Atto di Vito Mollica

Few dining rooms in Florence possess the historical depth of Atto. The restaurant occupies the Corte degli Imperatori within Palazzo Portinari Salviati, a building associated with some of the city's most important families and figures, including the Portinari and Medici. Frescoed by Alessandro Allori and enriched by centuries of architectural additions, the palazzo provides a setting where Florence's artistic and cultural history remains visibly present.

Against this backdrop, chef Vito Mollica has developed a cuisine rooted in territory rather than spectacle. Known for his long career in Italian fine dining, Mollica's approach draws on seasonal ingredients, relationships with small producers and a close connection to Tuscan culinary traditions. The cooking is refined and technically accomplished, yet remains anchored in recognisable flavours and products rather than abstraction.

The relationship between food and setting is central to the restaurant's identity. Dining beneath Renaissance frescoes could easily become an exercise in grandeur, but Atto succeeds because the cuisine engages with place rather than competing against it. The result is an experience that feels distinctly Florentine, shaped as much by architecture and history as by the dishes themselves.

The wine programme further reinforces this connection, with a cellar that places particular emphasis on Tuscany while extending into the broader traditions of Italian and French viticulture. Together, food, wine and setting create a dialogue between past and present that defines the restaurant's character.

For NOTES, Atto is significant not simply because of Michelin recognition, but because it demonstrates how historic Florentine spaces can continue to evolve. It is a contemporary restaurant that derives much of its meaning from the city around it, allowing guests to experience Florence through architecture, hospitality and cuisine simultaneously.