Karime López cooked in the world-famous kitchens of Pujol in Mexico City (Two MICHELIN Stars) and Central in Lima, Peru, before joining Massimo Bottura at Osteria Francescana, the Three-Starred beacon of modern Italian dining in Modena, which she heads up with her husband Takahiko Kondo. In 2018, when Bottura launched Gucci Osteria in Florence, beginning a collaboration with the Italian fashion house, he chose López as its executive chef. Just one year later, she earned a MICHELIN Star for the restaurant — the first Mexican woman to ever achieve the distinction.
Takahiko Kondo — known to everyone as Taka and hailing from Japan — was Bottura’s renowned longtime sous-chef at Osteria Francescana when he and López met at a New York culinary event. After a trans-Atlantic relationship between Lima and Modena, the two joined forces in the kitchen at Francescana, until López relocated to Florence to helm the Gucci Osteria. Kondo joined her as co-executive chef in Florence in 2022, where the pair, now proud parents of a 3-year-old daughter, lead the kitchen together, blending their international influences with a nostalgia-free approach to Italian cuisine. Set inside the Gucci Museum in Piazza della Signoria, the high-style setting, innovative menu and genuine emotion driving the kitchen have made Gucci Osteria one of Italy’s must-visit dining destinations.
Where do you go when you want new cooking inspiration?
Karime López: The Sant’Ambrogio market — it has the ambience of authentic Florence and of people who really live in the city, and it makes me feel at home. All the fruits and vegetables of the season are on display at the stands, so you can see what’s happening, what’s available, and what to cook with in that moment. Italy has such attention to seasonality and that’s an important part of how we compose our menus.
Florence is packed with history: How does it influence how you cook?
López: We’re inspired by the products and history of Florence because at Gucci Osteria we receive a lot of tourists who aren’t from here, and they’re looking to eat the city’s cuisine. Being here as foreigners, there are a lot of new traditions that have now become part of our own traditions. We’ve adapted to how you eat and share the table in Italy, for example, but we’re also conscious that Florence has been a melting pot since the beginning and is changing even now.
Takahiko Kondo: The traditions here don’t carry the same nostalgia for us. Food evolves all the time, and we like to evolve things.
You’ve got a morning off: Where do you head for breakfast?
Kondo: Maledetti Toscani for a lampredotto [the fourth stomach of a cow slow-cooked in a vegetable broth and served on a crusty roll] with a glass of red wine. It’s so delicious, and the bun is small so there’s a good meat ratio. Or I like Semel for a great sandwich they make with deer meat and juniper.
Really, for breakfast?
Kondo: Absolutely — at least on my days off. A lot of people do it, a lot of construction guys especially. This is real Florentine culture, and culture is important to us for inspiring new dishes.
López: Taka is a Japanese Viking.
Favorite spot for a lazy weekend lunch?
López: Vini e Vecchi Sapori next door. We love Tommy, the owner. He makes us feel at home and laugh all the way through lunch. And our daughter loves the ribs. Antico Ristoro di Cambi is another favorite of ours — they have great wines — and Trattoria Sostanza is a classic.
Kondo: Also, I’ Brindellone for meat and antipasti.It’s comfort food with nice quality at a nice price, and it has this great feeling of being on holiday in Italy.
Where do you go for a special night out when you’re not in the kitchen yourselves?
López: Definitely Pinchiorri! When you work in this industry, sometimes you need comfort food, but you also need these special moments that an amazing restaurant like Pinchiorri can provide.
Kondo: I want to live in Pinchiorri’s wine cellar. And it’s a place that’s so important for the history of Florentine cuisine.
Where do you head for an aperitivo or a drink to relax on nights you’re not working?
López: Enoteca Spontanea has nice natural wines and food, and we love the passion of the owner, Nico. Or we go to Santino, a very small and very Florentine bar with a fantastic selection of wines.
What about your favorite places for sweets in the city?
López: My comfort treat is the sfoglia di crema [a layered puff pastry filled with cream] from Caffè Gilli. I have never tasted one like that. Pasticceria Nencioni is a hidden gem for the best tiramisù. And Strega Nocciola has the best Buontalenti gelato [a traditional Florentine flavor made from cream, eggs and sugar].
Kondo: I’m not a big sweets person but the Sorbetteria has an incredible gelato of fior di latte salato [a simple milk flavor, lightly salted].
Any child-friendly places you like to go to as a family?
López: This city is not very child-friendly, but Le Lune [a plant nursery with a restaurant] is wonderful — our daughter loves to play around in the garden there. Ditta Artigianale, the coffee spot by Mercato Sant’Ambrogio, is casual enough that she can make noise without bothering anyone, and they have good soups and snacks we can share.
Kondo: Teatro Verdi, a beautiful old theater, does a lot of great shows and really interesting programming for kids, and our daughter loves it. She always asks us to take her there.
What are your favorite spots for food shopping?
López: Pegna has a lot on offer as a store, as does Enoteca Alessi for wines. And we love to pick up home-style prepared dishes from Gastronomia Giuliano, the delicatessen on Via dei Neri. The eggplant parmigiana there is amazing.
Kondo: Also, the Alimentari Orizi Mariano, off Via Tornabuoni, for sandwiches and delicatessen foods, is fantastic. It’s very Italian, and they have excellent ingredients.
What are your favorite hotels in the city that you recommend to visitors?
López: Why not the Four Seasons? [She laughs.] It’s so nice — almost royal, even — and you can see the Duomo from the garden. The Hotel Continentale is smaller but also a lovely place with a great terrace for aperitivo overlooking the Ponte Vecchio.
An undiscovered gem in Florence you think more people should know about?
López: Hardly anyone knows about the Santa Croce library. It’s big but hidden, and you can escape the noise and the crowds of Florence there.
