Milan’s design restaurants, where to eat during the Salone del Mobile 2015. With the arrival of the 2015 Salone del Mobile, which will open its doors from tuesday the 14th of April to sunday the 19th, other than the sets of interior design and minimal or modern furnishings on display during this design week, the many restaurants in the city boast their own declaration of style: well-designed restaurants by the city’s top avant-garde architects and designers, as well as the expertly crafted presentations of gourmet dishes created by young, creative chefs. Here are the most beautifully designed restaurants in Milan: Bianca, Al Fresco, Mercato del Duomo, Kitchen Society, Carlo e Camilla in Segheria, Sophia’s Restaurant, Mirror, The Stage, Ceresio 7, Terrazza Triennale.
Bianca
Named after the color white, which in this case surrounds you 360 degrees with its minimal decor, the large internal dining room, equipped with a bar counter, has a seating capacity of about 75 covers, and the walls, chairs and the lighting are strictly white, surrounded by large windows and a lovely outdoor area with able cloths brightened up by fresh floral centerpieces. The philosophy underlining the dishes is to offer traditional flavors revisited with a modern touch from the chef. Here are a few examples: asparagus milanese with melted parmesan and fried egg yolks, risotto scented with lemon and basil with raw shrimp, pistachio-encrusted blue fin tuna with salad and olives, and last but not least, the classic milanese veal cutlet.
Bianca, via Bartolomeo Panizza 10, Milano. Sito Tel. 02 84571125
Kitchen Society
The Kitchen Society rose up from the ashes of a former antique shop and was transformed into a restaurant with large windows, a lofted space, characteristic bright furnishings and a large central dining table, and the unusual Patanegra prosciuttos hanging from the ceiling. Here the menu reflects the fusion of the decor: chef Alex Seveso (Tweed and Shiki) presents a cuisine that ranges from revisited sushi to the flavors of Spain, such as “España 100%” with pata negra, Cantabrian anchovies, aioli, bread and tomatoes. At Kitchen Society you can try Italian sushi, yellowtail sashimi, fusion sea bass, “caprese” salad with tuna and mozzarella, cubed grilled salmon with sesame mashed potatoes, and squid with pistachio rolls.
Kitchen Society, Via Chizzolini 2, Milano. Sito. Tel. 340 676 3939
Carlo e Camilla in Segheria
The former mill is now home to the king of chatty Masterchef judges, Carlo Cracco, which was awarded one of the best new restaurants of 2015 by Wallpaper Magazine. The ambiance of the open spaces and peeling paint is illuminated by bright chandeliers and ceramics. At the center of the room there is a large wooden table in the form of a cross, where diners eat together with conviviality under the chandeliers that appear to drip from the ceiling. The kitchen is not personally overseen by Cracco, but by his assistant, chef Emanuele Pollini. “Low cost” dishes range from 14 to 25 euro, and the rotating menu changes every 45 days aside from a few cult items: fried egg- yolk Benedict, cubes of salmon with lemongrass yogurt sauce, and risotto tossed with the water from tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, and basil seeds. For the thirsty amongst us, Filippo Sisti’s bar is a temple that has delighted even Milan’s most important palates.
Carlo e Camilla in Segheria, Via Giuseppe Meda 24, Milano. Sito. Tel. 02 8373963
Sophia’s Restaurant
Sophia’s Restaurant is located in the Sempione neighborhood, inside the Enterprise Hotel, and is the work of architect Sofia Gioia Vedani, who has renovated an old loft with high-design decor. The restaurant space is designed to ensure privacy for guests, thanks to the sheer curtains and the moveable wooden walls, which divide the room into different zones. The kitchen is headed by a brigade of young chefs, led by Otello Moser, who offers a menu where traditional Italian flavors blend with influences from other countries: warm pumpkin pie with balsamic vinegar syrup and baked waffle with cocoa beans, caesar salad with Alba white truffles, risotto with beetroot cream and ricotta salata (a saltier, dry ricotta), and the Milanese cutlet with a bouquet of vegetables.
Sophia’s Restaurant, Corso Sempione 91, Milano. Sito. Tel. 02 31818855
Mirror
Inside The Hub Hotel there is Mirror, a modern restaurant with large windows (with views of the garden) minimally furnished with cream, brown and wood tones. The circular bar with leather and steel stools invite a moment to lounge for a happy hour drink. The chef, Sandro Mesiti, offers a 360 degree culinary event with themed gastronomic evenings, such as an aperitif or degustation of artiginal beers, sushi specialties, menus inspired by Vino novello (a young italian wine, cousin to the French Beaujolais nouveau), sustainable cooking, or recipes using beer.
