ROSENTHAL X SAMBONET: LOCALE FIRENZE

When dinner feels like a destination — you know you’re in the right place. And when the plates themselves stop you mid-bite? You’ve arrived somewhere truly special.

I was particularly honoured to be invited to this exclusive six-hands dinner hosted at Locale Firenze, the iconic venue listed among the World’s 50 Best Bars. This wasn’t just a culinary experience — it was a night where bold flavours, mixology, and timeless tableware came together in perfect harmony.

The event brought together three extraordinary chefs from across the globe:

🌎 Janaína Torres, known for her modern approach to Brazilian cuisine at A Casa do Porco in São Paulo,

🇵🇪 Jaime Pesaque, the creative mind behind Mayta in Lima, where Peruvian soul and biodiversity take center stage, and

🇮🇹 Simone Caponnetto, the executive chef of Locale Firenze, whose dishes are rooted in Tuscan tradition with refined flair.

Before I even reveal the dishes, I have to tell you about Rosenthal’s new Sonetto collection — the porcelain that carried the entire evening with its sculptural elegance.

As someone who collects porcelain and has spent hours turning over plates in restaurants to find out their makers, this part of the evening was deeply personal. The Sonetto collection isn’t just a backdrop — it’s a statement. It blends refined texture with architectural form, bringing quiet luxury and tactile beauty to the table. Every plate was paired with Sambonet’s 100 cutlery, the kind of flatware that feels weighty and intentional in the hand. Together, they elevated the dining experience into something visual, sensory, and lasting.

The menu was an artful dialogue — each chef offering their voice, every course carrying its own rhythm.

The evening began with a welcome Negroni Bianco cocktail from the team at Locale, crisp and bright, setting the tone for what was to come.

Janaína Torres opened with her bread and butter course — deceptively simple, deeply comforting — followed by Bife à Cavalo, a reimagined classic that played with memory and modernity.

From the Locale Firenze kitchen, we received the Egg Trilogy, a poetic composition of textures and temperatures that felt like a study in precision.

Jaime Pesaque presented a show-stopping plate of razor clams, buttermilk, Amazonian nut, and codium — bringing a wave of coastal freshness wrapped in earthy richness.

A second cocktail — Cipolla — was served alongside a bold fusillone dish from Caponnetto, the pasta carrying depth and clarity in flavor.

Then came Torres' deeply flavorful Maíz, Cerdo, Mar e Tucupi — a dish that spoke of Brazil's roots with layered complexity, followed by a pre-dessert from Locale that reset the palate.

Finally, Pesaque brought the meal to a close with a dessert of macambo, copoazú, arazá, and melipona honey — tropical, rare, and balanced with stunning restraint. This last course was paired with a final cocktail: Yuzu Maggiorana.

Beyond the dishes, beyond the porcelain, what made this dinner unforgettable was the harmony of cultures, techniques, and passions — all set within the historic walls of Locale Firenze, a 13th-century building that once housed noble families and now sets the stage for some of Italy’s most exciting culinary experiences.

I left Florence with a full heart, inspired palate, and yet another porcelain story to carry home.

Because sometimes, elegance isn’t just something you see —It’s something you eat off of.

Special thanks to Rosenthal for the invitation.

Here’s a small selection of my favourite pieces from Sonetto collection: