Francescana at Maria Luigia — Restaurant in Modena

Tasting menus can be disappointing. They are usually full of imagination and well-executed but can be pretentious and leave one unsatisfied (every plate seeming to not quite make a meal, the gap being plugged by extras at the end). If the explanation of the broken lemon tart appeared to be turning a mistake into a marketing gambit, my suspicion was allayed by 2 things: first the execution of the dish itself, which stacks flavours that would otherwise have been presented in 2 dimensions (it would have been easier to eat from a smooth plate, but the lined one plays into the game) and secondly the appearance of Massimo himself, which was so clearly motivated by genuine interest and not a need to bask in celebrity. Famous chefs don't have to and often don't turn up in their 'other' restaurants; no-one would have been any the wiser if he had not. And what came out in the conversation was a man who is up to things that improve quality of life, like planting traditional wheat on his land and making bread from it (one antidote to that modern phenomenon, gluten intolerance). Corroborated by other restaurateurs I met subsequently.... Apart from that, there wasn't a dish I didn't thoroughly enjoy, the twice-cooked veal (for instance) being so tender you could have spread it on bread and the accompanying Damian Hirst-inspired sauce medley creating not only a piece of wild art but also being an effective technique for mixing flavours on the plate. So (despite - and my one concession to cost-consciousness in this review - the €30 per glass for good but not outstanding wine) I came away reflective and with a big smile in my heart about the experience: beautifully conceived food by a committed and evolving team (which also willingly received some feedback on the cooking of a dish), solicitous service, an hospitable cadre (I enjoyed the company of the 'strangers' I was with) and a philosophy that makes money because it is engaging...

I cannot say enough nice about this BnB and restaurant. My only regret is that I only have 5 stars to give. they can accommodate for many dietary restrictions

Honestly, It was one of the best experiences of my life. The day started out with Laura Gilmore meeting us in the front of the hotel. You are greeted like an old friend being welcomed into their home. I think that sums up the entire experience, you are a guest in their home and they are treating you like an hold friend. Once you get inside, They show you are the house and give you a tour. There is an amazing kitchen with snacks and drinks - and as you would expect these are not your standard “hotel snacks”.

The room is great (beds are nice), the hotel is amazing and on an amazing piece of land, and the staff is outstanding.

As for the dinner, it was to die for. It’s a small room with 3 tables, and each table sits one party (this could be a COVID change, as I have read other places you sit with other people).

Massimo Comes by the table personally to greet each table - he is very kind and engaging. We were the only English speakers there, so the staff would have to describe the dishes to us. There English was great. My wife has a shell fish allergy and they modified the menu for her.

It was a 9 course meal (be prepared for an Italian style dinner, from start to finish it was about 3 hours). The dishes are reimagined dishes that are classics from Mossimo’s youth. The “Crunchy part of the lasagna” was my favorite.

This is a magical place. even if the price is scary for you, it’s worth saving up and doing this while you are in Italy. This experience will forever be one of my favorite times during my...

Definitely a great experience!! If you watched chefs table and loved it then this is a wonderful way to experience Bottura’s greatest hits!! But just know you are definitely going more for the performance of it. Was it the most incredible food I’ve ever had? Eh not really. It LOOKED beautiful though. The biggest turnoff was not having anyone translate the description of each dish. 90% of the room was English only speaking and the servers and chefs spoke English. So when it came time to present each dish and tell us the description and history of it, it was really disappointing that it was only given in Italian to the one table that could speak it. The rest of us just kind of looked around the room waiting. When we later asked our waiter what was said he gave a brief description and that was it. Meeting Massimo Bottura and seeing him in his element was awesome but to pay that much for the meal and not get the full experience...