A Contemporary, Casual Trattoria
For casual dining, visit Franceschetta 58. It’s very Italian, cosy and fun. It’s a former tyre shop turned contemporary trattoria, with walls decorated with plates, and mixed vintage coloured Murano glasses on the tables. The Modenese bistro of Osteria Francescana has Francesco Vincenzi at the helm with a staff of energetic, talented and dynamic young people in the kitchen and dining room.
“One of The Best Beef Tartares We’ve Ever Eaten”
For a traditional Modenese kitchen, we recommend Trattoria Bianca. It serves handmade pastas such as tortellini in broth, pumpkin tortelli and small cushions of gnocco fritto (fried dough specialty of the Emilia-Romagna region) served with salumi. Be sure to try the trattoria’s exquisite amarena cherry conserve. It also makes one of the best beef tartares we’ve ever eaten. If you go in the summertime, its lovely garden will be open to enjoy.
Our Favourite Bars In Modena
Archer is one of our favourites for its selection of natural wines as well as the lovely street it is on. Marina the sommelier is really top of her game. Our dear friend Jan has a wine bar called Ristretto. It’s a tiny spot on a tinier alley with a view of the Ghirlandina bell tower. The bar has an amazing cheese selection, a beer list from all over the world and wines from Italy and France. This is where Osteria Francescana’s staff go for a drink and a bite after work.
Drinking Coffee In The City
Mon Café is the hot spot for coffee, a light lunch, dinner or just aperitivo drinks around the corner from Osteria Francescana. It’s stylish and very popular so it might be hard to find a seat. It’s run by an ex-Osteria Francescana chef, Alessandro Bertoni. Rival coffee shop Menomoka Coffee & More is a shop and bar that doesn’t have the kitchen of Mon Café. It’s young and dynamic and has portraits and quotes of famous personalities from literature, music and the arts decorating the walls.
Flour Power
Antica Pasticceria San Biagio is crowded and tiny but is one of our favourite spots in town. It also makes the best amaretto cookies in the world. Pasticceria Cibo is a delicious bakery in front of the entrance of the duomo in Modena, famous for its creamy bombolone (Italian filled doughnut). Mercato Albinelli is a beautiful market in the centre of Modena. Just outside of the market is Schiavoni, a cute sandwich shop.
Day Trips From Modena
There are some lovely towns and wonderful places to visit just 15 minutes outside of Modena. Hombre Farm is the Panini family’s Parmigiano Reggiano dairy farm with an antique Maserati car museum. In Spilamberto, there is the Museum of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. Vignola is the cherry capital of Italy and famous for its crumbling castle and torta Barozzi chocolate cake. Finally there’s Castelvetro di Modena: a medieval town on a hillside with panoramic views and lovely country driving.
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