Three Michelin stars signify that a restaurant offers exceptional cuisine and is worth a special journey. Was this the case with Osteria Francescana? To find out, we invite you to read on, especially as our visit to this restaurant partially inspired our trip to sunny Italy. But let’s start from the beginning.
Osteria Francescana has been granted three Michelin stars as well as a Green Star, awarded to restaurants operating sustainably. It is located in Modena, a tranquil city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, known for its fine cuisine and fast cars – after all, Ferrari was born here. The restaurant has gained worldwide fame, partly because it was ranked first in the World’s Best Restaurants list in 2016 and 2018. It is also renowned for its head chef, Massimo Bottura, a significant figure on both the Italian and global culinary scenes. He is celebrated for his love of art, local ingredients, and drawing from the culinary heritage of the region and Italy. According to the 2023 rankings, he is placed 11th among the best chefs in the world. All of this promised an extraordinary culinary experience.
The restaurant is nestled in a quiet street, not far from Modena’s centre. The entrance is quite modest, but the Michelin plaques and Best Restaurants signs catch the eye. Upon stepping inside, we were warmly greeted by the restaurant’s numerous staff. Our table was located in a small room with just three other tables, designer lamps, and a large painting of orchids.
At the start of the dinner, we were presented with a card featuring a reproduction of a watercolour by Modenese artist Giuliano Della Casa. The painting depicted a world with blurred outlines of continents. In a similar vein, the menu at Osteria Francescana blurs the boundaries between continents. The entire menu, which we had the chance to sample, is based on local ingredients, drawing from the richness of Italian soil while offering flavours from every continent. This is reflected in dishes such as “East meets West”, “Il Toro”, “Tra le Ande e l’Adriatico”, “Da Gragnano a Bangkok”, and “Holy Mole”. You can also opt for a wine pairing to accompany the menu.
Our nibbles began with thin, long grissini breadsticks served with Tuscan olive oil. They were tasty and crispy, but didn’t leave a lasting impression on us. Then came a series of further nibbles. In a small covered cup, we found a pea broth with dashi made from overcooked pasta. It had a slightly cloudy, intense green appearance and a very delicate flavour – in fact, when compared to the grissini we had just tasted, the broth’s flavour was almost imperceptible.
On a small rectangular plate next to the broth were three snacks. The first was a tartlet filled with eel mousse, beetroot, and caviar – aromatic, texturally interesting, and very pleasant. Next to it was a club sandwich with guinea fowl and a snack called Il Toro – a rice wafer adorned with a bull motif, filled with meat flavoured with smoked paprika. At this point, we must admit that while we were still enchanted by where we were, our positive emotions were beginning to give way to mild disappointment. This was not how we had imagined the beginning of dinner at one of the world’s top restaurants.
Another dish, which we also found to be exceptional, showcased the bounty of the Adriatic in a version inspired by Peruvian ceviche. The ceviche of cuttlefish was served with coriander tigre de leche, and pickled sweet potato and melon. This was unquestionably the best dish of the evening. It was also paired with a fresh, slightly acidic Riesling, which was another brilliant match.
Another dish, which we also found to be exceptional, showcased the bounty of the Adriatic in a version inspired by Peruvian ceviche. The ceviche of cuttlefish was served with coriander tigre de leche, and pickled sweet potato and melon. This was unquestionably the best dish of the evening. It was also paired with a fresh, slightly acidic Riesling, which was another brilliant match.
Next, it was time for the Italian primi, pasta, but with a twist. The classic Italian spaghetti al pomodoro was reinterpreted with a nod to Bangkok’s famous pad thai. The spaghetti was cooked in tomato water, with confit tomatoes placed underneath and basil and coconut milk sauce infused with coriander and kaffir lime as accompaniments. While we appreciated the concept behind the dish, its flavour didn’t captivate us as much as we had hoped.
The first main course was grouper fish cooked in olive oil and served with three sauces – a green herb sauce, a red sauce made from fermented red cabbage, and a white garlic sauce. Thin pieces of dried red cabbage were adhered to the side of the fish, meant to resemble dragon scales, as the dish was inspired by Chinese cuisine. Alongside the fish, there was also a peach reduction with Szechuan pepper. Without this addition, the fish might have been somewhat bland, as the three coloured sauces were quite subtle in flavour. However, we enjoyed the combination of all the elements.
