Italy on a Plate at the Michelin Italian starred restaurants.

To live an authentic Italian experience, really understanding the country at 360 degrees, what you need to do is to “taste” the country. Italy boasts a culinary culture that is deeply rooted in its history: from north to south it is possible to discover diverse and unique flavors. Meat, fish, vegetables and fruit, not to mention bread and pizza: it is really possible to explore Italy by savoring its regional dishes.

But Italian cuisine is not just traditional and home-style, it is also gourmet: the Belpaese is ranked second in the world for the number of Michelin-starred Italian restaurants according to the prestigious culinary guide. The 2019 edition confirmed this important record with over 356 starred restaurants, with 26 new additions including many led by young new chefs.

The famous Michelin food guide’s 2019 edition has awarded three stars to numerous Italian restaurants throughout the country. These are 10 of the Italian restaurants with Michelin stars according to the Michelin guide: Massimiliano Alajmo, Le Calandre in Rubano (Padua); Massimo Bottura, Osteria Francescana in Modena; Chicco Cerea in Brusaporto (Bergamo); Enrico Crippa, Piazza Duomo in Alba (Cuneo); Annie Feolde and Riccardo Monco, Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence; Norbert Niederkofler, St. Hubertus in San Cassiano (Bolzano); Niko Romito, Reale in Castel di Sangro (L’Aquila); Nadia and Giovanni Santini, Dal Pescatore, in Canneto sull’Oglio (Mantova); Heinz Beck, La Pergola, in Rome.

Michelin-starred Restaurants in Tuscany: Enoteca Pinchiorri

Among the best Michelin starred restaurants in Tuscany an honorable mention goes to Enoteca Pinchiorri, where the flavors of its kitchen meets one of the most sought-after of wine cellars, with over 4000 labels. The three-Michelin-star restaurant is located in the 18th-century Jacometti-Ciofi palace in Florence’s city center and has been led by Giorgio Pinchiorri and his wife, chef Annie Fèolde, since 1970. The kitchen creates culinary masterpieces such as the amberjack fish scalded in oil with capers, bacon, leeks and crispy oyster ravioli: an experience for the palate and the senses.

The Unique Flavors of Massimo Bottura in Modena

It has been defined as one of the best restaurants in the world and tops the list of the World’s 50 best restaurants: we are talking about the Osteria Francescana by Massimo Bottura in Modena, where experimentation and research are the masters. In this unique environment, food, contemporary art and music come together to create a total experience. The Modenese chef never misses the opportunity to experiment and offer guests a menu with unusual flavors in which memories of childhood and local tradition mix with the cuisines of the world.

Among the dishes that have made Massimo Bottura a star of the kitchen there is his famous “Five ages of Parmigiano in different textures and temperatures”, a tribute to the goodness of Parmigiano Reggiano, and the “croccantino di fois gras”, a crunchy shell of almonds and hazelnuts that contains fois gras and a heart of Modena balsamic vinegar.

Are you curious to taste the dishes of this Michelin-starred Italian restaurant? With our 8-day tour of Venice, Verona and Emilia Romagna we take you to discover the characteristic city of Modena and its beauties, both cultural and of course culinary.

Three Michelin stars for Heinz Beck, in Rome

A trip to Rome is always an excellent idea: the Eternal City offers some of the most incredible archaeological wonders of the world, breath-taking views and superb cuisine. One of the examples is the three-Michelin-starred restaurant La Pergola in the Rome Cavalieri Hotel Waldorf Astoria, the “home” of chef Heinz Beck and his cuisine of emotions. Dining at La Pergola is an once-in-a-lifetime experience: you can taste some of the most famous dishes of the gourmet world while enjoying the splendid view of Rome. Among the specialties to try are certainly the Fagottelli, one of Heinz Beck’s iconic dishes: it is a creative reinterpretation of the carbonara, the famous Roman dish, served in a totally new key.

The new entry: the Uliassi restaurant in Senigallia

Mauro Uliassi, owner, with his sister Catia, of the restaurant Uliassi, on the pier of Senigallia (Marche), enters the Olympus of Italian cuisine with a Michelin star. In this splendid beachfront location, chef Uliassi dedicates himself to the cuisine of fish and game, creatively interpreting the traditions of the Marche region. Among the dishes created by chef Uliassi we mention the “fusilloni, sea urchins, chicory and sorrel“, an amazing combination of pasta and sea urchins, and the “Loacker of foie gras and hazelnut praline“, an original appetizer with a decisive flavor.

Sitting front of the sea and good food, happiness is a simple thing.