The 24 best pubs in Modena (2024)

Osteria Francescana is an experience that can not be fully described, it needs to be lived.Upon arrival, guests are welcomed and served by an elegant, skilled, kind, professional, and extremely prepared staff, that will guide and advise you during your permanence. Each dish is presented as a journey inside the chef's mind and vision, and the tasting menu particularly - which I highly advise to try - describes an entire cooking philosophy.Chef Bottura's dishes are exquisitely unique, and represent an Italian food experience like no other. I can't wait to see where his genius, accompanied and supported by a team of visionaries, will take him next.

Of course it's not worth the money but this is a once in a lifetime experience and we all had an incredible time. Fun, tasty and great staff that will ensure a good high end fine dining experience

A meal I won’t soon forget. We ordered the tasting menu but opted to forego the wine pairing. We also supplemented the tasting menu with the 5 ages of parmigiano, which the staff inserted towards the end of our meal right before the desserts.This restaurant is one of the most bold and inventive dining experiences I’ve ever had. Everything was cooked and executed perfectly, but that is table stakes at this level of cuisine. More remarkable was how every dish looked and felt like a massive risk. The food was complex and often challenging, blending together textures and flavor profiles that I never thought could mesh.Not everything hit. There were definitely a few courses that I struggled to fully appreciate. But when it worked (and it certainly did for many) the pay-off was incredible.The dinner was approximately 3 hours and the service was immaculate every step of the way (as you would expect). My only wish is that they explained a bit more the story and the inspiration behind each of the dishes.I probably would not recommend coming here multiples times, but I am so glad I got to experience Massimo’s artistry at least once in my life.

Probably one of the best meals of my life!!! Just as you think you’ve eaten the best dish ever, the next one surpasses it and transports you to another place. This restaurant accommodated my special dietary needs. Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana is a memorable dining experience!

It's quite weird trying review the restaurant or the experience here.Eating in such a restaurant is a privilege and a gift that cannot be explained. Like getting to a whole new world of tastes, excitment about food and spectacular event.The dishes we tried were innovative, different, and new.We came for the classics, those dishes that made this restaurant so famous and popular, and just understood it all.Experience cannot be fully described and be understood, you just need to try it yourself.

Osteria Francescana needs no introduction. The experience is truly exceptional, with each course meticulously thought out. Definitely worth a visit if you ever get the opportunity. Highly recommended

The most special experience, an absolute dream. Service was out of this world, never experienced such a welcoming staff. For 4 hours didn’t feel the need to ask for anything and tempo of the meals and drinks was perfect.I had the vegan tasting menu and my fiancé had a pescatarian tasting menu, both represented the same ideas though some dishes were totally different. As a vegan I’m used to get “good enough” dishes at fine dining restaurants, but here every single dish tasted and looked like much thought was put into it. Best fine dining vegan experience I’ve had, especially in a non vegan (Italian!) restaurant.

It was a long wait for finally dining here. The 12-course tasting menu sounds exciting, though not all the courses meet the high expectations. There are some surprises and interesting tastes and my personal favourite is the desert. Also like the breadsticks. It is a nice experience and one of the bucket list restaurants checked ✅

BEST FOOD I’VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE!!! I never knew how much a dinner could mean to me. Went with my mom and sister for her birthday and we had the “With a Little Help From My Friends” Beatles themed tasting menu with wine pairing for the three of us. We were even lucky enough to meet Massimo himself and talk to him for a few minutes while enjoying his masterpieces. Definitely coming back as soon as possible.

You are warmly greeted by an army of suited-up waiters when you enter, ready to serve your every need and dietary restriction.The food was good and everything you'd expect from various media articles on the restaurant; art on a plate and simply the best ingredients that Emilia Romagna has to offer.Was it worth the price? Yes, if you love to be waited on hand and foot with on point, almost telepathic recommendations from the sommelier.

