We had such a wonderful dining experience here! The service was exceptional--Mauritzio made us feel so welcome from the moment we arrived. And the paella? Absolutely the bomb. Perfectly cooked, rich in flavor, and truly unforgettable. Highly recommend! read more

Il Cestino - Italian Near Me - Milan, Michigan

I have been to Milan several times, one thing I learned; there is no excuse for mediocre food in this city, and this restaurant's food was mediocre. The host is very nice, and even funny, which got us in. But it turned out to be the typical tourist trap; the Milanaise Steak, the city's traditional breaded steak was awful! The sirloin wasn't much better, maybe we should have ordered pasta after all, but we wanted a change after days of wonderful pasta. Even their Panna Cotta was commercial grade. Avoid. read more

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This place was recommended by Food Blogger Mark Weins. We ordered seafood pasta- Gragnano" linguine pasta with mixed seafood* in foil. A lot of seafood in there such as shrimps, clams, mussels, squid. Pasta was al dente with right amount of delicious sauce from all those seafood. I asked the waiter what was on the top- it looked like baked crust. They named it "foil" but it was just a baked pizza crust on the top of the pasta. Second dish we ordered was Cotoletta alla Milanese- Veal Milanese- pan fried veal cutlet. Veal was crispy on the outside and meat was tender on the inside with great seasoning. It was a delicious meal in Milan, Italy. This Trattoria was cleaned and well maintained with friendly waiters. Felt like family eating style restaurant with good ambiance and service. Highly recommend those dishes to try. read more

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Food: 4/5 Service: 3.5/5 Ambiance: 4/5 I found this restaurant from one of the food reviewer and wanted to try. When I got there I was a bit skeptical because it has all the flags for tourists trap. I sat down looking through the menu. The server came by and asked if we want something to drink but told him I m still looking through. He seems rush. Later I saw him eating. So he was rushing probably because he didn't have his lunch or dinner. I was left alone for quite some time finally I flag down other server who passed by to order. Then he became my server for the night. They should have better management for things like this. Anyway I ordered their signature beef cutlet, thinly fried with butter and linguine pasta with mixed seafood. Pasta comes with baked top, I scooped up the sauce with the that in the end. Even this place scream for tourists trap, the food has good flavor. So I won't call it tourist trap, it would be more like tourist focused. read more

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Would not recommend. Manager and server were both condescending and rude. Which we could have lived with (I guess) if the food was good, but it wasn't good. Pretty mediocre to be honest. We've eaten at probably 20 Italian restaurants from Murano, Venice, Rome, Positano, and Amalfi and this one definitely ranks last. My wife and I couldn't finish our food fast enough to just get away from the staff. read more

Food was great. We had just landed from the US and walked around the area. The restaurant and staff were welcoming. Needed a drink and light bite to get us back to life. The outdoor eating experience was lovely. Ashik was our server and very helpful. Even hooked us up with a welcome limoncello. Or 2. Highly recommend. Especially if you're lucky enough to get Ashik. Salute! read more

Il Cestino - Ashik - Italian Near Me - Milan, Michigan

This is on a sweet little side street with some other restaurants. We had excellent raw seafood here on our first day in Italy. We ordered clams, razor clams and sea urchin. Everything was VERY fresh. The clam was still moving when it arrived at the table!! Very nice Aperol spritz as well. I would not go here seeking pizza or pasta, but the seafood, the specialty of the house was excellent. read more

Il Cestino - Items from raw bar - Italian Near Me - Milan, Michigan

Service was decent, although the waiter told us the meat and cheese platter was 15 euro total, not 15 euro per person. So that was a surprise, with a party of 5. Wine was decent and they had the heaters on outside. I would rate the osso buco with saffron risotto 4 stars but my husband ordered the seafood paella which had broken mussel shells (small) throughout the dish. He cut the inside of his mouth which rendered the dish almost inedible. So that is why I rated a 3 overall. read more

Il Cestino - Oso buco - Italian Near Me - Milan, Michigan

This place was recommended by a local so my friend and I came here for dinner on our first stop in Milan for some pizza and pasta. The seafood pasta was cooked in a iron pan with a pizza dough foil. The pizza crust had a great seafood pasta seasoning and was great to munch on with the pasta. The pizza was light and well made. read more

