Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura — Restaurant in Florence

I enjoyed my gastronomic experience at Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura overall but still felt that there was something lacking.

I opted for the nine-course 'Come to Italy with Us' menu degustazione, but found that there were more courses that I disliked than liked. However, the elements that I did enjoy completely impressed me to the point that I will continue to think about them long after the meal has been eaten! I will begin with the positives and say that the purple corn tostada absolutely lives up to its reputation. The Adriatic marinated bonito was some of the most delicate, flavourful, and tender marinated fish that I have ever had. The pairing of the corn tostada with the crispness of the fresh radish and creamy avocado made for a sublime dish that was perfectly executed. Another favourite of mine included the risotto which was playful, beautifully presented, and packed a lot of beautiful citrus notes. I also want to mention the dessert course which was comprised of mozarella di bufala, tomato, basil and, strawberry. The dessert was spectacular—refreshing and invigorating in the best way due to the marriage of flavours. The presentation of the dessert was also exceptional and the combination of textures really made for an incredible experience.

Unfortunately, the rest of the courses did not resonate with me. The chawanmushi, mushroom, and shrimp course was overly salty and the flavour profile was imbalanced to the point where the fragrant sauce made me nauseous. The crispy cod was served with a light sauce that actually turned the cod soggy; the flavours were strong and acidic but unpleasant. The rice, peas and pecorino course was meant to act as a refreshing in-between, but it rather fell flat. The flavours of this course were bland, unimagined, and disappointing for a restaurant of this caliber. Lastly, the cannoli and fried eggplant were my two least favourite courses. I could not take more than half a bite of the cannoli. The ragu is meant to create a playful 'cannoli' that is savory; however the oil in the cannoli shell was overbearing and made it completely inedible. The chef intended to cut through these heavy flavours with a hint of citrus, but it is not enough to distract from the intense, gamey flavour of the meat. The chocolate mole and chianina accompanying the eggplant was quite good; however the deep fried eggplant really took away from the overall course. I could not finish this one either after taking one bite.

Finally, I was presented with the 'Historic Compromise' which really was a welcome surprise: classic tortellini with parmigiano reggiano cream and truffles. I sincerely enjoyed the playfulness of this 'final hour' course and was amused at the nod to Chef Massimo Bottura. I completely agree with his ideology that it is never a bad time for tortellini! Throughout the meal, I could see his influence on Chef Lopez's creations, however I feel as though the overall menu degustazione was not cohesive enough to impress me. It is obvious that specific courses are meant to act as a respite from the overly deep fried, heavier contents of others, however they simply fail to refresh the diner. I feel that as I was getting further into the meal, I was almost dreading the next course.

I must of course also mention the impeccable service and opulently furnished restaurant. Attention to detail is not lacking in any which manner, whether we are discussing the plating of the gastronomic offerings or the interior design of the dining room. The plating of each course was likely some of the most beautiful I have ever seen, and I do not impress that easily. While the menu itself may lack in cohesiveness, the presentation of the courses was incredibly thought out; I was particularly impressed by the dinnerware used for the eggplant and risotto dishes.

All in all, a beautiful restaurant located by a historic piazza that has so much potential. I believe I will come back and opt for the à la carte menu just to eat the purple corn tostada again and maybe experience some...

I love when a brand stays “on-brand” and Gucci didn’t disappoint. The moment you walk in, there is a subtle floral note in the air, you wouldn’t even detect it if you don’t pay attention. Next your bag (regardless of the brand “ is given the respect is deserved and a stools or side table are provided just for that. The walls with the signature Gucci greens, the China green it’s the pink flowers and ornamental touches on the floors and even serpent wrapped table legs. The linen on the tables is edges with black lace and the bread sticks are served in a lovely vase. The only boring detail was the silver 😂

