My personal highlights: 1. Watching Chef Andrea making Cantucci biscuits from scratch and loving the way he speaks this beautiful Fiorentino dialect 2. inhaling the perfume of fabulous aged Chianina Beef while opening the dry ager
Welcome to 4 Leoni Firenze, the hometown of meat. Christopher manages this place together with his wife Sybille and the staff since more than 1 year now. The restaurant is located close to Limmatplatz at Luisenstrasse 43, Zürich.
Tuscany’s world famous Chianina Beef
Meat lovers know, that the beef meat prepared here is one of the largest and oldest breed of cattle in the world. Chianina cattle have been raised in the Italian regions of Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio for at least 2200 years. The Chianina was formerly principally a draught breed, now raised mainly for beef. It originates in the area of the Valdichiana, from which it takes its name. The most noticeable characteristic of the breed is the extensive and well-defined muscling. The shoulders, back and rear quarters are especially well formed.
3 things on your bucket list as a foodie visiting Florence:
- Bistecca Fiorentina
- Cantucci biscuits with vinsanto
- and of course all of their wonderful wine selections.
A piece of Tuscany in the heart of Zurich
The ambience at 4 Leoni throws you back to tuscany. The room is carefully decorated, you feel in a local trattoria up in a Chianti hill wine yard. An interior designer takes care of the theme decoration that changes seasonal.
Watch how Chef Andrea cuts the meat at the counter. Once you smell the dry meat you can’t wait to have it on your plate. The ambience is vibrant and full of Italian life.
The meat is grilled over lava stones. It is the signature dish of the restaurant. A Chianina can weight more than 1 kilo incl. the bones. Perfect to share with friends. All meat and ingredients used are imported from quality Tuscan suppliers that have been working or the family since years. You won’t find any better quality Chianina in town.
Best Italian olives
What can’t miss in an Italian restaurant are olives. Are you interested to get more insights into the different types of Italian Olives and understand more about their shape, color and origin? Get all info on the article created by sophisticated wonderer here!
The menu
Find dishes for lunch as the hand made Pappardelle pasta with Cinghiale (wild pig) ragù. Or get a tartar di Chianina just fresh and pure as it is. Coffee and water included.
For the evening choose the cassettina for a starter. Here yo get typical local Tuscan homemade salumi, crostini with a poultry terrine and cheese. The dip for the cheese is fabulous. A jam cooked with red wine and sugar.
For the main dish absolutely must try is either the Bistecca Fiorentina nostrana or the classical Chianina cut Porterhouse. This comes with oven potatoes or seasonal veggies.
The dessert is presented at the bar. Try the Sfogliatelle alla crema or a home made chocolate tarte. Close your dinner with a glass of vinsanto and the home made cantucci.
There is a nice Chianti 4 Leoni that I recommend paired with the menu.
The coffee is served with the typical Italian Mocca, black and strong.
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