Winter Garden by Caino - Firenze

In a city where incredible European renaissance art & architecture and outstanding cuisine are the norm, Winter Garden by Caino exceeds expectations on all fronts. Housed in one of Florence's most luxurious hotels on the Arno, Winter Garden occupies a considerable part of the opulent St-Regis's ground floor. You may ask yourself why I've placed so much emphasis on art & architecture in my Florence gourmet restaurant pieces, but it's difficult to describe if you haven't been to the city, not to mention that for Italians, cuisine is art. The grandiose dinning room is rich in colors, patterns & materials and can only truly be accurately portrayed with photos. The magnificent Murano chandelier hangs the entire length of the mezzanine, second only to towering flower arrangements on the ground below. Tall semi-transparent curtains along the entire wall opposite the bar look to be decorative, but are actually used to create private, intimate dinning areas resulting in attempted celebrity sightings all meal long. Winter Garden seems to follow the coincidence in my series of Florentine restaurants, serving traditional Tuscan cuisine with a modern elegance. The collaborative forces of Executive Chef Michele Griglio and Chef Valeria Piccini began in 2013 and only one year later the restaurant received its first Michelin star which it has since kept. The results are delightfully delicate dishes inspired by a passion for ingredients and research. I three-iterate that Winter Garden by Caino also deserves two Michelin stars (see my pieces on BSJ & Il Palagio), but I digress as my opinion piece will be published next. Until then, please enjoy this glimpse into Winter Garden by Caino.


Dinning Room - Curtains mentioned above on the left, bar on the right.
Source: Winter Garden by Caino


"Faux Tomato" - Tomato Jelly, stuffed with Tuna Tartar, Frozen Parmesan Crystals


Asian Pear - Pear Vodka, Sake, Apple Juice

One unique aspect of the St-Regis beverage program is their Bloody Mary World Collection. Selected St-Regis properties around the world each have a signature Bloody Mary which is offered at participating St-Regis hotels. For example in New York's St-Regis's King Cole Bar, patrons can order a St-Regis Osaka Bloody Mary, and at the Winter Garden Bar in Florence you can order a St-Regis Washington D.C. Bloody Mary, each with their own unique spin.


 Foie Gras & Raspberry Salad


Modern take on the traditional Tuscan dish Pappa al Pomodoro


Ricotta Gnocchi, Spinach & Zabaione Cream, Parmigiano Tuile


Suckling Pig, Roasted & Puréed Fennel, Raspberry, Crumble


Meringue Two Ways Composition, Vanilla Ice Cream


Petit Fours & Mignardise Assortment

Thus completes my Florentine tour, and first Italian & European blogging at Michelin star restaurants. I must say that these three restaurants in particular were, to use one word, spectacular.  For more information on Winter Garden by Caino, their bar and the St-Regis Florence, please click here. Stay tuned for my first opinion piece comparing Michelin ratings in Florence and USA, being published next.

Florence has a myriad of exceptional restaurants, but for a deeper dive into two in particular see Borgo San Jacopo & Il Palagio, on Dined There, Sipped That gourmet blog.

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