The meal started with the Tuscan Focaccia (schiacciata) and bread sticks. As you might know, Tuscan bread is not typically made with salt but this didn’t take away from the lovely flavor on this toasted bread… there was even a slight peppery hint that I detected at the end of each bite. A special note, if you can get the noisette butter, do it right away! It’s with its weight in gold. And no, I asked, you can’t buy that butter anywhere. Next up the amuse bouche with three totally different profiles. The deconstructed Pappa al pomodoro was intense and wonderful. Filled with 24 month aged Parmesan and topped with dried tomato powder. The taco with the artichoke cream was subtle and perfectly complex in texture: crunch and thick but light cream. The granita was delightful and had layers of fruit flavors ending with the surprising cream at the bottom. The purple corn tostada was a playful dish. It begged to be touched so you can discover it’s depths. My waiter recommended I use my knife to break the taostada but I felt that I wanted to do it slowly without squishing everything. I wonder how others go about playing with this dish. Think green has a decidedly Asian influence from the flavor to the ingredients. The cucumber, trout eggs, custard, asparagus and flower petals in a umami bomb of a vegetable broth. The crispy code dish was very fishy… I don’t mind it, but I am not used to having very fishy fish at restaurants of this caliber… I associate it with spoiled fish. I did like the delicacy of everything else, from the crunch on the fish to the nuts in the broth. The pronto Luisa dish was fascinating in its simplicity. I thought the asparagus was zucchini for a minute but as soon as I picked one with pocorino the asparagus notes were a little more obvious. The steak with rossini’s sauce hit the spot, I love my steak medium rare or rare and the sauce with the caviar was a great combination.

For “pre-dessert” it started with daikon slices tipped in gold, almond reduction, and citrus in almond syrup water. The risotto comes with a toasted caper. Have you ever had a toasted caper before? Neither have I! Why don’t we have them as a snack that comes in bags like chips or toasted chickpeas? I am a fan.

The carrara piece of art, was many layers of technique and flavors. Delicate basil, perfumy strawberry, and the mozzarella di bufala were great.

The guests near me had their phone on speaker and were talking to people the whole time, and the limited tea selection was the only disappointing part of the meal. I just needed one tea option that wasn’t caffeinated, a tisane of some sort, mint or even chamomile or lavender would have been just perfect.

For dessert, the chocolate beignet (not fried but felt a little more cakey than a choux) was filled with a hazelnut mousse with crunchy chocolate balls and topped with more chocolate and caramel disks.

They have one seating for lunch. Budget 2.5 hours for the 9 course experience.

I made a last minute reservation while I was in Florence and was able to get in...

I made a reservation moths prior as I was travelling and wanted to ensure I would be accommodated upon arrival. I added my credit card as requested, received a text and a few emails to confirm my reservation I followed the instructions as requested. I even called to confirm the day prior as we where going to celebrate my moms 65th birthday !

My party and I arrived a few minutes early on the reserved date and time. There was an American couple ahead of us in line and I could hear them explaining that they had arrived a day earlier than their reservation and were wondering if they could get a table.

They were accommodated! Seated in the doing room at a table with a view of the square!

Then it was our turn, I showed the manager our reservation email and texts which confirmed our reservation for the correct day and time. He had us sit to the side and brought a glass of Prosecco to enjoy while we waited for our table.

He came back to tell us that he could not find our reservation and we had the option of sitting outside at their garden restaurant(different menu- different location - different restaurant!!! NOT what I booked), or they could set up the private room for us - we choose the private room- BIG MISTAKE- turned out the “private room” was their staff room - a dark room in the back right outside the kitchen next to the dish washing pit!!

They made us wait another 20 minutes before bringing us to this dark room in the back of the building- it was awful - before we had anyone come to give menus many staff walked in appearing to be presenting for the start of their shift and where surprised to see us sitting at a lonely table in the dark (poorly lit room)…

We couldn’t take the noise of the kitchen and the fact that we were literally in the dark - we left !

All the manager said as he saw us leaving was that “this same thing (“loosing the reservation”, even though I had proof of the reservation and there was still a hold on my credit card for the reservation), happened with another group who looked like you a few weeks ago”.

I was hungry and upset so this statement didn’t sink in until later and I wasn’t going to do anything because what can I do ?! I’m a tourist in a foreign country just trying to enjoy a beautiful atmosphere and what I thought would be delicious food …

Instead I got racism on a platter ! I’ve been to Florence at least 10 times and never experienced this type of behaviour!

They let a white American couple who admittedly did not have a reservation into the restaurant over a Black Canadian (let’s be real they probably thought we where American as well), couple who had a reservation !

I do NOT recommend this place they were horrible to us ! Go literally anywhere...