Welcome to the No. 1 restaurant in the world @osteriafrancescana. Yes, I can confirm that upon arrival you are greeted by pigeons pooping on a plastic bag.

“We chose an oyster shell as the container for the sensation of a place that exists in reality as well as in our minds. Ironically, there is no oyster inside the shell. There is a raw cured salt-marsh lamb chopped by hand into a tartare. There are a few drops of freshly pressed mint to remind us of the Mont Saint-Michel Abbey’s aromatic gardens, some seaweed, a cider sorbet and some oyster water. The layers of flavour tell parallel stories, deceiving and revealing at the same time. Seeing an oyster shell, some believe they have eaten an oyster and others taste the sea and wind through the salt-marsh lamb. Normandy is a reflection not only about memories, but also about the chaos and order of making a recipe.” @massimobottura@osteriafrancescan

Alberto Burri on a plate. Wow the food at @osteriafrancescana is just out of this world!

FIVE AGES OF PARMESAN -  To this day I think this is probably the most magical and thought provoking dish I’ve ever eaten.

Ooooops I dropped the lemon tart!

“Better than popcorn”

To finish off the meal we were treated to the most unusual chocolates. Topped with a vast array of spices these appeared to look like mini gardens of joy. All they needed was a swing.

Text and photographs by The Undercover Food Critic, 13th January, 2019. More Information:  @the_undercover_food_critic