#3 is the magic number.

PHOTO BY P-A JORGENSEN

Osteria Francescana placed at 3rd position in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants ranking 2013.

Chef Massimo Bottura and his team sit amongst the top 5 in the influential list for the 3rd year.

At Restaurant Magazine’s The World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards ceremony in London tonight, Osteria Francescana climbed even further up the rankings, securing a spot in the top 5 for the 3rd year running. Osteria Francescana has now been the highest ranked Italian restaurant for the past 5 years, cementing Massimo’s position as the leading figure of a new generation of Italian chefs. Bottura and the team were delighted with their new placing which recognises their dedication, passion and shows an appreciation of their cuisine from chefs and critic across the globe.

Since opening in 1995, Osteria Francescana has been no stranger to awards and critical acclaim. It gained its first Michelin star in 2002, a second four years later and a third in 2011. The restaurant entered The World’s 50 Best Restaurants as the ‘highest climber’ in 2009, going straight in at #13. 2010 saw it leap 7 places to a position inside the top 10 and 2011 saw it climb further into the top 5, where it has remained since, with Massimo also taking home the prestigious Chef’s Choice award for Osteria Francescana that year. Most recently, at the very end of 2012, Massimo Bottura was crowned ‘International Chef of the Year’ by US food bible The Daily Meal whilst Osteria Francescana topped The Daily Meal’s list of the 101 Best Restaurants in Europe.

Bottura made several appearances in London in the days running up to The World’s 50 Best Restaurant awards, including a demonstration and presentation at The LAB Festival in Tobacco Dock and the preparation of a signature dish at Harrods for IDENTITÀ LONDON for its “Lunch of a Lifetime”. Both events sold out.

The rest of the year shows no signs of slowing down with appearances at MesAmerica in Mexico City and Cook it Raw in New York both scheduled for May. The lion’s share of the year however will be spent in Modena as Bottura tends to his restaurants and works on a new project to be announced shortly.

ABOUT OSTERIA FRANCESCANA

Osteria Francescana and Bottura’s other restaurant offshoot brasserie Franceschetta58, are both situated in his hometown of Modena, in the culinary-rich region of Emilia-Romagna. In a former osteria, transformed into a Mecca of contemporary culture, Chef Bottura’s plates are adorned with references to experimental art, peppered with social, political and historical implications and laced with a healthy sense of humour.

At Osteria Francescana, tradition is seen from ten kilometres away. Italy’s exceptional ingredients and classic dishes are re-evaluated with the benefit of critical distance, ensuring that the Italian Kitchen is free to evolve. Bottura is dedicated to reconstructing Italy’s cultural heritage- not deconstructing it. This intelligent evolution of Italian traditions can be seen in plates such as “Come to Italy with Me” and “Compression of Pasta and Beans” where the rules have been bent and come full circle, constantly reminding diners of Italy’s rich gastronomic heritage. “Risotto Cacio e Pepe”, for example, is a meditation on tradition created as a direct response to the May 2012 earthquakes in Emilia which damaged nearly 400,000 forms of Parmigiano Reggiano.

Diners are able to choose from the A La Carte menu or from the restaurant’s three Tasting menus: the Traditions menu pays tribute to Emilia Romagna in ingredients, traditions and terroir whilst the Classics menu is a ‘best of Osteria Francescana’ which is updated and revised based on the best plates from that year. The Sensations menu includes seasonal expressions from the experimental kitchen and is constantly evolving.

Osteria Francescana, Via Stella, 22, 41121 Modena, Italy.
www.osteriafrancescana.it

Osteria Francescana is closed for Saturday lunch and all day on Sunday. Reservations are essential

Press Contact: Sarah Canet, Spoon PR, Telephone: +44 207 610 9821, Email: sarah@spoon-pr.com