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“Six stars ”

Osteria Francescana
Ranked #57 of 871 Restaurants in Modena
Price range: $117 - $348
Cuisines: Italian, Contemporary
Dining options: Breakfast, Lunch, After-hours, Dinner, Reservations
Restaurant details
Dining options: Breakfast, Lunch, After-hours, Dinner, Reservations
Reviewed 17 September 2018 via mobile

Lunch service

Be prepared to enjoy a comfortable ride on the back of chef Massimo’s Ducati.
The small dining rooms are decorated with great art with tables the perfect distance apart. The staff works together in the background to make sure you relax and enjoy your meal. We had a good explanation of each course when served and never felt rushed.
The wine list is young but you can find some top wines to enjoy with the help of the sommelier. I recommend purchasing a few bottles vs the pairings as the food is so good the wine should take a back seat.
The menu features plenty of choices and we were permitted to change a few dishes from one tasting menu to another as long as the table stayed on the same plan.

The drive round trip from Bologna took one hour and was $250E for a private car.

We enjoyed every dish and walked away wishing we could come back for dinner

Date of visit: September 2018
1  Thank Ask2416
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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204 - 208 of 2,713 reviews

Reviewed 15 September 2018

The decor and atmosphere of the restaurant are extremely elegant, subdued tones, you feel welcome. It feels like a special place and experience. Expert service, good sommelier, all these elements match the 3 star expectations. We chose a la carte and most of what we ate was excellent. However, it was not a "sans-faute". Four dishes were at best average: the eel in the Po river was nicer to look at than to eat, as the fish was tasteless. The branzino (seabass) was also quite bland. The tortellini in broth were not as good as in a Bologna trattoria. Worst was the Tiramisu souffle that was simply a failure (a bad coffee mixture). Conversely some dishes were exceptional: the foie gras croccantino was outstanding, the lobster with two foams was so rich of flavour, so was the scampi with caviar. The fives ages of Parmesan would please any cheese lover. The mallard was a bit "mono-taste" and overpowering but still quite good. All amuse-bouche were creative and brilliant. Bread is superb and the grissini are best in the world! Overall a nice experience but not up to the expectation nor the world ranking.

Date of visit: August 2018
    • Value
    • Service
    • Food
Thank Gosgus
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 15 September 2018 via mobile

We have dined at many of the top restaurants of the world and visited here on our anniversary in 2015.

The service here is the worst we’ve experienced in a 3* restaurant.

It is a destination place where you book, travel ages, make big effort and look forward to. As we entered and I took photos our first greeting was “no flash please”, that’s it.

As we dined and ate we were served by a disgusting waiter. He is one of the two twins and serves the wines. If you do get served by him, be careful, any questions we asked or requested were refused and he insulted us enough to bring my wife to tears, at one point he slammed 2 bottles onto our table... total weirdo.

The food here however is 5/5, really interesting dishes, each one is a work of art and you can imagine each dish created and perfected over months.

The feeling I got was of staff that were disinterested because Massimo was not present that lunch, so they dropped their standards because the boss wasn’t watching.

Leaves a sour taste in the mouth.

If you go to El Cellar De Can Rocca for example, you are made to feel like a guest in their home. It does take much to do this.

Date of visit: May 2018
3  Thank Thevman19
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 12 September 2018

My boyfriend and i were excited to try Osteria Francescana but unfortunately we had a very mixed experience. Some of the dishes were incredible but some were over salty and a strange mixture of flavours. The restaurant has no atmosphere at all. The waiters were excellent and attentive, until it came to the end of our meal where we were ushered out of the restaurant without paying and just as we were trying to ask whether the payment came from the card we made the booking with we were practically told off by one of the waiters and made to pay in the hall way. The whole episode was pretty embarrassing.

Honestly I've had better food and better restaurant experiences for half the price.

Date of visit: August 2018
    • Value
    • Service
    • Food
1  Thank CandiceM5
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 9 September 2018 via mobile

Hands down one of the best restaurant experience, from service to food absolutely outstanding. Reservation officially opens 10am Italy time on the first Friday of the month three months ahead, I recommend going online at least 30 mins earlier to get in the queue on time. I was nr 966 in the cue and miraculously managed to book a table on the day I wanted, but I consider that sheer luck, as all the other days were fully booked.

I booked a table for 3 for lunch on a Saturday. Communication with the restaurant regarding allergies was seamless. From entering the restaurant to the follow up email detailing the wine pairing, service was attentive and friendly.

As for the food, it always comes down to personal preference - we had the 12 course tasting menu with lots of sea food, and while I am not overly excited about fish, I found pleasure in the creativity of the menu, and discovering all the flavors making up the dishes.

All in all an outstanding afternoon, with a nice conversation with Chef Massimo, and a lovely farewell gift (balsamic vinegar).

I read some of the "one star" reviews, and for people who base their decision on visiting on reviews here: don't get discouraged. I would suggest to attend this restaurant with an open mind and curiosity, and without expectations. Talk to the staff and connect with them, instead of wanting to be just served. This restaurant is about so much more than just a nicely cooked meal - it is an experiance, an exchange, a conversation. Be part of it, and enjoy!

Date of visit: September 2018
4  Thank annapribeli
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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