Writer goes to Michelin starred restaurant in Italy, spends 4 hours & €200, leaves hungry


Geraldine DeRuiter is a travel and food writer, which sounds like an excellent job one would theoretically want to have. As I know from my work as a professional gossip, no job is ever as cush as it seems. DeRuiter was in Lecce, Italy with her husband and friends. They had many delicious dining experiences, with the notable exception of a Michelin-starred restaurant called Bros. Her party of eight spent four and a half hours and between €130 to €200 per person to eat 27 courses of small weird meals that mostly consisted of different flavors of foam, one served out of a plaster cast of the chef’s mouth. Guests are expected to suck the foam out of the mouth cast. Another “course,” a gel-like substance in a wedge designed to look like an orange, was served along an actual orange that the author tried to eat because she was very hungry. The server took the real orange away and said it wasn’t part of the meal. They kept expecting real food to come and it never did. Two of DeRuiter’s friends had food allergies, one of whom was served food he was allergic to and another was just not given anything for several courses. The largest course was seven cold noodles with cold sauce. By the time they left, hungry and frustrated, all the other restaurants in town were closed.

The best part of this story is the very bizarre and Kanye-like response that the chef gave to this review, accompanied by a series of drawings of horses. I’m going to quote The Today Show because DeRuiter’s website, the Everywherist, keeps going down from the increased traffic.

Meet Bros’, which is Lecce, Italy’s sole Michelin-starred restaurant. Everywhereist travel writer Geraldine DeRuiter was drawn to visiting the restaurant, having heard rave reviews and good things about one of the youngest chefs to receive a star, Isabella Potì, as she told TODAY Food in an email. The restaurant is also led by chef Floriano Pellegrino.

“I’m pretty used to experimental cuisine, and I’ve been to a few Michelin-starred restaurants,” she said. “So I was anticipating something a little unusual and fun. I was not expecting a 4-hour hunger induced fever dream.”

And yet, that’s what she and seven of her friends got. As DeRuiter explained in a review of the restaurant that she published on her site Everywhereist on Wednesday (note: there’s some vulgar language), those hours spent consuming 27 courses, “made me feel like I was a character in a Dickensian novel. Because — I cannot impart this enough — there was nothing even close to an actual meal served.”

With lines like that, it’s no surprise that the review has now gone viral.

Officially, Bros’ website offers eight and 13-course meals; DeRuiter says their party counted 27 items sent out during their visit. Her review captures the surreal nature of the experience, and perfectly skewers the pretentiousness that oozes from the eatery’s performative dining service — kind of like the citrus foam that oozes from a plaster cast of the chef’s mouth in one course.

All of the 27 offerings writes DeRuiter in her review, were tiny, strange, overly fussy portions, and nearly all were served cold. “Amassing two-dozen of them together amounted to a meal the same way amassing two-dozen toddlers together amounts to one middle-aged adult,” she wrote.

Among the itty-bitty “courses” were edible paper slivers, shots of vinegar, a tablespoon of crab, fried cheese balls with rancid ricotta, a partial scoop of green olive ice cream (“I thought it was going to be pistachio”) and, of course, the plaster cast with foam, which looks like the mouth of a person suffering from rabies

So was it a prank? Or does Bros’ believe its own hype? Said DeRuiter, “They’re either comedic geniuses or sadists, and hey that’s fine if that’s what your audience is expecting, but we sort of wanted to eat dinner.”

When asked for comment, a Bros’ rep responded with the following extremely on-brand “Declaration by Chef Floriano Pellegrino,” which we are reprinting in its entirety, as they asked

[From Today]

You can see the chef’s series of responses on The Today Show’s site. It’s very bizarre but seems on brand for the type of non-food they serve. He seems to be making the point that his food is ART. My knowledge of Michelin stars comes from watching The Hundred-Foot Journey and Jiro Dreams of Sushi. I googled “can Michelin stars be taken away” and yes, they can. This viral review will likely prompt some more anonymous visits from the Michelin reviewers. I hope they sneak in some snacks.

