LUCA’s by Paolo Airaudo – Florence’s Hottest New Restaurant

LUCA’s by Paolo Airaudo is the much talked about design-led restaurant at the heart of La Gemma Hotel. A gourmet destination located in the very centre of the city just moments from the Duomo and River Arno.

This new high-end dining concept has been established by the dynamic, creative, and entrepreneurial Cecchi family, alongside the highly-acclaimed Michelin-star chef, Paolo Airaudo.

Airaudo has worked around the world – from Mexico to Peru – and gained his experience in legendary restaurants including Arzak in San Sebastián, The Fat Duck in London, and Magnolia in Italy.

In 2015, Airaudo opened his first restaurant in Geneva’s historic centre, a forward-thinking contemporary trattoria called La Bottega, which was awarded its first Michelin star within just four months. His flagship restaurant, whose name pays homage to his daughter, Amelia, received its first Michelin star within seven months of opening and today celebrates two Michelin stars.

“The concept of fine dining is evolving, people desire happy places where they can have fun and spend pleasant moments” – PAULO AIRAUDO, HEAD CHEF

Airaudo’s signature style is to draw inspiration from classical dishes and quality, seasonal ingredients, before elevating them to contemporary heights. He achieves this with extraordinary innovation and exceptional artistry.

It’s no surprise then that the Cecchi family wanted this particular chef to head up their impressive new Florentine restaurant.

Just look at LUCA’s by Paolo Airaudo sample menu. To start you can enjoy amberjack, turnip, tomato water & ume kosho, followed by a primo course of lobster risotto, pumpkin, fresh ‘nduja and nasturtium, and an il secondo of pigeon, onion and porcini mushrooms accompanied by its sauce.

Desserts, meanwhile, combine unique flavour combinations such as goat flan and cherry, or Jerusalem artichokes and white chocolate.

The restaurant’s interiors similarly mimic this marriage between contemporary and traditional, simple and innovative. 

With a soothing melange of Tuscan greens, it’s a dreamy space inspired by the art deco period and elements of the nearby duomo (cathedral), with velvet cocktail chairs and banquettes, plus a wall of wines that glows like a Byzantine altarpiece.

Sitting comfortably in its glamorous position on Florence’s Via Calimala, known for its fashion-forward boutiques, LUCA’s by Paolo Airaudo is set within La Gemma’s historical residence on the first floor and is open to non-residents of the hotel.

We highly recommend you book a table for this memorable dining experience now – before there’s a long wait list!

www.lagemmahotel.com