A place born to create and share beauty, pleasure, enjoyment and the feeling of exploration that comes with encountering other cultures: Fior di Sale, nestled in Bologna's historic center, embodies this ethos, guiding patrons from aperitif to post-dinner, with elegant mixology and tempting culinary offerings.
Photo by Giovanni Bortolani
THE VENUE
Bologna's historic center, with its narrow streets winding intricately, running alongside the more popular and bustling streets, manages to conceal not only unique but also creatively impactful realities. These are small worlds crafted with inventiveness and foresight, capable of delivering delight and surprises.
Right in one of these narrow streets, precisely in Via Altabella, lies Fior di Sale. A place that stands at the corner with another neighborhood, opening up to the outside world through its large windows in a continuous exchange of fleeting and curious glances. Here, attention to detail reigns, along with the elegance of a cosmopolitan attire, yet the tranquility of a place that seeks and grants intimacy.
Fior di Sale is a journey, a vision in progress, a project born from enterprising enthusiasm. And that enthusiasm bears the name of Nicola Annis who, drawing from experiences in large corporations, has been able to combine his skills with the desire to pursue a dream. Let's say it's more of an infatuation. "Creating and transmitting beauty in every sense: that has always been the cornerstone from which everything started," Nicola Annis recounts. "Beautiful and well-crafted things are our constant inspiration and aspiration. We first imagined and then created a place far from any preconceived pattern."
So, far from the usual models, Fior di Sale presents itself as a constant flow, which from the aperitif moment, accompanies through dinner and then returns for the evening drink. All in one venue with distinct spaces, "like a book, capable of telling multiple stories at the same time."
Only the point of view changes, the desire with which one enters. "It's a venue, indeed! But we prefer to think of it as an experience: simple, precious, and rare, just like fleur de sel."
ARTISAN MIXOLOGY
At Fior di Sale, the cocktail is artisanal and bears the signature of Salvatore Castiglione, a master of modern mixology who encapsulates wisdom and creativity in every creation. The aperitif moment, like that of dinner and after-dinner, offers an experience where the art of mixology becomes the perfect start to the evening, a pairing capable of enhancing the restaurant's dishes and elegant cordials.
What creates the "magic" is precisely Salvatore Castiglione's expertise and refined taste, giving even the most common drinks an unmistakable identity. But there's much more to him. There's continuous experimentation and a search for techniques and raw materials, useful for creating original and unique combinations. That's why the advice is to give him complete freedom, on which to write a "tailored story" to sip on.
And as one observes him move confidently behind the counter, the gaze is inevitably drawn to the clay jars from Impruneta behind him. Handcrafted, they are not just a suggestive furnishing element, but contain small treasures: homemade infusions, left to mature for a minimum of 30 days. This maturation allows for a pronounced roundness, along with an incredible gustatory softness.
THE KITCHEN
A journey. That's the cuisine offered by Fior di Sale. A journey with stops that cross the Mediterranean and stop to capture and offer the scents and flavors of territories and cultures. A journey to be shared in eight courses that fill the table and alone have the satiating power, for both the eyes and palate, to become a full dinner.
There's simplicity and, at the same time, deliciousness. The presence of vegetables is important, enhanced in their characteristics such as cabbage or roasted artichoke with mint oil; the encounter with other culinary narratives like Naan Bread with sour cream, Lebanese Rolls with yogurt sauce and fennel, Spicy Chorizo "Alejandro"; as well as classics like hummus with carasau bread or whipped cod.
But Fior di Sale's bistrot side also offers more refined dishes, which the young chef Alessandro De Agostini interprets with grace and confidence. They are proposals of great delight, changing according to the season and inspiration, maintaining the guiding principle of goodness without excess, where the ingredients remain protagonists in their identity.
ADDRESS
Fior di Sale
Via Altabella 11D- 40126 Bologna
Phone: 051 281 2980
