Inside Onde: Paolo Lavezzini is bringing the coast to Florence

Paolo Lavezzini isn’t overcomplicating things. Ask him about his cooking and he pretty much pins it down to one thing: product. “Product, product, product.” That’s it. No big speech, no dressing things up. And it makes sense when you see Onde. Because, on paper, a seafood restaurant in Florence feels slightly rogue. This is a city that’s very much about steak, tradition and doing things the way they’ve always been done. Onde doesn’t try to fight that, or reinvent it into something overworked. It just… sidesteps it.

Set in the gardens of Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, the restaurant is calm, light and refreshingly unfussy. Just really good ingredients, cooked properly and left alone enough to actually taste like themselves. After all, Lavezzini has cooked everywhere: Emilia-Romagna, Paris, a long stretch in Brazil. But his experience doesn’t come across in a showy way. It comes through in how he holds back more than anything. There’s a confidence in not doing too much; which is harder than it sounds.

HUNGER sat down with the chef to chat Onde, what it’s like to open something new in a city that doesn’t really need it, and what he’s learnt (and unlearnt) along the way.

Let’s start at the beginning. How did your journey here unfold?

I always thought I would go abroad for two or three years, just to have an experience. I went to Brazil, first São Paulo, then Rio, and it completely changed my path. Copacabana was a dream. The Fasano in Ipanema, for me, is one of the best hotels in Brazil. It’s an artist hotel. Everyone passes through there. What was meant to be a short experience became ten years. Brazil has that effect. Then COVID came, everything closed, and I came back to Italy. Four Seasons wanted to keep me, but the only option was a remote island. Beautiful, like the Maldives or Seychelles, but I had a young daughter. It wasn’t the right moment. Then the opportunity came here in Florence.

You’ve just opened Onde. What was the intention behind it?

We wanted to create a contemporary seafood trattoria; something that felt simple but very focused. Florence is a meat city. People come here for steak, so bringing a seafood concept like Onde is already a challenge. But that’s also what makes it interesting. Everything we serve comes from our sea, around a hundred kilometres from here. We work with small suppliers and small boats. They fish for us directly. The idea is simple. Product first. Always product.

Did being in such a historic setting influence how you approached Onde?

The design respects the palace, but with Onde, the food is more about the coast; something lighter and more relaxed. We wanted it to feel like a real Italian coastal restaurant, but inside Florence. So the menu is simple, seasonal and made for sharing. The raw fish is important for that. It’s not one plate; it’s many different textures and cuts. Something that sits in the middle of the table.

If someone comes to Onde for the first time, what dish really defines it?

People talk a lot about the raw fish. That’s a big part of the experience. But also the fusilloni, a large pasta with shellfish, mountain butter, lemon zest and cured tuna on top. And the sea bass. We cook it with a Brazilian technique, on the skin with smoke, so the skin stays crispy and the inside is very delicate. Everything is simple, but it has to be perfect.

You’ve mentioned Brazil a few times. How much did that time shape what Onde is now?

A lot. Not just in the food but in how I work. When I started, kitchens were very strict, almost military. I worked in Paris, in Michelin kitchens. Very tough environments. Brazil changed that for me. You understand more about people, about relationships. Some of my team came from very difficult situations, and you see how giving someone an opportunity can really change something. That stays with you. Now I believe you can be disciplined, but also kind.

Do you have any kind of ritual that keeps you grounded, especially before service?

Yes. The morning is very important for me. I train and I meditate. It’s something I need for my mind. In this job, there’s a lot of pressure, so you need a moment to reset before everything starts.

Going back even further, where did food begin for you?

I’m from near Parma. Every Sunday, my grandmother would cook fresh pasta, tortellini. It was always something special. For me, food has always been about sharing and keeping people together. Sunday lunch was a ritual. I think for most chefs, it starts there: with the grandmother.

Florence is such a city of art and craftsmanship. Do you see Onde as part of that world?

Yes, definitely. Florence pushes you to be creative, the history is everywhere. But at the same time, you have to understand your guest. You’re not cooking just for yourself. With Onde, the idea is to create something authentic, but also something that people really want to come back to.

When you’re creating a dish for Onde, does it start with technique or instinct?

Instinct. Technique helps you, of course, but the idea comes first. Sometimes the idea is wrong, but maybe it’s the first step to something right.

Outside of the kitchen, what feeds into that instinct?

Music is a big part of my life. My father was very passionate about music, so I grew up listening to everything: hip-hop, classical, rock. I also ride motorcycles. That’s my escape. Just travelling and listening to music.

Do you still feel that connection between Italy and Brazil now?

Yes. My soul is Italian, but my spirit is Brazilian. Brazil became my second home. It changed how I see things, how I work, how I lead a team.