A dinner in the best restaurant in the world – our city trip to Modena

“Actually, we should seize the opportunity,” was our thought when the Osteria Francescana in Modena received the gold medal for the best restaurant in the world for the second time last June. Zurich: Modena is well-connected by train and is therefore ideal for a short trip in a culinary class of its own.

Since 2002, “the Worlds 50 best restaurants” has annually selected the world’s top restaurants. In contrast to other rankings (such as la Liste), the award of the world’s 50 best restaurants involves over 1,000 expert, anonymous jurors. This gives the list a certain relevance, even if individual positions – such as the excellent 15th place of the White Rabbit in Moscow – certainly raise question marks. Since there are no Michelin stars as a reference point in South America, we dealt with the 50 Best list for the first time at the end of 2017 with a view to our detour to the foodie metropolis Lima. We then visited the current number 6 (Central) and number 7 (Maido) there. The top ranking of Osteria Francescana in June 2018 (already for the second time after 2016) then put Modena on our travel radar.

A Day in Modena: Ferrari, Pavarotti & the Best Restaurant in the World

Modena is located about 170 kilometers southeast of Milan in Emilia-Romagna and is home to some treasures; including the noble “Aceto di Balsamico di Modena” and one of the most outstanding Romanesque cathedrals. Since 1997, the ensemble of the Cathedral, Torre Ghirlandina and Piazza Grande has been classified as a World Heritage Site. Modena is also the birthplace of two important Italians. The founder of the sports and racing car manufacturer Ferrari, Enzo Ferrari, and the opera singer Luciano Pavarotti are the most famous personalities of Modena, along with Massimo Bottura, the chef of Osteria Francescana.

If you want to combine your city trip to Modena with a meal at Osteria Francescana, you need patience. The reservation windows open three months in advance at a fixed time. It took me three attempts until I finally got hold of one of the coveted tables. The reservations only have to be definitively confirmed three days before the upcoming date, which leaves some leeway. But who wants to give up the hard-won place? And so last Saturday we set off early in the morning on our way to Modena. Minus the train ride, we had a window of 25 hours to discover the city and be pampered by the best restaurant in the world.

12 p.m.: Pasta party to kick off

We reach Modena shortly before 12 o’clock and walk straight from the train station towards Trattoria Aldina in the city center. Since we hadn’t made a reservation in advance and good trattorias are popular on Saturdays, we were afraid that we wouldn’t be able to get a seat. Due to the hustle and bustle, we missed the entrance to the restaurant, which is hidden behind an inconspicuous brown door on the first floor. But our haste was by no means unfounded. While we still got a table shortly after 12 o’clock, the restaurant was filled to the last seat less than 10 minutes later. If you don’t get a place right away, you can get on a list and join a queue in front of the door. Two other lunch venues that you can consider as an option to Trattoria Aldina are Hosteria Giusti (online reservation possible – only 4 tables) and the second place run by Massimo Bottura, Osteria Franceschetta 58.

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2 p.m.: Coffee, Cakes & Ice Cream

The Trattoria Aldina is located opposite the historic Mercato Albinelli. Except for Sunday, it is open until 2:30 p.m. (and from 6:00 p.m., depending on the day of the week). At the market you will find, among other things, the local specialty “Amaretti di Modena”, which goes perfectly with a macchiato.

And since there is no trip to Italy without ice cream for me, we headed for the Gelateria Bloom afterwards. If Osteria Francescana is the best restaurant in the world, then Gelateria Bloom is at least the best gelateria in Emilia-Romagna – the seasonal ice cream flavors taste divine!

4 p.m.: fast cars & opera stars

Enzo Ferrari or Luciano Pavarotti? Looking at the map, we quickly made the decision as to which of the two personalities we should now dedicate ourselves to. The Museo Enzo Ferrari is in walking distance of the city center, while the Casa Museo Luciano Pavarotti is about seven kilometers south of the city center. The Ferrari Museum gives an outline of the development of the local automotive industry and displays selected Ferrari models and engines. I’m definitely not car-savvy, but I think it’s still worth the visit (admission single ticket 16 euros).

6 p.m.: Aperitivo o’clock

Similar to the gelati, the aperitivo is also a must for me on a trip to Italy. A casual place for this is the Mon Cafè on Corso Canalchiaro. The owners of the restaurant also run a bed and breakfast (B&B Quartopiano). Due to our last-minute decision to actually implement the weekend trip to Modena, the B&B was unfortunately already fully booked. Otherwise, we would have liked to stay there (even if the booking procedure is cumbersome, as there is no occupancy plan online and you have to request the availability of the rooms by email).

