Mater

The story

Mater, Bibbiena: Michelin-Recommended Forest Cuisine in Tuscany

A restaurant born from the forest

In the small village of Moggiona, within the Casentino Forests National Park, Mater is a restaurant that lives and breathes its surroundings. The name itself – Latin for “mother” – signals the philosophy: a kitchen that listens to nature, preserves, ferments, distills, and tells the story of the land through each season.

Chef Filippo Baroni, a graduate of the Chianciano Terme hospitality school, opened Mater in 2017 together with his wife Marta Bidi. His cooking is rooted in Tuscan tradition but open to outside influences – the classicism of French cuisine and the clean lines of Nordic contemporary cooking. The result is a personal, grounded style that never loses sight of the Casentino territory.

The dining experience

The dining room is intimate, with wooden details, handcrafted silver, and the scent of wild herbs. The menu changes with the seasons, drawing on foraged ingredients, ancient techniques, and in-house production. Wild herbs, fermented elements, and locally sourced proteins appear in dishes that feel both familiar and surprising.

Mater’s approach has earned it a Michelin Recommended distinction, a recognition that speaks to the coherence and precision of Baroni’s vision. The restaurant offers tasting menus and à la carte options, with a wine list that complements the forest-driven flavors.

Chef Filippo Baroni

Baroni’s path is deeply tied to the Casentino. After hotel school, he worked in various kitchens before returning to the forest to create Mater. His passion for art and music informs his method, and the rhythm of the seasons dictates the menu. Together with Marta, he guides guests through a meal that is less about showing off and more about connection – to place, to ingredient, to the slow time of nature.

Mater is not a restaurant that shouts. It invites you to breathe, taste, and return to the mother.