This is a great little restaurant near the main Piazza in Modena. I was told when I walked in that…read morethey only serve "fish" (in their broken English- they meant seafood) which was fine with me since I love seafood. As with most places in Modena, the staff spoke little English but I was shown an ipad with the menu in English. Nice touch. My Italian is just enough to get by but I needed a little help. I had the crispy shrimp appetizer and the Strozzapreti which is pasta with asparagus, squid and dry tomatoes. They did have many cold (uncooked) appetizers but I held off on that and went for the hot ones. The service was great and although my server didn't speak much English I was able to get her recommendations on the menu. My bill for the coperto (cover charge) a glass of white wine, a bottle of water, appetizer, meal, and cafe (espresso) was 45 euros. It is a little more than other places but well worth it. Interestingly I paid almost exactly the same amount a day earlier (minus the cafe) for a suboptimal meal at a restaurant which was about a 2 min. walk from here and didn't receive good food or good service. If you're in Modena, don't miss this place.

This place is a must visit. I am big fan of seafood in…read moregeneral but these guys take it to the next level. It's difficult to spin up a versatile menu given that all (or most) dishes are seafood based but you'll find it here. It's not just a properly prepared piece of fish but the attention to detail in each dish. Every time the waiter walks out you'll be surprised at how pretty the plates are and the accents in the dish. I also like how known classics in this region are served with a seafood spin to it. Passatelli for instance, you find here prepared with lobster in a rich tomato sauce. The staff I found to be super friendly, the drinks on point and mature. The restaurant itself has a nice interior and great ambience. Once you're finished with your dinner there's plenty of room to enjoy the lounge side of the venue. Will definitely visit again.

This is an amazing restaurant....the service was amazing and the food excellent! The restaurant is…read morebeautifully decorated with light colors which mean women will always look beautiful which I appreciate. The owners were incredibly gracious. My guest and I didn't speak Italian very well and the menu was in Italian so the owners asked the Chef to come out and explain the menu to us in English! I was so impressed. The food was innovative, fresh, and well portioned. I really enjoyed the fried seafood plate followed by seafood pasta. DELICIOUS! The wine and port pairing with desert was a beautiful ending to a wonderful meal. I would highly recommend you go here to eat if you are in the area.

It was an amazing meal from a visual and sensory perspective. Each dish is a painting that is…read moreserved and evolves on your plate through color and space. The staff nicely explains each dish and the background of its story. You receive a printed card showcasing the story and theme before the meal (in our case misery and nobility), then a copy of the printed menu, and a separate menu with the substitution if you have a dietary restriction. I didn't know they had an extensive kitchen and staff of 65 that works on the preparations and execution behind the scenes. It was definitely the most expensive fine dining experience in Europe, possibly the most expensive restaurant in Italy. But it was worth trying it. Very different from the Paul Bocuse experience, and different from Japanese fine dining too.

Wow, wow, wow! Had the most amazing dining experience at O.F to celebrate my 10 year anniversary…read morewith my husband. Service was top notch, the food was perfectly presented and everything we were served was divine. I am still dreaming about this meal and also meeting Chef Massimo and his lovely wife Lara. Hoping to return for another special occasion one day soon. Molto bene!

Incredible food service and good value. I highly recommend. We had seafood and pasta and bologenese…read morepasta. They were incredible with the sangiovese wine.

Stopping on our drive back to Milan from Tuscany, we luckily happened upon this restaurant…read more Arriving at the height of lunch time the main dining room was full and we were offered a table on the terrace. From the front, the building looks like a home except for the giant 'Ristorante', 'Il Patriarca' and 'Pizzeria'! Drive through the gate on the right and into a large parking lot - if it looks full, drive to the end and turn left - there are many more parking spaces on the other side of the hedge. Staff are dress in black and white. All are very professional and not a bit 'stuffy'. The reception area includes the bar. Directly ahead in the hallway are two large tanks full of lobsters. Across from the tanks is the stairway to the upper dining rooms and the rest rooms. The terrace is located through the main floor dining area and includes covering overhead as well as curtain walls that can be closed if needed. The tile floor out here is beautiful! After being seated and chatting for a while the waiter came by with menus and asked if we would like water. He gave us plenty of time to translate the menu (there were several items that were 'new' to us) and stopped by with water and a warm loaf of home-style bread. Our dining companions wanted to share both a primi and secundi. The waiter brought extra dishes to the table in expectation of their meals arrival. He also brought butter for the bread which is something I've not experienced in Italy before. I sampled the 'Tortelloni di Ricotta burro e salvia' that my fave was eating. These are seriously large tortelloni filled with a delicately seasoned ricotta and dressed in a light butter sauce. Very tasty and light making it, for my taste, an excellent first course. I ordered the 'Filetto all'aceto balsamico' with the agreement I would share it with my fave. After one bite I did not want to share this course! (I did) The balsamic reduction was beautiful, sweet with that vinegar tartness. The steak fillet was tender and perfectly cooked medium rare. (I wasn't asked how I wanted it cooked, as is usual in Europe I find) The steak sits atop a thin slice of bread and there is plenty of olive oil in this dish. There are no veggies or sides with this course. Just the steak, and that was enough. I didn't feel like I was missing a thing! Our dining companions second course was 'Tagliata di manzo, rucola e scaglie di grana'. This course of cold sliced beef is presented on a bed of arugula. I am told the meat is very tender. The waiter brought olive oil and balsamic vinegar to the table to dress the salad. The balsamic is very thick and sweet - I tried some on a piece of bread. We commented to the waiter how much we enjoyed the balsamic and were told this vinegar is aged specifically for the restaurant. We followed up the meal with a tiramisu and a Zuppa inglese. The Zuppa inglese is similar to tiramisu in that it includes a cake but it also includes both a regular and a chocolate custard. Another difference is a lemony alcohol is included in the mix (poured over?) and I can not say enough how much I enjoyed the tastes and textures of this dessert. Coffee's followed (espresso) and a bottle of their house lemon liquore was delivered with four glasses 'on the house'. The lemon liquore is sweet with a consistency like amaretto and a very tasty lemonade-like flavor. Superior to other lemon liquores I have tried. Wish I had asked if we could purchase a bottle! As busy as they were, the restaurant did an excellent job. We did have to wait for our meal, however, based on the number of guests, it was not at all surprising and the quality of the food let us know they keep the quality of their food and service high no matter how busy they are. We snacked on the bread, and finished a half liter of wine while waiting and ordered another of both. The waiter kept coming by to see if we needed anything so we knew they had not forgotten us. He was an older gentleman and spoke excellent English. Even though we were apparently the only English speaking party in the house, they treated us like every other guest and complimented us on our Italian pronunciation. (we're trying!) The restrooms upstairs are very clean and modern. Coat hooks are available in the vestibule near the restrooms. A couple of private dining rooms are located upstairs that would accommodate a nice size dinner party. Based on the amount of food consumed (water, wine, beer, primi, secundi, dessert, coffee) the bill was quite reasonable. This restaurant specializes in seafood and although we did not sample any of their seafood offerings all the dishes we tried were excellent. Everyone we encountered was very friendly, the service is top notch and the food delicious.