Italian Chef Massimo Bottura on the Food Mistakes Tourists Always Make in Italy: Exclusive

Travel + Leisure

08-05-2025

Renowned Italian chef Massimo Bottura is a culinary philosopher, known as much for his poetic musings as his Michelin stars. Best known for Osteria Francescana in Modena—frequently ranked among the best restaurants in the world—Bottura has spent decades redefining Italian cuisine through a lens of memory, artistry, and emotion. Now, in 2025, he's channeling that spirit into his latest project: Torno Subito Miami.
But Bottura isn't interested in replicating the Italy of Instagram. His Italy is quieter, more grounded—one defined by biodiversity, history, and hyperlocal ingredients. It's this philosophy, rooted in terroir and tradition, that continues to guide his food, wherever in the world he might be.
'Italy is a mosaic of flavors.'
— Massimo Bottura
For Bottura, Italy is not a single flavor profile but a patchwork of distinct stories. 'Every few kilometers, the landscape—and the table—changes,' he tells Travel + Leisure during a recent interview in South Florida amid Miami Grand Prix festivities. 'What moves me most now isn't the glamour of big restaurants, but the quiet beauty of biodiversity.'
That beauty might reveal itself in the green hills of Emilia, the anchovy boats of Cetara pulling into port at dawn, or a vineyard in Sicily where the sun bakes sweetness into the grapes. 'You sit at a table in the Apennines and taste the forest,' Bottura reflects. 'You break bread in a coastal village, and the salt in the air becomes part of the meal. That's what keeps Italian cuisine alive—not perfection, but presence.' Massimo on his Ducati outside of his estate Casa Maria Luigia.
When asked about the hidden gems of Italy, Bottura shifts from places to moments. 'Italy's hidden gems aren't always places you find on a list—they're places you feel,' he says. 'A village in Puglia where the bread still rises with natural yeast. A Sunday market where you smell the change of seasons before you see it. These are experiences that don't try to be anything—they just are.'
His estate outside Modena, Casa Maria Luigia, reflects this ethos: an 18th-century villa-turned-hospitality haven that Bottura and his wife Lara transformed into a soulful, hyperlocal experience. 'It's a unique place in the world,' he says, 'a new approach to hospitality.'
Aisle or window seat?
Window seat. I need my space. With a window seat I don't have anyone saying 'Hey, can I go to the bathroom?' and I can focus on sleeping.
Favorite food region of Italy?
Emilia-Romagna is the food valley—it is my region. But, putting that to the side, Piedmont and Sicily, too.
An Italian phrase that you love and why?
Cucinare è una forma di dare amore. It means cooking is an act of love.
Favorite restaurant in Miami (aside from your own)?
My favorite places here are where my friends cook because I feel at home. What I miss most when I travel is my home, and they bring that to me.
Destination you want to check off your list?
I'm very ready to go to Africa... to the center of Africa, a place like Nairobi or Addis Ababa. My goal is to open a soup kitchen there in the next year.
Even the most popular Italian dishes, Bottura says, are often misunderstood. 'Pizza is one of the most popular dishes in the world, but it's also one of the most underrated,' he explains. 'People don't realize what true masters like Franco Pepe, Enzo Coccia, or Francesco Martucci are doing—it's art, not just food.' For those seeking a revelatory experience, he recommends heading to Naples or Caserta to see what real pizza can be. Making tortellini with Tortellante in Modena.
With Italy so well-trodden by travelers, Bottura sees certain tourist habits as consistent—and consistently misguided. 'One of the biggest mistakes tourists make is rushing the meal,' he says. 'In Italy, dining is not a transaction. It's a ritual. Meals are meant to stretch for hours.' That means sipping, talking, tasting, and letting go of rigid expectations around speed and structure.
Another faux pas? Over-customizing. 'Asking for substitutions or off-menu changes in a traditional trattoria can come off as disrespectful,' he explains. 'The chef's vision matters—it's part of the experience.'
Then there's the tendency to play it safe with drinks. 'Ordering a Coke instead of asking for a local wine? That's missing the point entirely,' Bottura says. 'Each Italian region has its own incredible vintages. Exploring them is part of the adventure.'
He urges travelers not to chase perfection, but presence. 'In a world of overexposure and curated moments, the quiet corners of Italy remind us that beauty doesn't need to shout to be heard.'
And when Bottura travels outside Italy, he brings that same philosophy with him. 'Travel isn't about escape—it's about attention,' he says. 'The way jazz fills a room, the texture of a handwritten menu, the silence in front of a painting that stops you mid-thought. I'm not chasing destinations—I'm chasing moments of clarity and connection.' Massimo producing modenese balsamic vinegar in the Acetaia (where traditional balsamic vinegar is produced and aged) in Casa Maria Luigia.
That sense of presence is now at the heart of Bottura's latest project, Torno Subito Miami, nestled in Downtown Miami and infused with Riviera nostalgia and tropical flair.
'There's an openness in Miami—a certain energy—that reminds me of the Italian Riviera in the '60s,' Bottura explains. 'Not just in aesthetics, but in attitude: playful, stylish, a little nostalgic but always in motion.'
He describes Torno Subito not as a strict regional showcase, but as somewhat of a mood board. 'We're not trying to recreate a region dish by dish—we're trying to capture a feeling.' The restaurant's design features retro-chic lounge chairs, vintage Italian photos, and pops of sunshine yellow, all channeling that old-school Mediterranean charm.
But it's more than set dressing—it's an invitation to slow down. Tables are set with house-made focaccia, olive oil and balsamic vinegar poured like a ritual. The lighting is warm and cinematic. 'It's about creating a mood,' Bottura says. 'Color without chaos. Joy, but with elegance.' The interior and must-try dish, Cacio e Pepe from Torno Subito Miami.
From left: Cristian Gonzalez; Torno Subito Miami
His must-try dish? The cacio e pepe, reinterpreted for Miami and driven home with executive chef Bernardo Paladini's flair. 'It stays close to Roman tradition with spaghetti and pecorino,' he says, 'but we finish it with a touch of Florida citrus. That brightness lifts the dish, rebalancing it for this new climate, this new energy.'
That balance—between heritage and spontaneity, seriousness and fun—is the thread that ties all of Bottura's projects together. 'Italian cuisine isn't about rigid technique,' he says. 'It's about seasonality, respect, memory. Those principles translate everywhere.'
Whether you're savoring anchovies at dawn on the Amalfi Coast or digging into citrus-kissed cacio e pepe in Miami, Bottura reminds us that the best meals don't just feed the stomach—they feed the soul.