Traduzione Panzano
I was excited that day. I had told my travel companions to eat a light breakfast, but in the end, I was the one who ate the most -_-;
Anyway, I was so thrilled because it was the day we would finally visit Panzano, a destination I had long looked forward to.
Dario Cecchini is a famous Italian butcher, also known as "the best butcher in the world." He runs the Antica Macelleria Cecchini in Panzano in Chianti, Tuscany, and his restaurant "Officina della Bistecca" is considered a paradise for meat lovers.
His fame spread thanks to the Netflix show "Chef's Table," the same one that made a kalguksu restaurant in Seoul’s Gwangjang Market a global sensation. But his life is fascinating even outside of television.
Cecchini originally wanted to become a veterinarian and studied in that field, but when his father, who had been running the family butcher shop for generations, suddenly passed away, Cecchini had to take over the family business.
He had dreamed of saving animals, but instead, he became the one who would butcher them. In the end, he accepted his fate, but he did it with his own philosophy: to waste no part of the animal and to give sincere thanks for their sacrifice. He raises animals with the utmost respect for their welfare, slaughters them himself, and serves their meat to customers.
We had the opportunity to visit the small museum attached to the butcher shop, which briefly tells the history of Panzano and shows how the meat is butchered and divided. We also saw Cecchini himself cutting the meat by hand.
Watching a huge piece of meat being cut into what would become a Florentine steak of at least a kilogram made my mouth water.
In front of the restaurant, staff were offering wine and small appetizers. The wine, in traditional Tuscan bottles called "fiasco," wrapped in straw, was anything but ordinary.
It seemed the bottles were reused and refilled with wine. This was not the cheap Chianti I knew. The aroma, the balanced acidity... I drank that wine in little glasses, and I could already feel it kicking in.
Then Mr. Cecchini kicked off the lunch shouting his famous line: "To beef, or not to beef!!!!"
A parody of Hamlet’s famous line, "To be, or not to be." We laughed heartily, and with his next words, "My friends, welcome! Let the feast begin!", our celebration truly began.
I took a picture with Dario Cecchini, and felt thrilled like a child. Maybe I’m still young at heart.
The meal began with tartare, a Western-style raw meat dish, rich and flavorful, perfectly matched with the wine.
Instead of a salad, roughly chopped vegetables arrived: carrots, celery, radishes. Even without any sauce, they were delicious just as they were.
Even my companions, who were skeptical at first, widened their eyes and kept repeating, "This is so good!"
Next came carpaccio, thin slices of meat lightly seasoned and barely seared: excellent.
Then came rib cuts, and finally the long-awaited bistecca alla fiorentina.
Chickpeas and potatoes were also served, simply boiled or steamed, yet perfectly paired with the meat.
Ah, meat calls for red wine. I don’t know exactly what it was, but it was definitely local.
The Chianti, with its acidity and lingering aftertaste, was superb. The thick steak was exactly my style.
I ate so much that the others were shocked -_-;
During the meal, Cecchini came out again and shouted, "Friends! Thank you for sharing this celebration!", and everyone cheered.
At the end of the meal, we were served dessert, dessert wine, and grappa. Grappa is a strong liquor distilled from the leftover grape skins after wine production.
Joseph Kwon
.
12 Febbraio 2026
10,0
Nestled in the Chianti countryside, the restaurant stretches practically the entire length of the road. When we go, we always choose the €50 Officina menu. You can eat everything, and it's absolutely spectacular. The "Chianti butter" deserves an honorable mention.
I recommend booking well in advance. We've been wanting to return for a while, but after several attempts, we still haven't managed to find a table.
Andrea Marchetti
.
09 Febbraio 2026
10,0