Milan’s Newest Gastronomic Delights 2024: A Guide to 7 Unmissable Hotspots
Step into Milan's culinary scene where innovation meets aesthetics. These seven recently unveiled restaurants are not just about the food; they offer a visual feast as well.
Milan Design Week 2024 is shining on the horizon, and while your calendar might be inundated with gallery openings, it’s crucial to carve out some time to wander the city as well. Often overlooked by gastronomy pilgrims, Milan boasts a constellation of recently opened restaurants that exceed expectations.
From fast-casual concept diners to late-night pizzerias, DP Guide has covered all the bases, especially for those on the trail of artfully arranged interiors brimming with chic and opulence. Whether it’s a twilight bar stroll or a low-key weekend social, don’t miss these seven exceptional dining establishments, where every bite tells a story of culinary artistry.
#1 Horto Serenades The History Of A Mediaeval Italian Garden
Alighting on the terrace of ‘The Medelan,’ this dreamlike escape envisioned by architecture studio GLA (Genius Loci Architettura), presents organic silhouettes and a completely open floor plan. Horto rolled into Milan in late September of 2022, its design philosophy conceived by architect Luisa Collina as an interlocutor between tradition and experimentation, while their core values of zero-waste materiality and harmonious balance were anointed with timeless conservationism.
From their walls covered in rice plaster and Milanese parquet flooring made of recycled wood to the discreetly incorporated Moooi chandeliers, Horto has curated elements that intertwine aesthetic quality with sustainable development. These include Flos table lamps, chairs by Artisan and armchairs by Arper among others.
From its careful elementary stages right up to the last crowning moment, the show kitchen is intentionally visible to guests who wish to appreciate the behind-the-scenes of how their meals are prepared. Whether convening in the botanical outdoor spaces or huddling among the sinuous alcoves hollowed out of the main hall, a sublimely meditative feeling, that would not be out of place amidst geometrically arranged parterres and tranquil pergolas of a Renaissance-era garden. Catalysed by their fondness for local suppliers and seasonal raw ingredients, the key players on their menu are the Varzese beef carpaccio, sturgeon caviar and their inimitable risotto with wild herbs.
#2 Trattoria del Ciumbia – Keeping The Avant-Garde Alive
Revitalising the textbook osteria format with a contemporary twist, Trattoria del Ciumbia is easily distinguished by its flamed walnut panelling and burgundy velvet curtains, drawing upon a rich history of 1960s club lounges. Beginning from the aperitif salon, where a stately pewter counter showcases dishes by kintsugi artist Anita Cerrato, the design journey at this establishment only grows progressively more romantic.
Hand-picked floor tiles arranged in mosaic patterns lead into the central balcony, where the Pietro wall sconces are unmissable, Rei model chairs with woven straw seats and retro-flavoured coat racks tie the tableau together. In the basement, an ostentatious privè catapults you back in time with its iconic brown carpeting, chivalrous Paris ottomans and the designer bar counter framed by neon ring lights.
Prominent among the offerings on their menu are great hallmarks of Milanese home cooking such as ‘Risotto alla Monzes, Costoletta alta con l’osso’ and stewed snails of Valtellina — meticulously crafted to impress your attentive gourmand but not beyond the grasp of an uninitiated culinary explorer.
#3 Rumore – Time Capsule From The Jazz Age
Milan, a city known for its perennial innovation, introduces yet another unconventional venue, courtesy of the entrepreneurial foresight of Riccardo Giraudi — the visionary behind Beefbar. Housed within the sophisticated setting of Portrait Milano, a luxury hotel under the Lungarno Collection company, Rumore harks back to an underground supper club from the Roaring Twenties. Bedecked in poseur tables, animal prints, and flamboyant lampshades, this cocktail bar is in a league of its own with a distinctive Art-Deco lavishness that blooms under the creative supervision of Humber and Poyet architecture studio. Indeed, Rumore possesses an endearing charm: epitomised by the keystone counter with its ten seats, offering a picturesque view of a stunning backlit bottle rack. Here, mixology enthusiasts can indulge in a rotating menu of signature drinks updated every four months, and explore an extensive collection of esteemed whiskeys and rums. Leading the way in the sampling journey are Hula Hoop, Rafiki and Chica–– all of these concoctions inspired by legacy recipes that have been modified only a smidge without alienating the palate of seasoned aficionados.
