Massimo Bottura
Massimo Bottura opened Osteria Francescana in Modena in 1995. An innovator and restaurateur for more than thirty years, Bottura has consolidated his reputation as one of the world’s most innovative culinary figures. His internationally renowned three-Michelin-starred restaurant, Osteria Francescana, was nominated number 1 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2016 and for the second time in 2018. It has been part of the Best of the Best list since 2019, a category including all restaurants that ever ranked first in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
Massimo Bottura’s journey began in 1986 with the acquisition of Trattoria del Campazzo, on the outskirts of Modena. Bottura consolidated his culinary bases on a combination of regional Italian cuisine and classical French training with the assistance of the traditional heritage of rezdora Lidia Cristoni – in Modenese dialect the lady who makes fresh pasta – working by her side in the Campazzo kitchen and a weekly apprenticeship with French chef Georges Coigny at his restaurant in the hills of Piacenza. In 1994 Bottura sold Campazzo to leave for Montecarlo to work alongside Alain Ducasse at Louis XV. This experience, recognized as one of the most valuable by the chef himself, led him to open Osteria Francescana a year later in his hometown of Modena. During the summer of 2000, Bottura left for the Costa Brava to complete yet another life changing experience cooking at El Bulli with Ferran Adria.
The Osteria Francescana cuisine combines tradition and innovation. Its dishes explore the deep roots of the Italian cuisine while making references to history, art, literature and philosophy. In 2002, Bottura received his first Michelin star followed by the second in 2006. Among the numerous awards is the prestigious “Grand Prix de l’Art” from the International Culinary Academy in Paris in 2011. In late November 2011, Osteria Francescana was finally awarded the third Michelin star, a confirmation of the chef’s lifelong ambition. Osteria Francescana is ranked at the top of the Italian food guides ever since.
Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef is the title of Massimo Bottura’s first English language book published by Phaidon Press in 2014. It documents twenty years of cooking as well as the evolution of Osteria Francescana cuisine through images, storytelling and iconic recipes.
Massimo Bottura is acknowledged, among other things, for his commitment against food waste and social isolation, calling for social responsibility among the culinary community, since his participation at Expo2015 in Milan.
During Expo, the chef created an off-site project called Refettorio
Ambrosiano, in order to tackle the problems of hunger and food waste as two sides of the same coin. Since the birth of the project, more than sixty chefs from around the world joined Bottura in his community kitchen to transform food surplus into healthy meals for those in need. As a consequence of the success of the project, in 2016 Massimo founded the non-profit organization Food for Soul together with his wife Lara Gilmore. Since then, Food for Soul has established Refettorio projects around the world: Refettorio Gastromotiva in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Refettorio Felix in London, UK; Refettorio in Paris and three projects in Italy: Refettorio Antoniano, Bologna and Refettorio Made in Cloister, Naples. During the 2020 and 2021 pandemic, Food for Soul continued to serve meals and support local communities in the fight against food waste and social isolation. Refettorio Mérida, Mexico, and Refettorio Lima, Peru, opened in 2020, along with the Refettori Harlem, New York and San Francisco, California. In 2021, it was the turn of Refettorio Geneva, Swtizerland, and Refettorio OzHarvest, in Sidney, Australia, while other projects are currently under development.
In order to engage the general public in the fight against food waste, Massimo Bottura collected recipes and experiences of the chefs who cooked at Refettorio Ambrosiano in a book called Bread is Gold, published by Phaidon Press in 2017. Proceeds from the sale of the book help Food for Soul sustain community kitchens around the world.
On February 6th, 2017 Bottura received the prestigious Honorary Degree in Business at the University of Bologna. Dean Francesco Ubertini stated: “Massimo Bottura’s work spreads across the fields of entrepreneurship, education and technique and represents a virtuous example of the promotion of Italian Culture and Made in Italy.” This was the first Laurea Honoris Causa awarded to a chef in the history of the University. On April 23rd, 2018, the Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara awarded Bottura with a diploma honoris causa in Art as well.
While Osteria Francescana invites diners on an iconoclastic re-imagining of the Italian cuisine, Bottura’s second restaurant, Franceschetta58, is a bistro that features exceptional ingredients served in a convivial atmosphere. With his menu, head chef Francesco Vincenzi interprets Emilian culinary culture with a contemporary look, influenced by his many gastronomic travels.
Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura also opened in 2018 in Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance, with the desire to honor the marriage between local traditions and multicultural encounters. The menu, created by Mexican chef Karime López, aims to celebrate her culinary experiences around the world through the use of best quality Italian ingredients: the restaurant was awarded its first Michelin Star in 2019.
In early 2020, Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura opened its doors to the public in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, and more recently, in Tokyo, Japan in August 2021, and in Seoul, Korea in February 2022, with great success as
well.
2019 saw the birth of two more projects: first, the opening of Torno Subito in Dubai, in collaboration with W Hotels Worldwide, the first restaurant outside of Italy, which takes its guests on a journey back to the 1960s Italian Riviera, with a sophisticated yet relaxed atmosphere. The same year, Massimo Bottura and his wife Lara Gilmore opened Casa Maria Luigia, a 12-room guest house on an 18th-century property surrounded by the agricultural landscape of the Emilian countryside, manicured gardens and contemporary art, with the desire to extend the art of hospitality beyond the doors of Osteria Francescana. Within less than a year of opening, the property was featured in Wall Street Journal Magazine, Travel and Leisure (Spain), Vogue Living (Brazil), Elle Décor (Italy) and was rewarded with a prestigious prize for the best dining experience in 2019. FRANCESCANA at Maria Luigia is a dining experience that takes place in a renovated carriage house with open kitchen and communal tables. The culinary journey features a 9-course tasting menu with a selection of the most iconic dishes from Osteria Francescana including “Five Ages of Parmigiano Reggiano in different textures and temperatures”, “The Crunchy Part of the Lasagna” and “Oops! I Dropped the Lemon Tart”.
On June 15th, 2021 Massimo Bottura reopened the Cavallino restaurant in collaboration with Ferrari, with the desire to give new light to this iconic place that represents the history of Ferrari and the culinary traditions of Emilia Romagna. Today, the kitchen of Enzo Ferrari’s historic restaurant is run by modenese chef Riccardo Forapani, who arrived at the Cavallino after 13 years of experience at Osteria Francescana. He serves a cuisine that delicately balances traditional cooking and innovative culinary techniques, using the best local ingredients and artisanal products.
In addition to the restaurant business, Massimo is the founder and curator of the Villa Manodori product line of award-winning balsamic vinegar and olive oil, expressing a lifetime pursuit of quality ingredients. Today the complete product line can be purchased online and in the finest gourmet shops around the world.
In March 2020, at the beginning of the Italian lockdown, Massimo Bottura and his daughter Alexa launched Kitchen Quarantine, an Instagram live event in which the Bottura family opened up its home kitchen to millions of viewers. The family laughed, cooked and read poetry together as a way to interact with families all over the world while demonstrating good and ethical practices in the kitchen to reduce food waste.
Kitchen Quarantine won a Webby Award for bringing good cheer and humor to the audience during one of the darkest periods of our modern history.
In September 2020, Massimo Bottura was appointed Goodwill Ambassador under the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on the occasion of the
inaugural International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste. The appointment was in recognition of his humanitarian work done through Food for Soul, Tortellante and his ongoing commitment to fighting food waste globally. In 2020, Osteria Francescana was awarded with the new Michelin Green Star for its commitment against food waste and in favor of a more equitable and sustainable food system.
Reservations for all restaurants can be made online at www.massimobottura.it
Francescana Group office: [email protected] – [email protected]
Osteria Francescana, Via Stella 22 Modena, Italy www.osteriafrancescana.it
Food for Soul, Via Rua Muro 85, Modena, Italy www.foodforsoul.it [email protected]
Casa Maria Luigia, via Stradello Bonaghino, 56, San Damaso, Modena, Italy www.casamarialuigia.com
[email protected]
Franceschetta58, Via Vignolese 58, Modena, Italy www.franceschetta58.it
Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura
Florence, Italy: Piazza Della Signoria, 10 – [email protected] Beverly Hills, USA: 347 N Rodeo Dr – [email protected] Tokyo, Japan: 6-6-12, Ginza, Chuo-ku – [email protected]
Seoul, Korea: 223, Itaewon-Ro, Yongsan-Gu – [email protected] www.gucciosteria.com
Torno Subito, W Dubai – The Palm, West Crescent, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai www.tornosubitodubai.com
[email protected]
Villa Manodori, Via Stella, 22, Modena, Italy www.villamanodorifood.com [email protected]
