Food & Drink
Inside Gucci's new restaurant in Florence, Italy
Francesca Street, CNN • Updated 11th January 2018
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(CNN) — The fashion world is known more for skipping lunches than indulging in them -- but it might make an exception for a new restaurant opened by Italian designer Gucci.
Gucci Osteria, in the Italian city of Florence, is a marriage of minds between Michelin-starred chef Massimo Bottura and Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele.
The restaurant is part of the new Gucci Garden complex, the renovated Gucci Museo next to Florence's Palazzo Vecchio that includes a store selling exclusive Gucci goods.
It serves up Bottura's eccentric takes on classic Italian dishes in a spectacular, patterned space -- without a designer price tag.
Sensory experience
The stylish Gucci Osteria is the brand's first restaurant.
Courtesy Gucci
Bottura is the dynamic mastermind behind the three-Michelin-starred eatery Osteria Francescana in the Italian city of Modena. It was named the world's best in 2015 and 2016.
For Gucci Osteria, the chef has created a striking menu designed to complement Gucci's iconic brand.
"Traveling the world, our kitchen interacts with everything we see, hear and taste," Bottura said in a statement. "With eyes wide open, we look for the unexpected and next éclat."
The exterior of the Gucci Garden creative space.
Courtesy Gucci
The interior of the restaurant is designed to make its great cuisine stand out -- and references Gucci's cultural heritage.
"The restaurant is a reminder that Florence has always been a center of cultural exchange, particularly during the Renaissance," adds Bottura.
The walls of the green-hued space are engraved with gold lettering spelling out lines of "Canzona of the seven planets," a traditional carnival song by 15th-century Italian statesman Lorenzo de' Medici.
Pink-patterned plates and stylish monochrome napkins add to the Gucci aesthetic.
Into the garden
Even the crockery fits the Gucci aesthetic.
Courtesy Gucci
The menu features dishes that include a fancy burger (€15/$18), a Chianina hot dog (€15), steamed bun with pork belly (€15) and, of course, tortellini in Parmesan sauce (€20.
The menu might appeal to fashion-conscious travelers looking for a slice of Gucci glamor. The restaurant's beautiful interior should make it a regular on Instagram feeds.
After gorging, visitors can explore the exhibitions inside Gucci Garden.
These include"GUCCIFICATION" which explores the history of the fashion house's logo and a red-velveted cinema auditorium that broadcasts experimental short movies.
The Gucci space also host art installations and exhibitions.
Courtesy Gucci
"The past is very much part of the present at Gucci, which is perfectly in keeping with Alessandro's idea of the brand," curator Maria Luisa Frisa said in a statement.
