Ristorante Italia di Massimo Bottura opens today

Ristorante Italia di Massimo Bottura, a contemporary Italian fine dining restaurant inside Istanbul's new Eataly opens today.

Massimo Bottura is the highly regarded chef-patron of the three Michelin starred Osteria Francescana in Modena, a restaurant that has been voted best restaurant in Italy many times and currently sits at #3 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list. Whilst Ristorante Italia takes some inspiration from the award winning establishment in Modena, Massimo Bottura's first restaurant outside of Italy is an entirely unique proposition. 

At Ristorante Italia traditional Italian flavours and contemporary cooking techniques come together to bring the very best of the past into the future. Massimo Bottura has reworked 100 classic Italian recipes from the northern Alps to the southern tip of Pantellieria to embrace the diversity and bounty of the Italian kitchen. The resulting dishes form the repertoire from which the menus are drawn. Iconic Italian dishes have been challenged, reimagined and transformed. Mozzarella in Carrozza, Spaghetti Cetarese, Bollito Misto and Tiramisu are just a few of the treasures reworked following critical thought.

Obsessive about seeking out the true flavours of the Italian kitchen, Massimo Bottura reveals their elegance, simplicity and beauty through minimal gestures. Ristorante Italia not only uses the very best imported Italian products but, in the pursuit of excellence, the kitchen sources many of its ingredients from Turkish lands and takes advantage of Eataly's in-house dairy production. Members from Osteria Francescana's longterm team head up Ristorante Italia whilst Massimo Bottura will make regular appearances at the restaurant, which is only a two hour plane ride from home.

Located in the residential Besiktas neighbourhood, just up the hill from the Bosforus, the restaurant sits on the top floor of the immensely popular Eataly. At the centre of the light-filled dining room, over an oak floor is laid a striking Turkish silk carpet in modernist blocks of ruby red, burnt orange and saffron. The distinctive Italian design of both the main and private dining rooms feature lighting by Davide Groppi, leather upholstered chairs by Poltrona Frau and lounge furniture from Bottega Veneta's exclusive home collection. To complete the Italian experience, an outdoor cocktail and gelato bar is found on the landscaped dining terrace with furniture and carpeting by designer Paola Lenti. Overlooking the Zorlu center gardens, the terrace looks back to the walk-in cellar and dining room, its walls adorned with a selection of contemporary art curated by Massimo Bottura.