WARNING: TOURIST TRAP!The breadsticks were great. The rest was okay.Nothing really wowed me in the 320 euro tasting menu. Presentation and ideas were great and there were many “interesting” dishes but no dishes had any real deliciousness and some were downright weird. Pasta that tastes like chocolate cereal. Why? Yes I am impressed but the idea and beauty but it tasted god awful. Why would I want to eat something that tastes like cereal for dinner? Also none of the “classics” were on the menu. Only two or three of the dishes tasted good. Can’t believe this is still considered a top restaurant.The waiters who bring the food read out the food’s description at lightning speed like a robot that memorized a script. I could barely understand what they were saying and it sounded more like text than what someone would say in real life to describe food.$20 for a bottled beer? $15 for Lambrusco?I’d rate three stars if the prices weren’t outrageous.

I have really hesitated writing this review but feel the need to share about the experience we had at Osteria Francescana. Ive had the reservation booked 6 months in advance and our entire vacation was planned around visiting this restaurant.Considering the high rating of this place... our experience was incredibly disappointing.We opted for the "I'm not there" tasting menu, which we were told was a different take on the classic dishes. The flavors were horrible, the textures were off, and overall the food simply did not meet the high standards I had come to expect from a restaurant of this caliber.To make matters worse, when I brought up my dissatisfaction with the waiters, they did not seem to care. I was hoping for some acknowledgment or an attempt to remedy the situation, but instead, my concerns were dismissed.Overall, I was extremely disappointed by my experience at Osteria Francescana. For a restaurant with such a high reputation and price point, I had expected much more. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this restaurant based on my experience.Reading recent reviews of other visitors I can see we are not the only ones that have this poor experience. This was truly a waste of money. It's been a few days since our visit and I have yet to hear on any follow up on our visit from the restaurant.

A lifetime dream come true. Incredible, creative food and knowledgeable and rather fun service, frankly the opposite of what was lamented in the comments. They even welcomed us to have a look at the wine cellar after the meal. The negative comments might originate from the fact that waiters are not super proficient in English and they might consequently be able to add humor and verve to the service.Only one comment, the atmosphere of the place and the menu are a bit "mature". I think that Massimo's experimental phase is drawing to an end and he is now reflecting on his past experiences and this is reflected by the plates as well

The service is superb like a 3 star is supposed to. The ambiance is very elegant and also on top level. The food was good but not completely excellent. Especially the fish and seafood is very good but lacks that stunningly freshness that you have at the seaside. If you have ever had a fish or shrimp at the coast you know what I mean.I feel like attention Netflix brings is not good for restaurants.

We were extremely disappointed. Despite having dined at Michelin-starred restaurants, including those with one, two, and even three stars, our expectations for a certain level of food—innovative, interesting, and, above all, delicious—were not met at all in this case.We opted for the "I'm Not There" tasting menu, which consisted of 16 dishes that were interpretations of the restaurant iconic creations over the 30-year history. Unfortunately, at least four of the dishes simply lacked flavor and failed to impress. While the remaining dishes were passable, none of them stood out as innovative or uniquely delightful. Not a single dish was exceptionally tasty and awe-inspiring enough to leave me wanting more.Adding to our disappointment was the demeanor of the waitstaff. Although they adhered to the expected formalities of Michelin restaurants, their body language and expressions conveyed fatigue and a sense that they were merely going through the motions of serving and explaining the dishes. Moreover, not all the dishes were accompanied by an explanation of their connection to the original creations they were based on.To sum it up, it truly felt like Chef's essence was missing from the menu. We left the restaurant deeply disappointed, feeling that it was not worth the final bill. It seemed as though we were primarily paying for the restaurant's prestigious name and reputation, rather than experiencing the innovative, interesting, and exceptional culinary journey we had anticipated from a restaurant of this level.

Honestly was very excited for this restaurant. The atmosphere, although a tiny bit stuffy, was in line with other restaurants of the same caliber around the world. The place felt a little contrived. Everyone enters at the same hour, so you feel as though you are being watched from every angle. That aside, the staff was mostly comprised of eager students during a 2-3 month internship from surrounding areas. Everyone was kind and friendly, which was refreshing. The sommelier, felt stuffy, but par for the course in a place of the same level elsewhere. Now let’s get to the food— the main heart of the experience which was the reason for attending. We had hoped for a multi course tasting menu, but we were advised to stick to the original a la carte menu, since we were first time diners. Since we were four diners, we decided to try all the dishes that Francesana was famous for. Since we were four people… two of us started with the five aged parmegiano antipasti, which was beyond rich and too heavy to start. We had a few bites of that each, and couldn’t even finish it between four of us. One had the foie gras popsicle w balsamic, which was very novel but would have been too much for one person. The other had the culatta, which was the best dish overall. They served a delicious sticky honey and salt bread, which pair amazingly w the culatta— with everything else, it was too heavy. We did not finish any of the four antipasti, due to the richness of the ingredients. Next up was the 1st course. Two ordered the tagliatelle ragu, which was excellent, but the portion was wasted due to it being too large. It was enough to share. One ordered the oyster/caviar risotto, also excellent, but equally large in size and went to waste. The fourth person ordered the parmigiano tortellinis which was beyond heavy and wasted, because one could only eat a few bites before feeling nauseous. Sickenly heavy and gluttonous, a true waste of good ingredients. Lastly was our third courses. We had ordered two “piggy goes to market”— each plate had large four pieces of pork belly, and some “piggies” cut from giardiniera. I am sorry but this dish was an embarrassment for the restaurant. The portl belly was ok, not tender, not overly tasty. The dish “decorated” with some sauces, and the pigs cut out of vegetables. Maybe this was something exciting 15 years ago, but we couldn’t believe the cost of what the plate was. We are seasoned diners with a world of experience, and we felt that we had been taken advantage of. The lobster dish was meager at best and the foui gras/caviar/meat conconction was the most contrived dish on the planet. I felt sorry for any foolish diner that enjoyed this thinking they were experiencing someone unique because clearly the chef was laughing all the way to the bank on these dishes. Each was flavored to the extreme, and almost inedible due to the heaviness of each bite. We would have been just as happy at the local mercato dining on local delicacies without the pomp and circ*mstance of such a contrived pretentious meal. Lastly, we had three desserts, again almost inedible. The lemon tart was the best of the lot, but not worth the 60 euro price tag. The zuppe inglese was a deconstructed mess with a gelatin overlay and everything underneath was just as good in any other local restaurant. And the last of it included a sacher torte inspired region dessert, which after two bites was equally heavy and rich, and no one could finish it. What a waste of food, not to mention a waste of money. €1600 was the total, we were four people, two adults/two children. One bottle of wine and two aperitivos of sparkling regional wine. I felt completely taken advantage of and honestly completely embarrassed for the establishment. I understand Massimo is a chef of noteriety, and appreciate that he is. But this meal had no resemblance of those qualities of a michelin starred chef, only of s chef whose fame has gone to his head, and he leaves his diners for fools who buy into his scheme. I would not recommend this.

Our very high expectations were not disappointed. We were taken on a culinary journey between tradition and innovation. From the first to the last bite Chef Bottura expresses his stories through unique compositions of flavours. We are still dreaming about the lentil caviar and the golden bread. The only regret: we forgot to ask the Chef for a photo when we met him outside of his restaurant.

It is not often that a restaurant lives up to its high expectations. The food was delicious and the wine pairing was well done. We had a really nice experience with the staff before and during dinner. Fortunately, we met the pastry team out on the street before our dinner service began. Very friendly and welcoming. Meeting Massimo at the end of the meal was a nice touch. If there is something that I did not like - it was the room at the back that we were in as there were only 3 tables and no windows...maybe that is by design as it allowed us to focus on each other and our meal.

From the minute that you step into the unassuming door to the restaurant that is situated in an even more unassuming alleyway in Modena you are greeted with attention to detail. They know you from the start to the finish when you're lucky enough to converse with Chef Massimo about life, food, and everything. What a privilege to experience this. Next bucket list item is to ride motorcycles alongside Chef around the twisty roads that he so lovingly spoke about.

Food: terrible taste, very salty and extremely sweet. Portion is too small and main course is not Michelin standard. The focus of restaurant is on quantity rather quality. It is not worth the price of 325 per person. Way overrated. Tourist trap.Service: staff accent and pronunciation is poor, not able to hear clearly the explanation of the dishes.Overall: wouldn’t come again and recommend anyone to come. Very disappointing experience

Met our expectations. Staff was friendly and welcoming, dishes were well explained and paired with interesting wines. Some courses were not as exciting as others, but all were memorable.Beautiful tableware as well. Standout courses were the pigeon, dessert, "camouflage" and amuse bouche.We left very full and satisfied. Definitely would like to return for lunch to try the a la carte menu as well.