Massimo Bottura's green cat

Set in the grounds of his boutique hotel Casa Maria Luigia, Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant is housed in one of three buildings that Italy’s most famous culinary star acquired in January 2023. Another building right next door is home to an old balsamic vinegar factory that its owner can’t wait to show off: “More than 1,000 wooden barrels are stored in the cellar, some of them dating all the way back to the 1900s,” says Bottura with obvious enthusiasm. He’s always dreamed of owning a vinegar factory, or acetaia, because the best balsamic vinegar in the world is produced right here in Modena, his hometown.