se.sto {florence}

I’ve written about my penchant for food with a view. I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that food tastes even better when the setting involves Baroque piazzas, Renaissance palaces or Romanesque domes.

A few weeks ago I got a chance to eat at one of the most spectacular locations in Florence. The restaurant, Se.sto, is perched atop the Westin Excelsior, in Piazza Ognissanti. Built on the roof, the restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows take in a complete 360 degree view of the city. Brunelleschi’s dome, the Bargello and Giotto’s bell tower are set against the hills of the Tuscan countryside rising in the distance.

As breathtaking as all that was (even on the somewhat grey and stormy day Sophie and I visited) what came to us on our plates was just as gorgeous.

Because while we were happy to ogle the view, what really sets Se.sto apart is the presence of one of Italy’s most talented chefs: Entiana Osmenzeza. Entiana has been executive chef at Se.Sto since its opening in 2012, but her cooking has recently undergone a change after a two month experience at Noma. Always interested in vegetables, her menu now incorporates techniques picked up while working in the worlds most famous restaurant. Pickling, smoking, marinating  and the use of things ingredients like resin and flowers animate her menu.

Even though the day was grey, the brilliance of the dishes almost blinded us. Brightly colored flowers and herbs made the meal almost like a walk through a garden on a spring day.

We started out with Entiana’s version of panzanella, which was like a marriage of the classic bread salad paired with the most intense gazpacho you’ve ever had. The bread, was perfectly crispy, yet sturdy at the same time. A tangle of translucent cucumber ribbons were woven with petals and mint leaves, which was not just an artistic flourish, but provided crunch and freshness.

My favorite dish was the cooked and raw asparagus with raw squid. The squid, cut into tiny squares, was dressed with lemon and ginger, while the asparagus was magically assembled as both a pure (cooked) and spears (raw).

The most dramatic dish was the mosaic of vegetables nestled in a pool of purred beets with one perfect, barely cooked prawn. The hand made pici were the most surprising course. Tossed with a sauce of bright green spring fave, the entire dish was perfumed with the sweet scent of vanilla.

The main course was fish. A fillet of turbot, perfectly cooked and served atop a bed of smoked asparagus. The fish’s liver, barely cooked, was meltingly laid on top, and pooled into  a rich but delicate sauce.

We couldn’t resist dessert, which was as delicious as it was inventive. Sweet apples were caramelized, served with a flower-topped, crispy cookie which was balanced on apple sorbet. And olive oil ice cream was served with a melange of candied eggplant, pears cooked in cider and red wine braised eggplant.

Although we thought we couldn’t eat one more bite, we managed to completely finish the plate of exquisite petits fours, which included passion fruit gelee’, raspberry macaroons and some ethereal mint concoction that melted into nothing but pure mintyness the minute it touched our tongues.

We lingered over our coffee, probably longer than was necessary. With these views, could you blame us?

Se.Sto on Arno
Piazza Ognissanti, 3
6th Floor of the Westin Excelsior,Florence
+39.055.2715.2783

Although Sophie and I ate here at lunch time, we enjoyed some dishes only available on the dinner menu. At lunch there is also a special 25 Euro menu that includes one dish, water, a glass of wine , dessert and coffee. And if you aren’t able to dine here, having cocktails at the bar should be required drinking on any trip to Florence.

For more on dining in Florence download my app, Eat Italy, available on iTunes.