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82 Responses to “Writer goes to Michelin starred restaurant in Italy, spends 4 hours & €200, leaves hungry”

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  1. H says:

    The chef’s response is so pretentious. Hopefully he gets a star taken away.

    • Enny says:

      “We are out of stock of Limoniamo, thank you very much.”

    • Lora says:

      I like his response. He is an artist defending and standing by his art. Am I surprised Americans are behaving gauchely and immature? Not at all. Nothing says professional like all caps on twitter, dragging not only the food but his personal response to their attempt at public humiliation. Lest we forget, Trump was our president and we worship the Kardashians. Keep it Klassy, America.

      • Ashley says:

        I hate to break it to you but I live in Paris and the French LOVE the Kardashians. Yes, they show it in France.

      • goofpuff says:

        He may be a great artist but he’s a horrible chef. If he was a truly exceptional artistic chef he would be capable of making gorgeously artistic food that tasted amazing.

      • AmyB says:

        There can be distinctions between a great chef and a great artist, and many times, in very fine cuisine, the two combine flawlessly. But not always!! Just because something looks artistic or beautiful does not – at its essence – mean it tastes GOOD!!!

      • Agreatreckoning says:

        @Lora, I don’t know many people personally that worship the Kardashians and it’s not my fault Trump was president.

        The review was a glorious read. The response was reminiscent of some high school seniors/college freshman/sophmores partaking in some drugs and discussing existentialism and feeling all smart about themselves. The reviewer’s experience reminded me of the dinner scene in Beetlejuice where at the end the prawns turn into hands and grab faces-minus the glorious Catherine O’Hara.

        That plaster mouth thing looks like it’s holding jizz and the crown shaped course is less or equal to our cat’s meaty bits wet food. That is not art.

        This place having a Michelin star saddens me since I’ve recently read that one of the most beautifully plated, consistently delicious places with impeccable, courteous, knowledgeable staff has closed. I had a halibut meal there that was one of the most lovely, artistic plates I’ve seen. Sadly, my hunger, took me away from capturing this plate of gloriousness in picture. fyi, Sam & Harry’s at the Renaissance Marriott, Schaumburg, IL.

        Glorious food doesn’t seem to be the aim. Being performatively edgey more likely. Looking at the Pelligrino Bros site, there is a video with a disclaimer or warning to epileptics to not watch? Also, having read a number of different reviews, Americans are not the only ones who’ve complained. A number of non Americans complained before GD’s review.

    • lemontwist says:

      Michelin stars don’t work that way.

  2. Jules says:

    Lol the eyeball mouth thing is the stuff of nightmares.

    • pottymouth pup says:

      the side-view pic, with that little air bubble, is even more disturbing than the pic from the front. how the hell could they consider that beautiful presentation?

      • Genevieve says:

        That thing is the most sadistic part of the meal. There can’t be any motive behind it except to humiliate the diner.

    • L4Frimaire says:

      The actual “ food” looks incredibly unappetizing, especially that foam mouth… looks like plague in a cup. Just wtf?

  3. MerlinsMom1018 says:

    So. Come on down to Texas and get some REAL food. We’ll start you off with breakfast tacos (because tacos are LIFE), and proceed from there.
    After that hideous nonsense y’all endured it’s the least we can do.

  4. Laura-Lee MacDonald says:

    My husband and I recently celebrated my promotion at a chic new spot that took over a location after our favourite restaurant moved. We had a five course tasting plus wine pairings. It was pretentious, poorly matched, and small in quantity. We actually went down the street after to gorge on beer and Mac and cheese at a pub. The bill came to $463 CDN. *head desk* The only great part was us making whispered jokes to each other à la Always Be My Maybe.

  5. a reader says:

    I am SCREAMING!! Funniest thing I’ve read in a long time. Thanks for sharing…. LMAO

    • Dierski says:

      Same, I am DEAD after reading the chef’s response too omg. Love their pictures during the meal too. Fun read this morning.

