Asuka N.
Yelp
Given this was our first trip to Italy, my wife and I decided we were going to make homier local food our main cuisine of choice, but we did save one dinner for an upscale spot - and we decided to book Pinchiorri after doing a little research. It's slightly east of Duomo (about a 10-minute walk at a casual pace), and the entrance to the restaurant is right after you enter a hotel. Once you notify the gentleman at the front you are there for dinner, you are quickly escorted back and seated. It appears there is a dining room at the front (it was full when we showed up at 8 PM), and one in the back (it was empty; we were the first ones in), typical of some of the other European restaurants I have been in - the restaurant is adapted to the architecture of the buildings built long before there was any conception it would be a Michelin-starred restaurant. The decor has a few modern touches (namely, the lights on the ceiling), but it generally retains the feel of what you would expect from an upscale Old World restaurant. The service was solid overall, and if you are a oenophile, you are in luck - there is no doubt that the wine collection here is hands down the largest that I have ever encountered at a restaurant (it's not close). Pinchiorri is also known for their forays into serving fine wines by the glass; while there were a number of options that provided for unlimited wines by the glass (an outstanding proposition, if you have the tolerance for it), I settled for asking for their suggestion for a white and a red. Given the extensive collection, it's no surprise that both were absolutely delicious and unique (a golden white that was a bit drier than others with that complexion, along with a very restrained pinot noir that really worked well with fishes, surprisingly).
When it comes to the food, you have a choice of a seasonal tasting menu or their standard 'Discovery' menu, which is what we went with based on the recommendation of our waiter (he suggested it was better for first-timers to try it). What I'd say, overall, is that the food is excellently done - you can't doubt the technique that comes into how it is prepared. This is immediately apparent from the first bite, when you are served an Italian classic - vitello tonnato - but as a gelatinous bite. It still retains the unique, very tuna-like flavor, along with the slightly chewy texture, but the vehicle of delivery is unquestionably modern / slightly on the experimentally gastronomic side. However, we also had classic Italian executed at an incredibly high level as well. The spaghetti alla chitarra was magnificent; we ate a lot of pasta in Florence, but even after all of that, the preparation here was a cut above. A generous helping of mussels, along with bread crumbs to really accentuate the al dente preparation, rounded out one of my favorite courses.
All of the food was presented beautifully, and in a town steeped in artistic culture and history, it's only apropos that we felt like we were eating art. The 'honey' dessert was served in the pattern of a honeycomb, with delicious apple sorbet and molasses really hammering home the slightly heavy, muted sweetness. The John Dory fried in squid ink and served with a spinach-infused sauce made for a stark contrast on the plate but an exquisite bite - delicately-fried filet with a slight crunch, surrounded by the warmth of being the squid ink, and burnished with the slight tartness of the lemon-infused spinach sauce. The pork belly was divine as well, with perfectly-crisped skin and enough juiciness on its own that the lack of sauces or veggies decorating the plate was no issue at all. That said, the reason I don't bequeath the fifth star is that not all of the dishes really popped, and by the end, I felt like the 225-euro price felt a bit stretchy. The texture of the ravioli was excellent - I've never had ravioli skin like that - but the filling was rather unmemorable. The sea bream had a very clean flavor to it (basically served sashimi-style), and the avocado and uni added a nice creaminess and warmth to each bite, but it did not resonate as much with me. Looking back at the menu, I see there was veal loin - and I don't remember anything distinct about it. I don't doubt the food was good at the time, but there's something to be said about each dish sticking out to you, and in this case, there were a few that were generically modern European without really being a paean to Tuscan cuisine.
I'm not surprised that most of the negative comments (at least on Facebook) relate to price: it's not cheap to eat here, and I can see how one could feel a bit underwhelmed from a quantity perspective afterwards. Nonetheless, there are definitely a number of superb bites and dishes here that were very unique and well-executed, and Pinchiorri, on balance, deserves the accolades, and despite a couple reservations about the meal, I would come back here without thinking twice.