The World's 50 Best Restaurants

No.2. Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy

Caesar salad in bloom (Paolo Terzi)

Nestled down a cobbled street in peaceful Modena, Osteria Francescana is the gem of Italian gastronomy that rose to the top of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants last year in the hands of talented chef Massimo Bottura. But it could have been very different – in its early days, the restaurant almost closed after conservative locals were resistant to Bottura’s daring approach to cooking.

Via Stella 22, 41121 Modena
+39 059 223912
http://www.osteriafrancescana.it/index.php