  6. WithTheAmerican says:

    Plaster cast of chef mouth makes me physically sick. Wtf!

    • observer says:

      i nearly gagged too

    • Christine says:

      Yes! I was nauseous just looking at it. I’d gag if I tried to eat it as intended.

      • BothSidesNow says:

        I can’t believe that the chef expected their patrons to actually eat from it, or slurp from it, one or the other.

        I would have kept that orange! At least it was edible!!

        I think the chefs is certainly stretching the boundaries for exploring new dishes, but at least allow them not to starve afterwards!! And possibly grow up and take constructive criticism. 🙄

    • Schillit says:

      No wonder rich ppl are so skinny. Gross art meals I spose?

    • Agreatreckoning says:

      That mouth thing is actually something they sell on their site. ???? Beer ornaments are pretty high class compared to that.

  7. Ageinitaly says:

    I’ve been to 3 Michelin starred restaurants. I was more impressed with the service than the food. The highlight of the last restaurant was the lightly padded table and the beautifully ironed, starched, and rolled up napkins.

  8. MissMarirose says:

    You absolutely have to read Geraldine’s post on her website. It’s hilarious and infuriating at the same time.
    That “chef” is just scamming people.
    She says that other people who posted reviews on Tripadvisor got actual food, but it seems like those people were few and far between. That “restaurant” has the most 1-star reviews I’ve ever seen for a Michelin starred restaurant. I wonder if the owners bribed the Michelin reviewer.

  9. Jane B says:

    All I can think of is that scene in the film Always Be My Maybe with Keanu in the pricey restaurant

    • Schillit says:

      have to ask- are places like this a TREND? Do they exist as a rule or an exception??
      For example, did this restaurant actually serve food once upon a time & then chef
      became a cocaine addict/ food hater?

  10. AmelieOriginal says:

    Oh my god, this story is amazing. I hope to read her full review once her website stops crashing. Basically the chef seems to think he is a “contemporary culinary artist” and has treated his restaurant as a culinary museum/art gallery, not serving real food. I bet you he thinks his restaurant is an “oral experience” and not a restaurant. His response literally read like a description for a contemporary art exhibit with the “what is a chef? what is food? what is art?” nonsense.

    Also here’s another fun ridiculous restaurant review! If anyone missed this review in the New York Times back in September of Eleven Madison Park, a three star Michelin restaurant that entirely revamped its menu to be vegan, here you go: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/28/dining/eleven-madison-park-restaurant-review-plant-based.html It went viral on Twitter and I really can’t describe it, you just need to read it. Just a warning, if you are vegan this may touch a nerve… I sent this review to a vegan friend right when it came out and she was very triggered lol. Also, I have been to VERY good vegan restaurants in NYC and other places. But even the BEST vegan food should not cost $335, even if it is 10 courses which is the case for Eleven Madison Park.

    I have been to a few Michelin star restaurants, mostly in France. I’ve always thought the ones in France I’ve been to were really good, but they were always these smaller restaurants in more out of the way places and not in major cities like Paris. The most recent was Le Benardin, a 3 star Michelin restaurant in NYC known for entirely serving sea food. I honestly can’t remember what I ate and I didn’t think my main course was THAT great. My biggest wtf moment was when the server came along and put my purse on a fancy STOOL when we first sat down. All female guests had little stools for their handbags, it was one of those out of body moments where I’m like omg this place is so fancy that my bag has its own chair.

  11. Erica says:

    Did you see the food they were served though? I mean, the restaurant/chef deserves to be blasted on social media for that BS.

  12. Sof says:

    Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t these 15+ courses restaurants about “having an experience” trying different textures and not so much about the food?
    That mouth foam is horrific, will have to read the review, can’t believe it’s a thing!

    • Bryn says:

      A 15 course “experience” at a Michelin star resturant should involve edible food that tastes good. You can have an experience dining without all the pretentious bull.