Il Cestino - Italian Near Me - Milan, Michigan

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I was really craving another raw seafood platter while in Milan and decided on Il Cestino after reading some decent reviews of this place. From this outside this looks like a tourist trap, and the prices are relatively higher than other Milanese restaurants I've been to. However the food here was delicious! I ordered the Royal Plateau, and added on a scallop and sea urchin. Every single item on here was extremely fresh and flavorful. My favorites were the red prawns and oysters. The prawns remind me of Argentinian red shrimp: a little sweet and very tender. The oysters were as good as if not better than any of the fancier oyster bars I've been to before. I'm honestly not sure why other reviewers had issues with this restaurant. The food was great. All of the wait staff were friendly and spoke proficient English. Restaurant was in a prime location, excellent for people watching if that's your thing. I would most certainly eat here again, simply for the oysters. read more

Il Cestino - Royal Plateau - Italian Near Me - Milan, Michigan

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Soooo disgusting. My family's last night in Milan and the spaghetti is salty, I ordered a salad and got chopped lettuce, my aunts sea bass was flavorless. If you're in Italy please do not waste your time or money. I could deal with unauthentic Italian food, but this food was not good at all. Also the waiter was incredibly rude. read more

The food at this restaurant was good. We had the linguine pasta with mixed sea food covered in a pizza crust. This was the better dish with a decent amount of seafood. The other dish was the spaghetti with clams. The amount of clams was low and the sauce was on the bland side. I will echo the comments of another reviewer. The cover charge of 7 euro and the water charge of 3.50 euro (clearly it was tap water in a recycled unsealed water bottle), were too high if justified at all. The entree prices were on the high side, especially the spaghetti with clams. Service was good, but this definitely seemed to be too touristy for my taste. read more

Il Cestino - Linguine pasta with mixed sea food covered in a pizza crust - Italian Near Me - Milan, Michigan

The service was good enough and the server was friendly, but the food was only adequate. We ordered the linguini and clams which was so, so bland. It appeared that the sauce was not really a seafood sauce but a thickened chicken stock. No flavor. We also ordered a pizza with tuna. The crust was soggy and wet, so not at all appetizing. If nothing else is open, you may want to give this place a try, read more

My friend and I stopped by this spot as our first dinner in Milan, and of course we got pizza and pasta. Everything was absolutely delicious. The seafood pasta was particularly interesting; it was cooked in a pizza dough wrapping, which was unexpected. All in all, a solid first meal in Milan! read more

Il Cestino - Italian Near Me - Milan, Michigan

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Food was delicious everything very fresh, service was top notch and ambiance was very romantic.

Stopped here for lunch on a quick visit to Milan. The risotto appetizer was delicious, and the cheesecake dessert might be the best I've ever had. My husband had the sea bass ravioli and loved it. read more

Il Cestino - Fish selection - Italian Near Me - Milan, Michigan

Returned to eat here. Food is not the same standard anymore. The original lobster pasta I loved is no longer the same. Sauce was different, pasta no longer homemade. Server tried to convince me to get a particular fish, but when I looked at it in the display, I could tell it wasn't fresh (eyes were all cloudy). Disappointing, but there are many other places to eat in Milan! read more

We got a recommendation to come here and boy glad we did. Fabulous food in the Brera district with a cozy yet elegant setting. Ashik our waiter gave us some fabulous recommendations that were all amazing. We even got friendly with the neighbors, one from Austria and the other from Chicago. Ah Italy! Just what you hope for. read more

Terrible food, terrible service. We ordered meals from the lunch special. Pizza was a wet and soggy mess! In Italy! The bottled water was just tap water in a bottle which we paid €3.50 for. It was also warm and had a dirty rim. Service charge was €7 for crap service. What a waste of a meal in Italy. Not real chefs not real Italian. read more

Il Cestino - Dirty rim as 'bottled water' - Italian Near Me - Milan, Michigan

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This place was recommended by a local. It was delicious. It was indeed a little pricey and the staff was a little pushy, but probably would go back if we ever found ourself back in Milan read more

Horrible service, overpriced meal. Waiter gave us horrible recommendations (do not get the lobster ragout) with bland flavor and then forced us to tip him at the end. Huge tourist trap. Would not recommend. read more