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#4 Andrea Aprea Syncopates An Effortless Duet Of Wood And Bucchero
Nestling in the apex of the new Art Museum of Luigi Rovati Foundation, the first-ever Milanese hotel restaurant to receive two Michelin Stars is strewn with Etruscan antiques and black bucchero surfaces, unravelling a scenography that mediates between style and substance with brazen ingenuity.
Conceptualised by the Flaviano Capriotti Architetti studio to invoke serendipitous moments of wonder, you can’t help but admire the open kitchen and vaulted ceiling, before fastening upon specific details: a jaw-dropping Murano glass and gold leaf chandelier, the unpretentious walnut wood panelling and mellifluous spatial geometry that betray a reverence for austere minimalism. The roof is constructed from slats and surfaces that intersect at various angles, aiding in the dispersion of sound waves. At the same time, inconspicuous LED lights are embedded in narrow channels to achieve accurate, adaptable illumination. The restaurant as a whole, prioritises sensorial immersion— wherein the sole focal point should be the connection between the individuals and their meals, the complexity of flavour, and the wonder of sight.
#5 A Post-Colonial Voyage Into The World Of Casa Tobago
Reincarnated next to Plastic, the hotbed of Milan’s progressive music scene, Casa Tobago is a sublime cocktail bar and restaurant that emulates the imperviousness of a London gentleman’s club. The brooding wooden surfaces, striped wallpaper and padded seating are juxtaposed tastefully with vintage photographs and paraphernalia of 19th-century esoteric rockstars. Under a ceiling of exposed pipes, the eclectic vocabulary of interior designer Alessandro Cesario reminisces upon an old-fashioned worldliness that puts you instantly in the mood for steamer cruises and battered leather bags. The custom-designed fabric lamps disperse a lambent glow, whereupon the straight-backed chairs, shag carpeting, and high-gloss table tops assume an almost eerie but relaxing air of antiquity. There’s a brief yet impactful assortment of pizzas and focaccias, all freshly baked on-site while the welcoming liqueur attains equal significance thanks to the skilful team overseen by bar manager Alberto Corvi.
Also read: Your Essential Guide To FuoriSalone, Milan, 2024
#6 The Gloria Osteria Cavorts With Theatrical Intensity
Evincing a glimpse into mid-century Italian summer villas, ‘Gloria’ comprises three well-appointed spaces adorned with pastel hues of purple and yellow, a litany of colossal windows suffusing the interiors in abundant daylight. At the gloaming hour, a menagerie of more than a hundred Murano glass lamps flicker together in holy synchronicity like fireflies, under the euphoric design direction of Studio Kiki. The uber-luxurious Sienna marble flooring, magnificent chandeliers handmade by Jacopo Foggini and elaborately detailed carpets with tongue-in-cheek illustrations are only some of the hidden takeaways that are waiting to be explored.
One might regret missing out on some of their standout offerings: Breton oysters, the fabled tarte tatin and their seafood risotto with cuttlefish that are abounding in peerless flavour profiles.
#7 VESTA envelopes you in a mélange of stone and brass
A thriving epicentre for local bon-vivants and cultured expats alike, VESTA embodies the stylistic pluralism of the city’s most legendary neighbourhoods. Helmed by architect Stefano Belingardi Clusoni, its familiar layout of streetside dehors and cosy diner mezzanine upholds an uninterrupted continuity between the inside and outside, owing to colossal picture windows along the entire length of the main hall. In a classical vein, the choice of polished ebony for its panelling and arches warms up the space, while the elegant brass bar accompanied by a backlit bottle rack is Ponti-esque in its aesthetic. A travertine staircase penetrates the 1930s rationalist architecture in imposing marble, lending dramatic flair and depth.
Through strategically placed mirrors and the inclusion of perimeter benches, VESTA has transformed itself into an ideal proscenium where the flux of movement and everyday life in the Brera district plays out like nowhere else.