8 p.m.: Fine Dining at Osteria Francescana

Then the time has come, dinner in currently the best restaurant in the world is on the program. Osteria Francescana is discreetly hidden behind a pink façade. I am pleasantly surprised at how small and familiar the restaurant is. The tables are spread over different rooms – we are in a room with a total of three tables. There are a total of 12 tables.

It is possible to order from the menu. However, we had already agreed in advance that we would taste the “Tutto Menu” including wine accompaniment. It’s expensive fun (costs: menu 270 euros, wine accompaniment 180 euros), but it’s worth it!

Massimo Bottura’s creative streak is already evident in the name of the individual dishes. What’s behind “Quando mia mamma incontro Bocuse”? As a red line, the integration of local products such as Parmesan and Aceto di Balsamico runs through the menu. I like an easy-to-understand cuisine that knows how to unfold flavor bouquets without a lot of frills. And that’s exactly what Osteria Francescana does. The fact that a tasty sweet Sauternes is served with the fifth course – even before the main course – may be irritating. But it fits the sweet and tart interplay of the menu and the title of the course – we have arrived at Bocuse here. Later, as we try our way through the three components of the main course, the chef himself makes the rounds, chatting with the guests in a relaxed manner and grinning when I ask him if his mom had actually met Bocuse. The sweet wine for the soufflé variation à la Bottura is then – as I suspected – to be understood with a wink.

Even if we are not fans of superlatives and the title “best restaurant in the world” may be sensational, at least this year the title is held by someone who knows his craft and has remained grounded despite constant success. Even if the gold medal is handed to another chef at the next award, Massimo Bottura’s cuisine is still awarded three Michelin stars.

The individual components of the “Tutto Menu” change regularly. We were served the following sequence (the pictures are shown in the appropriate order):

Amouse Bouche
Autumn in New York as the journey of the eel
Burnt (Calamaribrühe mit einer «Tintenfisch-Waffel»)
Mediterranean Sole
Wagyu no wagyu (das eigentlich Schweinebauch ist)
When my mom met Bocuse (Soufflé mit Pilzen & Schnecken)
Five ages of Parmigiano Reggiano, in different textures & temperatures
Ravioli of roasted potatos in roasted Guines hen sauce
Guinea hen a la Crete… tribute to the Cantarellis
Guinea hen crunchy skin, savor livers & truffle
Pumpkin risotto
Oops! I dropped the lemon tart (Titelbilde des Beitrages)
Friandise

9 a.m.: Café Nostalgie

Dinner at Osteria Francescana lasts until shortly before midnight, so we start Sunday at a leisurely pace. Recommended are the nostalgic Caffetteria Giusti as well as the Ristrettocafè (but closed on Sundays).

11 a.m.: City stroll

We had hoped that the sun would be able to assert itself on Sunday morning, but the thick layer of high fog does not loosen. Nevertheless, we take a tour through the pretty old town streets with their rainbow-colored façades. Only the detour to the Torre Ghirlandina is a disappointment. The landmark of Modena does not offer us a great bird’s-eye view over the city center as expected, but welcomes us with dirty windows and close-meshed grids. Well, what a pity! It is possible that the windows will be removed in the summer months: otherwise, you can confidently save the three euros.

1 p.m.: Arrivederci

Finding a nice place that is open on Sunday lunchtime is tricky. Most restaurants remain closed. If you are in the mood for traditional food again, the Ristorante da Enzo is recommended at this point. Not far from there is the relatively new Pinseria Tre Farine, which opened in 2018 and also serves delicious Pinsa variations on Sundays at a fair price.

Practical tips for your weekend trip to Modena

• We stayed at the Hotel Cervetta 5 (partner link) in a central location (5 minutes from the cathedral and 10 minutes from the Osteria Francescana). One night in a double room cost us 127 euros with breakfast and taxes.
• Modena can be reached from Zurich main station by train with one change in Milan in 5.5 – 6.5 hours. We bought the train tickets at short notice (online via sbb.ch) and paid with GA 87 CHF for the round trip.
• The reservation window for the coveted tables at Osteria Francescana opens at 10:00 a.m. on the first of each month (three months in advance). More information can be found on the restaurant’s website. 3 days before the date, the reservation must be definitively confirmed: before that, you can cancel at any time free of charge.
• You can find many more helpful tips about Modena on the blog My Modena Diary.
• A weekend trip to Modena can be combined with a trip to Bologna and Parma.