Following Karime Lopez’s departure from the kitchen at Piazza della Signoria, the renowned fashion brand’s restaurant is now entirely under the leadership of her husband, Takahiko Kondo.
Get off the train at Santa Maria Novella, make your way past the hustle and bustle beyond the tracks, and there you are in Florence. The city has just woken up—walk down a couple of streets and you’ll reach its heart. An open-air museum, here is Santa Maria del Fiore, the pastel colors of its sun-kissed façade and its dome, an architectural miracle by Brunelleschi, the Baptistery of San Giovanni, and then Giotto’s bell tower. Walk a few more meters down Via dei Calzaiuoli, and there you are in one of the most fascinating squares in the world: Piazza della Signoria. The many tourists—some might say too many—don’t quite know where to look, between Palazzo Vecchio and the Tower of Arnolfo, the Loggia della Signoria and its statues offering a preview of the nearby Uffizi, and then Michelangelo’s David. A few meters further on, the Fountain of Neptune, Florence’s first public fountain, and right behind Palazzo Gucci—this is where you’ll stop for lunch. A quiet spot, sheltered from the chaos, where flavor, beauty, and surprise come together.
The Chef
Takahiko ‘Taka’ Kondo’s connection with Italy began many years ago; in fact, it was in 2005 when, at just under twenty years old, he arrived from Tokyo, his hometown, at Osteria Francescana and began working alongside Massimo Bottura. In the kitchens on Via Stella, he honed his technical skills, refined his palate, and, above all, developed his culinary philosophy. In Modena, he also became sous chef, contributing to the restaurant’s successes, from 3 Michelin stars to two first-place finishes on the 50 Best list (2016 and 2018). Undoubtedly the most famous episode and dish associated with his time in Emilia is Oops! I dropped the lemon tart: slipping from his hands, the tartlet broke into pieces on the work surface. Taka, precise and meticulous as he was, was distraught, but at that moment Bottura had the intuition to serve it just as it was, to celebrate the beauty of imperfection. The rest is culinary history.
Since 2022, the Japanese chef has been based in Florence, still within the Francescana Family, at Gucci Osteria, born from a collaboration between Bottura himself and the Tuscan brand. Here, in one of the city’s most charming restaurants, he has taken over full culinary direction, following his partnership with his wife Karime Lopez, who has since launched a new project in Mexico. To enter the dining room—a Michelin-starred restaurant since 2020—you step into one of the iconic boutiques of the fashion house founded in 1921, which began as a small shop selling leather luggage. Inside, there is also a bookstore and a museum that tells the brand’s story through objects, clothing, and accessories.
Once seated at the table, the room’s understated elegance stands out; the mirrors on the walls help brighten the space, and the armchairs cradle the diners. The table setting—as Damiano Barbato, manager of Gucci Osteria (with locations in Florence, Seoul, and Tokyo), explains—will soon become less formal with the removal of tablecloths to further highlight the tables and their decorations on the legs, which echo the fashion house’s symbolism, such as snakes or the iconic ‘G’s.
The new menu: “Journey Through Tuscany”
The tasting menu proposed by Taka plays on three levels: taste, aesthetics, and history. This three-part structure is the defining feature that connects the chef to his formative home: Osteria Francescana. The menu begins with a playful take on the Italian breakfast—a subtle jab at the many American (and other) tourists who drink cappuccino at all hours? Who knows! - What you see is not what you get: a small Sicilian cannolo is actually filled with Chianina beef ragù; a praline is made of chocolate and caramelized figs but contains liver; and the espresso, served in a small cup, smells like coffee thanks to the foam that hides a highly concentrated black bean broth.
The amuse-bouches alone serve as a showcase for the entire menu: they are playful and visually striking, and their flavor is immediate thanks to their intensity, while the techniques used to achieve such intensity are masterfully executed. And then we begin to seetraces of the Tuscan territory, explored by the Japanese chef, who has been on the Peninsula for many years but remains deeply connected to the aromas and flavors of the Land of the Rising Sun. Taka himself tells us that this menu served as an excuse to delve deeper into and better explore the food and culinary history of the region that has welcomed him for the past four years.
The dishes
And so the journey begins from the hills to the Livorno coast with the Sogno di cacciucco, served with three elements: ventresca, scallop, and leek. A dish with Japanese precision, where the liquid component—tomato—envelops and tempers the scallop glazed with Chianina jus, and the ventresca adds pleasure upon pleasure.
The journey continues with Yellow is bellow, a vision of sunflower fields as the chef returns from Livorno: saffron, Jerusalem artichokes, and brain. Yellow dominates, and in Japan, yellow is the color of celebration. The intensity of the saffron explodes with every bite; the dish is, in fact, a tribute to San Gimignano—in the province of Siena—and its red gold, with a nod to Milan and its risotto with bone marrow. The interlude takes place in the woods with the Cacciatora di bosco, featuring a pronounced acidity from red fruits, and texture provided by roots like celeriac and black salsify, the earthiness of mushrooms, and the saltiness of olives and capers, all enveloped in a hint of button mushrooms and red beet.
One of the most interesting dishes is The Three Little Pigs, a heartfelt tribute from the chef to his daughter Hana. This time, however, we’re not in a fairy tale; no little houses are being built, but we are witnessing a successful culinary and technical fusion between Italy and Japan. The setting is Arezzo, specifically the Monte San Savino area, where local traditions are revived through three pork dishes: porchetta served with aromatic herbs, braised pork with celeriac purée, a reduction of Sangiovese and red berries, and ravioli in broth stuffed with pork and shrimp.
The meal concludes with cuttlefish marinated in n’duja. A dish with a complex structure yet one whose flavors and intentions are immediately apparent. What stands out among its various elements is the perfect balance between the pasta filling and its broth. We approach the end of the meal with a stop in Pontassieve and a more-than-successful tribute to pappardelle. A dish as essential as it is complex: the thin, hand-rolled pasta, almost like large ramen noodles, is tossed in a wild boar bone broth flavored with notes of burnt orange grated at the table. The elements that stand out most are the pasta’s luscious creaminess, its texture, and the citrus notes.
The journey concludes between Florence and Garfagnana with - Neccio or castagnaccio - a light, flaky chestnut mille-feuille served with pine nut ice cream, rosemary, cream, Maldon salt, and white truffle. A rich, clean, and indulgent finale. The journey through Tuscany seems to be a perfect playground for Taka, a curious chef capable of blending his native tastes with those of his professional training—intelligently and gracefully, without overdoing it—and with the underlying aim of conveying pleasure and beauty. Who knows what Taka-san’s next journeys will be. Personally, I can’t wait to enjoy his next culinary postcards.
Contacts
Gucci Osteria Firenze
Piazza della Signoria, 10 - 50122 Firenze
Phone +39 055 062 1744
