Next to his open ravioli, this is the most famous dish created by Gualtiero Marchesi, the chef who reinvented Italian haute cuisine in the latter half of the 70s. Thanks to the exclusion of broth to avoid interference with the flavor of the saffron, and to the incorporation of burro bianco (beurre blanc - a butter-based sauce with wine and shallots) to compensate for the acidity, this risotto alla milanese of the divine Marchesi reaches new heights. The aesthetic intuition in the role of the gold is brilliant, and very contemporary.

In 2002, Gianni Battistella shifted the focus of his traditional-cuisine restaurant onto the difficult task of experimentation. It was a brave decision that did not go without sacrifice, however, after surviving the initial reticence of the clientele the restaurant seems to have been nicely rewarded with success. This latest recipe reunites both terrestrial and marine escargots in a brilliant crustacean fumet and a light bourguignonne. Polenta ice-cream completes the dish while adding interesting temperature contrasts.

There are two sides to Marco Garfagnini. He divides his time between the restaurant at the Hotel Les Bergues in Geneva where he cooks for its international jet-set crowd, and the small restaurant he owns in Carrara, the city where he was born and raised – a far more intimate affair to say the least. This excellent cotechino produced by La Bottega di Adò, a local artisan, is served with Casteluccio lentils and beef juices reduced with cubeb pepper. To crown the ensemble, ground coffee is sprinkled over the top to give the dish appropriate bitter and toasted aromas.

Substituting for Bernard Loiseau who passed away in 2003, Patrick Betron is faced with a difficult succession that is not unlike the moment when Loiseau himself purchased La Côte d’Or, the restaurant of the great Alexander Dumaine. With the approval of Dominique Loiseau, Betron is updating the menu with classic, completed dishes like these warm oysters from Quiberon bay with Vézelay melon gelatin and velouté of iodized leeks.