning our honeymoon, part of our trip involved a roadtrip through Europe. I remember how difficult it was to decide on the fine dining restaurants we wanted to visit. The options were endless and the budget, not enough. What was clear though, was that Osteria Francescana was a must!

A few days after the departure from Madrid, we arrived in Modena, a city famous for many Italian wonders: its world renowned vinegar, Ferrari and Massimo Bottura.

Entering Massimo Bottura’s territory, we were greeted by the friendly staff and an amazing pop art painting of Italian artist, Mario Schifano. Retrospectively it was our first clue of the chef’s evident passion for Italy and postmodernism, that we were about to experience.

5parmesan.jpg
foierocher.jpg
SALAD28229.jpg
IMG_3577.jpg
mortadellasandwich.jpg
LEMONCAKE.jpg
image-asset-723.jpeg

It was clear from the first plate that the chef loves to play with food, and admittedly, he does it very well. Who’s going to start a menu with a macaron (stuffed with rabbit) and finish the savoury part with a salad other than him? What about the Foie Rocher? It looked like an almond Magnum stuffed with liquid chocolate but no, it’s a foie gras filled with balsamic vinegar. The real one! Mortadella sandwich in a 3 Michelin star restaurant? It ended up being the best “Mortadella sandwich” we have ever had. What a taste and what texture!

Talking about texture, that is a concept, of which I am sure, Bottura can not live without.

The 5 ages of Parmesan cheese: Where to start? 5 different preparations with 5 different parmesans, all in one dish. For me, that was his best creation and I would dare say the most innovative dish that has ever been made using cheese as main ingredient. Not only it’s not repetitive, it leaves you wanting more. It’s an ode to parmesan.

The crunchy part of the lasagna, a dish that visually looks nothing like lasagna, but it’s exactly what it says. Italian grandmother’s lasagna meets modernism.

As previously mentioned, Massimo likes to play with us. So after offering us a lot of dishes with modern techniques and impossible textures .. Boom! Tagliatelle with Ragu. Or pasta with meat stew. No avant-garde textures, simply one of the classical dishes of Italian gastronomy. Even so, he dominates it to perfection.

image-asset-724.jpeg
image-asset-725.jpeg
image-asset-726.jpeg

How curious, the history behind some of the most famous dishes of the gastronomy world. Apparently, many years ago one of the chefs dropped the last lemon cake on one of the tables in the kitchen. The chef did not know where to hide, but Bottura saw it from a different perspective and Ecola! Oops I drop the lemon tart was born! As for the taste I was not impressed, although for my wife it was THE plate of the night.

In conclusion, Massimo Bottura is a different chef capable of surprising us with almost every one of his creations. Osteria Francescana is far from being the typical Italian restaurant but, if the mammas and the nonas wanted to modernise, they would become Massimo Bottura.

Would I repeat? Yes. Is it the best restaurant in the world? No, but for sure it’s one of the top restaurants in the world.

Photos: Callo Albanese & Sueo and Lucas Senderowicz

BACK TO TOP
Related Articles for Modena
The Weekly Getaway: the gastronomical wonder of Torino
Travel Guides
The Weekly Getaway: the gastronomical wonder of Torino
Turin
4.5
The Weekly Getaway: reminiscing the summer days in Puglia
Travel Guides
The Weekly Getaway: reminiscing the summer days in Puglia
Puglia
4.3
News: an Eataly of things opens in Turin
News
News: an Eataly of things opens in Turin
Italy
The Weekly Getaway: new day, new beach, Sardinia
Travel Guides
The Weekly Getaway: new day, new beach, Sardinia
Sardinia
4.5
Photojournal: Campania and Sicily, Italy's southern beauties
Photojournals
Photojournal: Campania and Sicily, Italy's southern beauties
Italy
Neapoli: traditional meze overlooking the harbour at Naftis
Restaurant Reviews
Neapoli: traditional meze overlooking the harbour at Naftis
Neapoli
4.3
Neighbourhoods: the artsy, up and coming Navigli area in Milan
Neighbourhood Guides
Neighbourhoods: the artsy, up and coming Navigli area in Milan
Milan
3.8
Milan: diving into the past if only for a quick coffee at Giacomo Caffè
Restaurant Reviews
Milan: diving into the past if only for a quick coffee at Giacomo Caffè
Milan
4.3
Milan: flowers and coffee at Fioraio Bianchi Caffè
Restaurant Reviews
Milan: flowers and coffee at Fioraio Bianchi Caffè
Milan
4.5
Milan: Il Salumaio di Montenapoleone, for people-watching and elegant dishes
Restaurant Reviews
Milan: Il Salumaio di Montenapoleone, for people-watching and elegant dishes
Milan
4.0
The Weekly Getaway: forget fashion and design, it's now all about food in Milan
Travel Guides
The Weekly Getaway: forget fashion and design, it's now all about food in Milan
Milan
3.0
Milan: the best pizza at Le Specialita
Restaurant Reviews
Milan: the best pizza at Le Specialita
Milan
4.0
Milan: chic dinner encounters and fine Italian food at Giacomo Bistrot
Restaurant Reviews
Milan: chic dinner encounters and fine Italian food at Giacomo Bistrot
Milan
4.3
Milan: a little bit of Bologna at Trattoria Bolognese da Mauro
Restaurant Reviews
Milan: a little bit of Bologna at Trattoria Bolognese da Mauro
Milan
4.0
Milan: tradition and proper Milanese cuisine at Trattoria di Masuelli
Restaurant Reviews
Milan: tradition and proper Milanese cuisine at Trattoria di Masuelli
Milan
4.5
Rome: best Spaghetti Carbonara at Da Giggetto
Restaurant Reviews
Rome: best Spaghetti Carbonara at Da Giggetto
Rome
4.5
The Weekly Gateway: breath-taking views and timeless elegance in Lake Como
Travel
The Weekly Gateway: breath-taking views and timeless elegance in Lake Como
Lake Como
The Weekly Getaway: down the scenic route of the Amalfi coast
Travel Guides
The Weekly Getaway: down the scenic route of the Amalfi coast
Amalfi
3.9
Photojournal: hashtag Milano
Photojournals
Photojournal: hashtag Milano
Italy
The Weekly Getaway: Celebrating the art of living well in Florence
Travel Guides
The Weekly Getaway: Celebrating the art of living well in Florence
Florence
3.9
The Weekly Getaway: Bologna, land of food, wisdom, and politics
Travel Guides
The Weekly Getaway: Bologna, land of food, wisdom, and politics
Bologna
4.0
Photojournal: from Venice with LoVe
Photojournals
Photojournal: from Venice with LoVe
Italy
Italy: detox hideaway in Sardinia's beautiful and lush countryside
Restaurant Reviews
Italy: detox hideaway in Sardinia's beautiful and lush countryside
Sardinia
Modena: playful Michelin star gastronomy at Bottura’s Osteria Francescana
1 of 11
2 of 11
3 of 11
4 of 11
5 of 11
6 of 11
7 of 11
8 of 11
9 of 11
10 of 11
11 of 11
PREVIOUS
NEXT
CLOSE