Il Grifone

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Il Grifone

Welcome to Il Grifone. Here, in the heart of the 18th-century Palazzo Bentivoglio, the charm of the past is mirrored in the contemporaneity of a cuisine devoid of nostalgia.

In a setting furnished by time, where space is a precondition for memory, the bonds between food, territory, and gastronomic invention take center stage.

The fine dining offer by chef Francesco Manograsso is an invitation to explore new horizons of possibility through three tasting menus—Sea, Land, and Garden—crafted with ingredients from this land. These paths are not mere categories: they are ways of looking at the same landscape from different angles. The meat comes from mature animals raised according to shared ethical criteria; the fish is caught in the Adriatic; the vegetables grow in the soil of Varignana. The rest is born from the hand of a chef who cooks nature with an eye open to the future

Ideal for: fine dining enthusiasts eager to discover new flavors, with a focus on quality and ingredient sourcing.
Must-try dish: Ethical foie gras

Open from Thursday to Saturday for dinner from 7.30 pm to 10.30 pm

Dress code: men are required to wear long trousers

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Head Chef Il Grifone

Francesco Manograsso

Born in Calabria then adopted by Emilia-Romagna, he comes from a family of restaurateurs, from whom he inherited curiosity and passion for cooking. After several important experiences in 4- and 5-star hotels on the Romagna Riviera, he arrived in Bologna at Ristorante Bitone, an icon of traditional cuisine, and then moved on to the brigade of the Neoclassical Restaurant at the Royal Carlton Hotel. It was his meeting with Michelin-starred Chef Vincenzo Cammerucci that brought out his ability to think outside the box, starting from local raw materials to create new dishes and combinations in search of the most authentic taste. An internship at the famous starred restaurant Schoneck in Alto Adige completes his training.

In 2026, he is appointed Executive Chef of Palazzo di Varignana, coordinating, besides Il Grifone, also the kitchens of Aurevo Pool Restaurant and Ginkgo Longevity Restaurant.

Il Grifone in the Michelin Guide

Since 2023, Il Grifone Fine Dining is present in the prestigious Michelin Guide Italy:, a recognition that testifies to the constant search for excellence and the quality of a gastronomic proposal capable of combining technique, creativity, and territorial identity.

Under the guidance of Executive Chef Francesco Manograsso, Il Grifone gives life to a contemporary gastronomic proposal that exalts the excellences of the territory through research, technique, and creative sensitivity. A cuisine capable of interpreting tradition with a current look, valorizing selected ingredients in an elegant and authentic path of taste.

A path of growth and continuous evolution that has led the restaurant to confirm itself over the years among the addresses reported by the Michelin Guide, offering to the guests a refined, authentic, and deeply linked to the territory gastronomic experience.