After this brief foray into Chinese-inspired cuisine, it was time for a journey to India, with tandoori prepared from Italian ingredients. This was lamb marinated in tandoori spices, grilled over charcoal, and served with a yoghurt sauce, yoghurt foam with tandoori spices, pickled radish, courgette, and lamb jus. Alongside it, we were given bread, perfect for scarpetta – the Italian tradition of mopping up the remaining sauce with bread. The dish was very tasty, but for us, considering it was inspired by Indian cuisine, it lacked the bold aromas we expected. We understand that these dishes are merely inspired by different cultures, but in this interpretation, many seemed to lack the punch for which they are celebrated on the global stage.
The next dish defied classification, as it consisted mainly of sauces. At the base were crispy bean grains (we weren’t entirely sure, as the dish was introduced quietly, and unfortunately, we didn’t ask for clarification), but there weren’t many of them. Everything was covered with three sauces in different colours, which, when eaten together, were meant to evoke the taste of Mexican mole poblano – a complex sauce with a long list of ingredients. The sauces consisted of raisins and pine nuts, tomatoes and peppers, and hazelnuts and cocoa. The idea behind the dish was to create a Mexican dish using local Italian ingredients. Unfortunately, again, we found it lacking in boldness. Moreover, this dish reminded us of the earlier fish course, which was also based on three sauces in different colours.
Next, we were served a sweet wine along with a snack intended as the savoury-sweet end to this part of the meal. However, due to the predominantly sweet character of the dish, we concluded that the savoury part of the dinner effectively ended with the mole. The snack was upside-down Genoese focaccia served with morels, caramelised peach, and summer black truffle. We have to admit that the flavour was nothing short of brilliant.
After this course, however, came a disappointment. A kind of risotto, inspired by Middle Eastern flavours, was served – made from chickpea flour fregola (a type of Sardinian pasta), baked apricots, saffron, and a hint of rose. This was not our favourite dish of the evening, but of course, taste is subjective.
Our spirits lifted with the next course: almond granita with capers, candied lemon zest, and a hint of coffee. The capers brought a salty note to the dish, creating a wonderful contrast of flavours. The almond granita made us feel as if we were in Sicily – a definite highlight of the evening. As was the key lime pie, shaped like a lime with white chocolate mousse, and candied verbena leaves. The dish also featured the famous sauce splatter, a signature of Massimo Bottura. The dessert was delicious, but we were somewhat disappointed that the same slightly dry wine was served with three consecutive courses, leaving a slightly bitter and unpleasant aftertaste.
The meal concluded with a macedonia fruit salad presented in the form of small chocolates shaped like fruits. There was a sour raspberry with a liquid centre, a banana mousse, coconut with a white centre, and a praline of tomato and strawberry with a tomato stem. It was a playful end to the evening. However, we must admit that the fifth sweet course (including the sweet-savoury focaccia) tested our tolerance for sugar, and we felt that the entire menu lacked balance between sweet and savoury flavours.
To summarise with the positives: we do not regret this visit at all – new flavours, new horizons, and, after all, it is one of the most famous restaurants in the world. It’s worth experiencing firsthand. We were particularly charmed by four dishes – the ceviche, bread ice cream, granita, and key lime pie. The rest, perhaps not as much. The two biggest drawbacks were the overabundance of sweet dishes in the menu and the fact that the same wine was served with three dishes, which wasn’t the best match for them. In terms of the wine pairing, it’s worth noting that in countries with a deep-rooted wine culture, wine descriptions can often be more concise than in Poland. We didn’t learn much about the wines served on this occasion.
As for the service, everyone was very friendly and made sure our evening went smoothly. A lovely touch was the gift we received as we left the restaurant – a bottle of balsamic vinegar from Modena, the culinary treasure of this city.
And we will certainly remember our conversation with the master himself, Massimo Bottura. We learned that many Poles have been visiting the restaurant recently. Greetings to all who have visited or plan to visit this place. It’s certainly worth forming your own opinion on it.