Dario Cecchini and 25hours Hotel San Paolino open the doors to Cecchini in Città.

The internationally renowned King of Beef has chosen the hotel as the location for his very first incursion into the Tuscan capital. It will be the newest outpost of his Antica Macelleria butcher shop and the restaurants Solociccia and Officina della Bistecca located in his native Panzano.

Cecchini represents the eighth generation of a family of butchers from Chianti and seeks and promotes quality, ethics, and professionalism as he chooses, raises, and works with meat. Following his experiences in his hometown, he opened restaurants across the globe, in the Bahamas, Dubai, Singapore, and Hong Kong. He returned to Italy with the opening of Il Macellaio di Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast.

The Cecchini Griglia tasting menu will bring the Panzano experience to Florence, with seatings twice a day at one long table.

The convivial feast starts with a glass of wine and the chef’s so- called burro del Chianti, a whipped lard seasoned with herbs. Next guests are served beef tartare,  beef carpaccio, and Bistecca alla Panzanese or beef round. The steak cuts are served with the traditional side dishes of cannellini beans and potatoes baked in foil.

Diners will also have an à la carte option, offering a number of vegetarian dishes, including traditional Tuscan antipasti and hand-made pasta served with sauces from the Cecchini family recipe book.

The interior of the 25hours Hotel Piazza San Paolino will provide the backdrop, with a large grill positioned theatrically within the great fireplace at the heart of the restaurant.

“Dario is a world-famous icon of Tuscan culinary tradition, and we are thrilled to finally welcome him to our hotel, where he will offer the best of his cooking,” says Bart Spoorenberg, General Manager of the 25hours Hotel Piazza San Paolino. “His mastery in preparing meat, like the incredible amount of attention paid to the choice of the various cuts and to the animals themselves, exalts the history of Tuscan cuisine.

He conclude, “Enthusiasm, dedication, and a deep passion for this region are things that Dario Cecchini and the 25hours Hotel Piazza San Paolino share, and we are excited to become THE place to try the cuisine of the ‘Maestro of Panzano’ in the city of Florence.”