Mirror, Via Privata Polonia 10, Milano. Tel. 02 78627000
The stage
Inside the Multi-experience Store in Piazza Gae Aulenti, there is The Stage restaurant, constructed in collaboration with Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors. The restaurant was inspired by the world of Hollywood cinema and resembles a luxury yacht, with flooring and tables in wood and the ceiling in the shape of an upturned hull. The Milanese chef, Omar Allevi, serves both traditional and creative dishes: aside from the typical risotto, vegetable soup and Cassoeula (a hearty meat and vegetable dish), you can also find dishes not traditionally from Milan, such as sushi or ceviche.
The Stage, Piazza Gae Aulenti 4, Milano. Sito Tel. 02 37074118.
Ceresio 7
Ceresio 7 rises from the terrace of the Enel building and is the offspring of the energies of two stylists Dean and Dan Caten, the Storage architecture studio, and Dimore Studio of interior design. The internal spaces and accessories of the restaurant are speckled with sophisticated colors and materials: brass, marble, vintage wood, marble fire places, and the flagship feature of two pools on the terrace. Enjoy the creations of chef Elio Sironi from the internal dining room that overlooks the skyline of Milano or the terrace with great views of the city and the rooftop pools. Among the menu items, the best include the Sorana tartare with hazelnuts and Jerusalem artichokes, Pata negra guacamole, goat cheese and peppers, Kamut linguini with lobster, spicy saffron zucchini, and pork with parsnip and cabbage flan.
Ceresio 7, Via Ceresio 7, Milano. Sito Tel. 02 310 392 21
Mercato del Duomo
Il Mercato del Duomo (the market of the Cathedral) includes a market with local products, a bistro, wine bar and restaurant all within the three-thousand meter space within the Vittorio Emanuele gallery. The megastore is owned by the Autogrill group and was created in collaboration with the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo and Michelin-starred chef Niko Romito of Abruzzo, who creates the restaurant’s menu leaving his pupils to man the kitchens. The market has been cleverly designed by architect Michele De Lucchi, who designed a functional and modern space with a huge bronze sculpture of an ancient olive tree (created by the artist Adam Lowe). The opening is scheduled for April 30th, just in time for the start of the 2015 expo.
Mercato del Duomo, Piazza Duomo, Milano. Sito.
Terrazza Triennale
For the 2015 Expo, Triennale di Milano restaurant will reinvent its panoramic terrace transforming it into the restaurant, Terrazza Triennale, designed by Paolo Brescia and Tommaso Principi from OBR and headed by chef Stefano Cerveni. The architects’ idea was to create a restaurant that resembles a greenhouse with panoramic views over the Sforzesco Castle, with an herb garden designed by Antonio Perazzi. The chef, who holds the reigns of the kitchen, has a Michelin star on his chest, and will lead a team certainly not of just newbies: Fabrizio Ferrari will be the Executive Chef, Nicola Bonera will supervise the wine cellars, Carlo Pierato will lead the dining hall and Luis Hidalgo will oversee the mixology. The menu will be dedicated to traditional cuisines to honor of the “Made in Italy” raw products, which are homegrown and expertly selected.
Terrazza Triennale, Viale Alemagna 6, Milano. Sito.
Al Fresco
Al Fresco was born from the idea of Emanuele Bortolotti and Ferdinando Ferdinandi, and its space was designed by Landscape Architect Emanuele Bortolotti, who looked to bring to life the philosophy of a living environment by using recovered woods and found materials, which are surrounded by a beautiful garden where you can taste the dishes of chef Kokichi Takahashi‘s, already in training with Carlo Cracco and Andrea Berton. The cuisine is characterized by its well-selected raw ingredients: Gragano spaghetti with almond pesto and sun dried tomatoes with mullet bottarga, braised veal cheek from Piemonte with potatoes and broccoli, or a salmon steak with fresh thyme and blood orange with mountain potatoes and puntarella (chicory shoots) with extra-virgin olive oil.
Al Fresco, Via Savona 50, Milano. Sito. Tel. 02.49533630