    • Rosie says:

      It is both.
      A 15+ course should include 3-4 medium sized meals (not full sizes, because you want leave some place to fill in your stomach 🙂 ) and the other 10+ courses the small ones: little fruit, vegetable, little piece of special garnish or sause. Mostly bit sized ones 🙂
      But it is important that overall you don’t fell hungry when you leaving.

    • gruey says:

      I’ve had some amazingly delightful and challenging omakase meals in my life. And only once did I leave feeling like “wtf was all that money for??”. When you’re being trolled as a diner, you know. Btw that meal was the most expensive I’ve ever had.

      • Agreatreckoning says:

        See, to me, the omakase idea goes against my nature. It reminds me of the jokes about when drive thrus screw up your order. You don’t know what you want but they do. (p.s. I do not want to be served something that looks like jizz mouth or wet cat food)

        There are so many things that can be appreciated about this blog post. #’s 1, 7, & 8 are favorites. The caption/picture to ‘curated puffs’ was LOL.
        https://www.thedivaeatsprata.com/11-pretentious-food-terms/

    • lemontwist says:

      IMO, any 10+ course meal is intended to be about ‘having an experience’ rather than getting fed in a super-specific way.
      It’s a tasting menu, it’s all about trust.

    • goofpuff says:

      A truly exceptional chef is able to make both artistically beautiful and good food. The chef at this restaurant makes interesting looking art, but terrible food.

    • Merricat says:

      To my mind, a tasting menu is about the taste–the experience of taste, including texture–of the food. If the food is mostly foam, the chef is too far up his or her own ass.

  13. Rose says:

    I might be team chef here (don’t hate me please). Like, as a dining experience it sounds like a bummer, but as an art experience I kinda love it. The chef’s mouth is what does it for me. It’s weird, it’s unexpected,makes me wanna laugh and also throw up.

    Five stars. 😂

    • Giddy says:

      If I want an art experience I’ll go to a museum, a gallery, or visit a kindergarten classroom doing fingerprints! When I want a dining “experience” I would really hope to be fed, not treated to a sadist’s impression of a restaurant. The final bill was the final insult to a bizarre evening.

      • lemontwist says:

        Sadistic restaurants, holy smokes, that sounds scary! I wish you all the safety of museums, galleries, and kindergarten classrooms.

    • MissMarirose says:

      It’s not much of an “art” experience if you’re ignoring people’s allergen requests, which this guy did repeatedly that night.

    • MelOn says:

      Uhm then open a food museum and do what you do but don’t charge people money for food that you’re not serving. If I’m entering a restaurant, I expect to be given actual food. BTW, that orange foam in in the mouth cast is gross.

    • gruey says:

      The problem is that there are thousands of chefs who do this, but with amazing heart and innovation. Molecular gastronomy has been around for decades. This sounds a lot more like a ripoff of other folks much better work.

      • Christine says:

        Richard Blais comes immediately to mind. I LOVE watching the way his mind works, but he actually feeds people delicious food, on top of the experience. This chef seems to be out to revolt and piss people off.

      • Schillit says:

        Eating out of a diseased mouth during a pandemic = tone deaf. Feels like an anti-eatery.
        I would pay for a creative gastronomic experience, but not to feel nauseous and patronised

  14. Kari says:

    Honestly the whole Michelin star thing is overhyped and elitist. I know a amazing family owned restaurant that was refused a star only because their food is not expensive enough. Even though a prestigious award can help drive business (especially right now) they chose to stay accessible to the community.

  15. KBeth says:

    Guess I’m unsophisticated because that does not appeal to me at all. When I go a restaurant I want actual food that tastes good.

  16. MelOn says:

    So, someone actually went there , thought that this kind of nonsense was about food and gave it a star? Okay….

  17. Lionel says:

    This is the story I didn’t know I needed today! Went down the rabbit hole of the review and the response and the comments and am ugly cry-laughing SO hard. Also, the reviewer sounds awesome and I would like to be her friend.

