Franceschetta58 — Restaurant in Modena

If you're in Modena and you love food you probably very much want to go to La Francescana, chef Massimo Bottura's temple of italian cuisine and recently awarded as the best restaurant on the planet. But alas, la Francescana is not an easy feat: it takes time and money, as the waiting list is long and the bill could be, as they say, a bit on the dear side. Understandably so, but still.

Enter La Franceschetta 58, a collaboration between Massimo Bottura and renowned chef Marta Pulini, where Bottura's original vision is reinterpreted through the sensibility of Marta. But La Franceschetta is not the little cousin of Francescana, maybe more like a soulmate.

Set at the beginning of "La Vignolese", the road to Vignola, in an unassuming, almost suburban but easily reachable part of Modena (you can even get there by walking a couple miles from the town centre), the restaurant immediately states it identity as you get in: a long social table to accommodate those without reservation - or for a quick lunch - is right at the entrance. Welcoming.

You immediately realize the restaurant is perfectly designed, not a wrong note, and still communicates easiness: the staff is professional but not stiff, on the right tone of warm, stopping just before being friendly, the menu is very well designed to accommodate all needs, and everything that looks easy and casual, from table setting to sound design, is carefully thought.

High quality, confortable ambience and very fair prices seem to be the main notes. Then you order the full course menu, sit back (or don't, if you're on a stool) and enjoy. You order the menu so you can get (May 2016) the Parmesan cream tortellini: something you really should try.

The menu starts with Bottura's own Emilia Burger, that combines beef meat with salsa verde - a classic matching in Emilia's holiday and Sunday tradition. The parmesan cream tortellini follows. Insert a few minutes of awe and silence here - though the orecchiette burro e alici are equally enjoyable.

The pork riblets marinated in soy sauce that follow are slow-cooked as per the barbecue tradition, where the long cooking detaches the meat from the bone and makes it very, very tender so that it melts in your mouth exactly as it should. I can't remember the side dressing (potato cream, could be) but it was amazing.

If you can choose the dessert pick the the Torta sabbiosa as it's traditional.

I believe it's clear where I'm heading: if you're in Modena for once in a lifetime, by no means do all you can to get a table at the Francescana, for the experience (and ok, also to brag with friends), but if you're coming back often this is the first place you should try, as a gradual approach to the Bottura food cult (in a good way) and to enjoy a place that hits the spot between glamorous and unassuming, stylish and welcoming, a star-like menu and very, very, VERY good prices for this level of cuisine.

A must and a real bargain, too. Too bad I didn't get to try the fish, but I'm already planning the next...

What a disappointment. We planned a last minute trip to Milan and thought let’s check out Modena since my partner and I are both Massimo fans after seeing chefs table and appreciating his adaptability, creativity, and respectful style running his kitchen. So much so for our 10 year anniversary we tried to get a reservation at Francescana but it was fully booked, bummer.

Anyway this was going to be toe dip experience into the magic he can create and it fell devastatingly short for the following reasons.

Little bits of service fell flat or didn’t exist at all. There was no offer to take coats so we didn’t have to place them on our chair or aside to us. Wine was occasionally poured by the wait staff but when our wine glasses were empty, we also had to serve ourselves when the wait staff didn’t notice when serving the next course.

Courses weren’t hugely impressive, flavor combinations didn’t excite your palate or peak any new curiosities in an ingredient. Many 1, 2, and 3 restaurants now have their ‘brasserie’ style restaurants as an accompaniment to their higher end experiences. Usually they use less expensive ingredients or processes, leaving you anxious to try their higher end restaurant if you haven’t already or as a routine dinning option when you don’t want to spurge big but still get a taste of the chefs latest creations. This restaurant fails to cultivate interest in either capacity, ultimately feeling like it capitalizes on the name of Massimo/Francescana but lacking the finesse.

The ‘Caccio e pere’ dessert….. where do I start. I can see the vision was well intended but the execution is a complete flop. The last thing we want to be doing at a higher end restaurant is picking at our teeth trying to get semi-raw pasta chunks out. I stopped after two bites and my partner ate the rest of mine out of politeness but thinking that a course has to come with a toothpick doesn’t make the bar for finer dinning. This needs to be reimagined, for a broader audience, not just those who had childhood memories eating dried pasta.

On the positive side, we really liked the sommelier, he called out notes in the wine where you just couldn’t put your finger on it until it was said aloud and you thought ‘yes that’s it!’ The calf’s head salad was also quite nice, the light spice red sauce was a surprise and delight. We also heard the customers next to us say the burger was the best they ever had. So maybe it was the menu we chose but overall we have no plans to return based on our...

Franceschetta 58 delivers a creative and memorable dining experience with incredible food, but the service could benefit from a touch more refinement to match the culinary ambition.

Positives: • The food was, without question, the highlight—beautifully composed, flavorful, and well-executed across the board. • Hot dishes were served on hot plates, a detail that speaks to the kitchen’s attention. • The atmosphere struck a nice balance: relaxed yet elevated, with a good mix of locals dining alongside visitors. • I appreciated the option to add on tortellini—thoughtful flexibility for those navigating a multi-course menu.

Negatives: • Service felt inconsistent and lacked the polish expected at this level. My server attempted to clear a plate while my silverware signaled I was still eating—a small but telling misstep. • Wine pairings (I opted for 4 glasses for 8 courses) were explained in great detail, however I was left confused if the current wine would also pair with the subsequent dish. • Some execution issues with dishes: the octopus was overly salty and quite chewy. • Several service details were off: dessert arrived before a spoon, espresso was forgotten until prompted again, and glassware for the same wine course varied noticeably between tables. • I asked to revisit the tortellini offer mid-meal, but no one followed up. • The seating was notably uncomfortable, and pacing between tables seemed inconsistent (dessert was served to a neighboring table while they were still on their palate cleanser).

Overall: Franceschetta 58 is absolutely worth a visit for the food alone. However, for a restaurant presenting itself at this level, the service needs more consistency and finesse to create the truly seamless experience that diners expect. With some attention to detail on the hospitality front, this place could easily shine...