Osteria Francescana
Osteria Francescana features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Modena. Give it roughly ~180 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~180 min
- Modena Modena guide
About Osteria Francescana
Massimo Bottura's three-Michelin-star restaurant in Modena was named the World's Best Restaurant twice (2016 and 2018), transforming traditional Italian cooking into avant-garde culinary art.
Osteria Francescana, located in a 16th-century palazzo in the historic centre of Modena, is one of the world's most celebrated and influential restaurants. Founded in 1995 by Massimo Bottura, it was awarded its third Michelin star in 2011 and subsequently named the World's Best Restaurant by the prestigious San Pellegrino/Restaurant Magazine rankings in 2016 and again in 2018. Bottura is one of the most innovative chefs of his generation, renowned for his conceptual approach to cooking in which traditional Italian ingredients and recipes are deconstructed, reimagined, and recomposed into entirely new culinary experiences. His most famous dishes include "Oops! I dropped the lemon tart" (a perfectly round lemon tart deliberately smashed and presented as-fallen), "Five ages of Parmigiano Reggiano in different textures and temperatures," and "A memory of a mortadella sandwich." The restaurant has only around 12 tables and requires reservations months in advance. Bottura has also become famous for his social activism: after the 2015 Milan Expo, he created "Refettorio Ambrosiano," a canteen serving meals to the homeless made from surplus Expo food, a project that spawned a global network of social canteens.
Did you know? Osteria Francescana was named World's Best Restaurant in 2016 and 2018, the first Italian restaurant ever to receive the top honour in the San Pellegrino 50 Best Restaurants ranking.
How long is a visit to Osteria Francescana?
Set aside roughly ~180 min for Osteria Francescana. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Osteria Francescana worth your time?
Osteria Francescana is among the 18 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Modena, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Modena
Hear the story of Osteria Francescana
Preview the Modena tour free in the Gingerguide app.