  18. jj says:

    The writer of that article and blog is a friend of a friend and its been making the rounds of our group before it blew up. i am loving this.

    • Agreatreckoning says:

      Let it be known she wrote an excellent article and I’m impressed that they didn’t run the h3ll outta there. Especially after the black blob/foam course that looked like a flesh eating scarab from The Mummy movie.

  19. Anners says:

    Thank you for posting this! I used to follow her blog ages ago, stopped for an unremembered reason, then lost it. All I could remember was her husband’s name (a map name) which wasn’t enough to find it again. This is like a double gift! Lol

  20. L4Frimaire says:

    This is so funny and exposes some of the ridiculous pretentious of haute cuisine. Food as concept and grift. Sounds like a meal out of Bonfire of the Vanities, circa 1986. Can’t stand those gilded-age level expensive, multiple course tasting menus. I had a friend go to French Laundry ($350), where they had a wine pairing with each course. She said she felt so bloated and drunk at the end of the night, she literally threw it all up, and that wasn’t anywhere near 27 courses. But then again, since when is a dollop of foam considered a course? Well it certainly was a unique experience that took 4 hours of her life and I bet a ton more people will want to experience this restaurant now. They just better have something on hand to eat in the fridge when they get home.

  21. Keats says:

    I’m so glad you’re covering this, Geraldine is the absolute cutest and the story and response are both just so funny!

  22. Bella says:

    That sounds awful and the chef’s mouth plaster makes me want to hurl!

  23. carrotface says:

    This is so timely for me – I just had my first 3* experience when I was visiting Spain and it was…not good! It was over 4 hours and nothing but the bread and petit fours were things I would really consider food. It was all a lot of gimmicks (and, yes, foams), and one course literally came with a glass of “squid essence” (gag). Every single course came with elaborate instructions as to how it was to be eaten. I’m glad I did it – I do appreciate the idea of food as art, and the techniques used were really interesting, plus it gave my husband and I a LOT to talk about – but at the end of the day I’d have been much happier and less hungry if I’d gone to a pinxtos bar instead. Live and learn!

  24. Kkat says:

    Ha I read this last night when I discovered it on Twitter
    What if food?
    What if indeed

  25. Mrs.Krabapple says:

    Michelin likes to reward pretentious and nouveau-style restaurants (and vastly favors caucasian cuisines). Some of the best foods you will ever eat are beneath Michelin’s notice. But this is like the Chanel advent box — rich fools and their money are soon parted.

  26. Lululu says:

    “A chef should not offer you easy answers, but challenge you with interesting questions.”

    Fine, if you consider “what the fuck?” an interesting question. I’ve had interesting meals that made me think about food in new and interesting ways, but none of them were actually full-on absurd. I’m a food writer and looked through all the pictures and read through the thread, and WTF is all I’ve got.

  27. Normades says:

    Her review was hands down one of the funniest things I’ve read in years.

  28. Gorgonia says:

    My dear, in Italy you have to go to the worker class restaurant: there you’ll taste the authentic Italian food, the price is good and not expensive and sure you don’t leave hungry.

  29. Another Anna says:

    Meanwhile find me at any neighborhood Italian joint with zero Michelin stars and a cheek-pinching nonna who will feed me ten pounds of pasta bolognese and a loaf of garlic bread for like $20.

    • Agreatreckoning says:

      When dating my husband, he took me to a place just like you wrote. He wanted me to experience his college days experiences of this warm, lovely lady who would say, “Eat my boys, eat.”. Even though it’s what she called all the other females, to this day, her calling me Bella, warms my heart. D@mn good food too.

  30. Sarah says:

    As a graduate student in the fine arts (MFA in painting), I do understand the chef’s point of view; what I don’t understand is the heavy dose of condescension and the patronizing explanation of contemporary art (with visual aids to boot!). I think the issue here is one of communication and the management of expectations. If the chef wants to style himself a gastronomic artist, fine!—but the marketing of his “restaurant” should be clear about the experience that diners are paying for. After all, they are paying customers.

