Osteria Francescana is the most celebrated restaurant in Italy and one of the most famous in the world. Chef Massimo Bottura opened it in 1995 in a converted medieval storehouse on Via Stella. It has held three Michelin stars since 2012 and was ranked first on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2016 and 2018. Dishes like "Five Ages of Parmigiano Reggiano" and "An Oops, I Dropped the Lemon Tart" are as much conceptual art as food.
Booking is extremely competitive — the waiting list regularly extends months ahead and the restaurant takes reservations for specific seasons through its own website. The tasting menu runs to several hours and costs upward of €350 per person without wine. If you get a table, cancel nothing else for that day: the pacing and the storytelling are part of the experience. If you cannot get a reservation, Bottura's more casual ventures in Modena and elsewhere offer an easier entry point to his cooking.