Alle Murate is located in Palazzo dell'Arte dei Giudici e Notai (Palace of the Art of Judges and Notaries), home to fourteenth century frescoes and archaeological excavations from Roman times to the Renaissance. Sitting here so close to the paintings on the wall, it just adds so much to the dining experience. It's like dining inside a fine history museum.
The restaurant is divided into numerous levels with the kitchen located on the ground floor. Good thing I'm not a server here coz walking up and down those stairs a hundred times everyday isn't something I look forward of doing.
At the helm of Alle Murate is Chef Giovanna Iorio, a veteran who's been here for nearly three decades. Born and raised in Southern Italy, she's best known for her unique take on creative Tuscany cuisine with a strong character.
We started off with a plate of house made bread which was still warm (forgot to take pictures of those) served with butter and was that fennel next to it (forgot to ask!?).
Bread was then followed with an amuse bouche - a roll of some sort with crispy pork skin as the wrapper. I again forgot to jot down the ingredients in the filling.
Variety of liver - Our first starter was duck liver interpreted in four different ways, as terrine, pan-seared, marinated and last but not least, ravioli stuffed with foie gras and sweet onions. It's a bit of a heavy way to start off the meal but for a duck foie gras lover like Jelloman, it was perfect.
Celery soup with scallops and pineapple - I had a bit too much to eat this week so I was going with something much lighter (than foie gras). I like the way they've matched sweetness with sweetness here (scallop and pineapple).
Study on Lamb - Next up for Jelloman was a study on lamb with three different parts of the lamb prepared in three distinctly different ways. The leg was baked, chop deep-fried and shoulder braised. The presentation was really gorgeous like a painting and it was interesting to experience the textural contrast and different flavor profile between the three cuts.
Roasted Pigeon - I went with the roasted pigeon which turned out to be an excellent choice. The first serving of the dish was a pair of pigeon breasts roasted to absolutely perfection. Minimal seasoning with sea salt already made it really heavenly. This was accompanied by a second serving with the legs beautifully stuffed with its liver. A superbly executed dish with great finesse and elegance.
Finally, some mignardise to wrap up our night (Yeah, we ran out of room for dessert).
A visit to Alle Murate is much more than just a dining experience, as we came to find out. The artful restaurant-cum-museum offers a unique experience of a stunning setting with its ancient walls and ceilings combined magnificently with a brand of Tuscany cuisine that is both exciting and creative.
Food Rating: 6.5/10
Price: €€€€
Address: Via del Proconsolo, 16/r, Florence, 50122, Italy
Tel: +39 055 240-618
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