  31. Alexandria says:

    Please please check out the photos on IG!! If the food is average or not nice is one thing. But they don’t even look like art or look good! The presentation is rubbish and some look like bacteria! Are the chefs trolling as undercover performance artists? It’s like some social commentary on Michelin stars or molecular gastronomy!

  32. A says:

    “A chef should not offer you easy answers, but challenge you with interesting questions.”

    A chef should offer FOOD to people who are HUNGRY. Like, if someone “challenged” my hunger with “interesting questions”, I’d be pretty mad lmao!!! Low blood sugar is a thing!!!!! Feed hungry people who come to you expecting food, not art!!!!!!

    Really, so much of this is just failing to advertise properly. If you are not interested in feeding the masses, but instead in posing interesting questions, SAY SO. Don’t masquerade as a restaurant then!! And for the love of god, return the Michelin stars so that they go towards places that actually serve food!!

    Seriously, which reviewer decided to award this place? I’ll bet it was a jack-ss with an undercut who drinks raw milk or something. FFs.

  33. JRenee says:

    Sorry this sounds like some bulls###. A pretentious ego once awarded the honor, switched from food as Art to Art ego. It’s almost funny.
    The foam mouth is bizarre …

  34. Bread and Circuses says:

    Four and a half hours, and all they gave them were 27 bites of food — 12 of which were foam.

    Anyone would be starving.

  35. Eleonor says:

    I don’t know.
    First of all; 130/200 euro for a Michelin restaurant is cheap.
    Second of all: I am too basic , and I will never go to a Michelin restaurant to be fed, or to eat actual food, to me it all looks pretentious and overpriced.

  36. Tania says:

    I am sorry for the author’s experience but I find her quite unsufferable on so many levels (personal opinion obviously). I had followed her for some time but she was whining constantly pretty much about everything and on the third post of the same tone these attempts at humor and self-deprecation fell kind of flat. That said, if you’re a grown-up and living in a real world you can not earnestly expect to pay 20 euros for a dinner at a Michelin restaurant. The food and service must have sucked and this is not justifiable in any case.

  37. AmyB says:

    I am coming from almost 25 years of working in upscale fine dining – as a server and then sommelier, and later manager in some of the top restaurants in Philadelphia. Therefore, I am intimately familiar with this “haute cuisine” and the multi course tasting menu. There is certainly a place for the blend of great tasting cuisine, and the art and beauty in the presentation. And some great chefs take that presentation to a whole new level. THAT being said, the shit should still taste good, if he/or she is truly talented!! Just seeing these pictures?? I would never ever go there LOL. Although I have this huge background in fine dining, I do love finding those small BYOB restaurants, that truly just offer great simply prepared cuisine – fresh ingredients cooked well. I will indulge in an expensive meal if I know it will be worth it. Like say, Vetri in Philadelphia or Le Bec Fin, Susanna Foo (back in the day). But often, simple is best !

    This restaurant that was reviewed seems pretentious, when they don’t appear to have the means to back it up IMO. But hey, I haven’t experienced it, nor do I have any wish to LOL

  38. CJ says:

    This is hilarious and went viral because the writing is so good. The author has a travel book that just came out which I highly recommend.

  39. Elle says:

    This review of a Michelin starred restaurant is also hilarious:

    https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/apr/09/le-cinq-paris-restaurant-review-jay-rayner

    “The restaurant is never more than half full. Pictures of plates are snapped. Mind you I also take pictures, but mine are shot in the manner of a scene of crime officer working methodically.“

  40. Mabs A'Mabbin says:

    If you’re going to be a chef, cook amazing and delicious things. If you’re going to be an artist, hone and perfect your soul expression. If you’re going to combine the two, then you have 2x the expectation and responsibility, especially if you’re charging. Chef’s have become rock stars since The Food Network and all the programming. Fact is, too many did too much too fast all while not paying their employees. Or harassing women. Or whatever. Every industry needs to tighten control…even a rating entity who appears to love fungal foam.