Given its romantic light fixtures and elegant tiling, we like to think of newcomer Fiorentina as a fitting setting for an Italian opera or love story.
It kind of is.
Fiorentina is the refined, tasty result of a classic tale of heartbroken-careerman-starting-anew. After years of a successful career cooking for celebrities in L.A., chef Philippe Uzan found himself divorced, depressed and desperate for a new start. And so he headed east.
If the 19th century version of this story arc would see Uzan setting up a cobblestone trattoria in a quaint, romantic corner of Europe, then we think the 21st century version would undoubtedly land him here, in the land of promise that is Beijing, 2015.
Or, to be more specific, Lido.
Uzan’s place, Fiorentina, is the latest upscale Italian restaurant in Beijing. On first glance, we appreciate the decor – muted, calming hues of blue-gray, a wooden patio with stylish white couches, and gorgeous patterned wallpapers imported from Italy.
The food is also refined and tasteful, but not quite as evolved. We share plain, yet lovely, calamari and mozzarella salads to start (both RMB88). For our main course, we have Uzan’s signature tomato-based lobster risotto (RMB398/2-3 people), which, apart from serving as the bed for an entire lobster, plays host to a symphony of Spanish pork, chicken wings, seasonal mushrooms and green peas.
It’s nice, but it’s too many flavors in one dish, to be frank, and so ironically, after marveling at the sophistication of it all, we decide we like Uzan’s simple dishes best. The homemade breads that arrive before our starters are fantastic, and the calzone is completely unadorned, yet phenomenal (RMB228). As it turns out, you can super-size the calzone for large parties. Florentina is the only place we can think of that would make the largest calzone in the city seem classy.
We end our meal with desserts fit for a Florentine: elegant tiramisu (RMB68) and homemade macarons (RMB78). If we were Lido residents, or more specifically, Lido families, we’d be thrilled. We’re not – and so as far as we’re concerned, Fiorentina faces major competition from more centrally located Italian places, some perhaps rightfully more popular.
That said, Italian cuisine is thriving in Beijing. We theorize it has to do with some similarities between Italian and Chinese cuisines – family-style sharing plates, universally appreciated flavors and – how do we put this? – long strings of flour dough covered in sauce.
On the Wednesday afternoon of our visit, business is doing well – chic women linger over long lunches, and others with designer handbags sip wine on the patio outdoors. We foresee Florentina becoming the star of Lido, and for those in the area, that’s worth toasting some vino.
See a listing for Fiorentina
Read more Beijing Restaurant Reviews
0 User Comments