Delicious Decadence; Gucci Garden Florence

Gucci has opened a restaurant and concept store in Florence, and we couldn’t be more excited. Gucci Garden captures the full panorama of the brand’s ethos from our favorite angles: fine dining, high art, and, of course, fashion. We hope that, as usual, Gucci is setting a trend with this new venture.

Gucci Garden is the brainchild of the label’s famed creative director Alessandro Michele, who has made Gucci the must-have luxury brand since taking the position in 2015. The Garden, located in the Gucci Museo at the Palazzo della Mercanzia between the Piazza della Signoria and the Piazza di San Firenze. Gucci Garden’s three floors encompass a boutique that sells clothes and accessories not available in any other store; an area where the archives have been reinvigorated an exhibition curated by Maria Luisa Frisa; and a gift and souvenir shop.

The Garden adds another dimension to the Gucci Museo, which has served as a shrine to its history from Guccio Gucci’s beginnings in 1921 to Tom Ford’s tenure and onwards since 2011. Now it has been expanded and made more fabulous with the addition of a retail area and restaurant. Entry to Gucci Garden will cost around $10 with half of the fee donated to support restoration projects around the city of Florence. This is a place to absorb the Gucci ethos from all angles: from history to food to the most cutting edge looks of the moment, all in an historic setting, Gucci Garden is a panoramic experience.

The restaurant promises to be a delight unto itself. Michele hired Massimo Bottura of the famous Osteria Francescana, based in Modena and featured in Aziz Ansari’s Netflix hit Master of None, to head the 50-seat restaurant, the Gucci Osteria. The Osteria will serve Italian classics, like Parmigiano Reggiano tortellini, pork buns, and mushroom risotto. The restaurant will join a retail space on the ground floor, which will feature one-of-a-kind pieces designed exclusively for Gucci Garden. The aim is to hearken back to Florence’s roots as a hub of activity–where markets, restaurants and various shops lined the Palazzo where the Garden is now based, selling handmade crafts and delicacies.

Gucci Garden allows us to pay homage to one of the hottest and most iconic global fashion brands in a setting that feels more authentic and holistic than simply shopping in a retail store. At Gucci Garden we can spend the day absorbing fashion history, eating, and selecting from exclusive Gucci pieces available only at the Garden. This feels like a true destination experience worth having, and we are pleased to have more reasons to visit Florence in 2018.

By Kate Dannies