Enjoyed a nice meal here despite the bad reviews. The service wasn't spectacular but it was as attentive as we needed it to be. My only complaint was when we asked our waiter if they had tiramisu he promptly said "No" and walked away. The busboy overheard and saw our reaction and immediately came over and suggested other options so we went with the creme brulée. Nice save buddy! For dinner, I had the ossobucco and risotto for the first time ever and I was pleasantly satisfied. The veal was tender and flavorful, the risotto was slightly undercooked but still delicious. We also had the grilled chicken with rosemary potatoes and pomodoro penne with chicken. All the dishes we ordered were delicious. The interior is industrial meets old school Italian decor. Ambiance was great! read more

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Great location with cosy Italian atmosphere and venue. Service could be better but the awesome traditional food made up for that. It's probably more for tourists instead of locals, nevertheless it didn't bother me. read more

Il Cestino - Pretty awesome spaghetti alla carbonara. - Italian Near Me - Milan, Michigan

This is a restaurant designed for tourist (fancy but nondescript decor, conservative offerings, cheap ingredients). The food is okay, sometimes even pretty good, but it is only pretty good for a tourist restaurant. I would suggest dining at a restaurant catering to locals instead. read more

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Good start with a complimentary glass of white wine, but quickly went down hill from there. Service was super slow. Bar shattered a glass bottle of water at our feet. Risotto was kinda hard, as well as the bread. Drink order was never filled after the initial bottle water either. Beef tartar had ligaments still in the meat that any place would have normally removed prior to plating. Also, it lacked any flavor (normally a raw egg or something is added). Pepper and olive oil was served on the side. When an additional slice of lemon was requested, the server acknowledged the request and then went along with his normal routine for the next 20 minutes. We asked for our bill and could not wait to leave the mosquito infested restaurant (the positive side was that at the end of dinner, our server did provide us with mosquito repellent). read more

Il Cestino - Beef tartar was possible one of the worst versions I've had as a foodie. Filled with ligaments - I would pass on this dish. - Italian Near Me - Milan, Michigan

The food is excellent, it is very romantic and they have an excellent musician playing the guitar! I highly recommend this restaurant while in Milan! read more

We asked locals where we should have some seafood whelp in Milano. We wanted a restaurant that did not cater to tourist but where locals would eat. We were recommended this place by 3 of the 5 people we asked. It is located a few streets off of the Main Street in Milano in an alleyway. We were treated very well by the staff. They were extremely cordial and helpful. We had a sampling of seafood which was fresh and clean. I ordered the Vongole (clam) fettuccini which was one of the best I ever had. The wine list is incredible. We liked this place so much that we ate there again two days later. read more

Il Cestino - Great spaghetti Vongole - Italian Near Me - Milan, Michigan

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Idk about other negative comments but i feel like for tourist spots the price is alright. I love the platter appetizers it was a large amount and fresh. Pizzas r good as well i mean apparently its not as cheap as other pizza places but it tastes good to me. It was a nice experience in general read more

Il Cestino - Italian Near Me - Milan, Michigan

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Il Cestino has a very good aperitivo. I really enjoyed this place and the atmosphere. People working here are relaxed and happy to serve. read more

Il Cestino - Italian Near Me - Milan, Michigan

Incredible!!!! My first time in Milan and it's off to a great start. The first Italian we meet and his name is Abdul... Lmbo!!! He was so informative and friendly. Brought us out sparkling wine before we even ordered our waters. He recommended the perfect wine for our meal and helped us navigate through the menu. If your looking for a late dinner this is he place to go The setting is exactly what you are looking for when you go to Italy. read more

Il Cestino - Abdul's pick for the evening. PERFECTION! - Italian Near Me - Milan, Michigan

Terrible. 1. 30 minute wait before anyone appears to take your order 2. No bread for 45 minutes, and no plates or olive oil at all. We had to ask another table to borrow their olive oil! 3. Food arrives an HOUR later, and the pasta is cold. We asked them to microwave it! 4. Swordfish dish is undercooked - so bad that we stopped eating it out of fear we'd get sick. In general, I'd caution everyone to stay away from this place. It is a tourist trap with awful service. ----- Terribile. 1. Attendere 30 minuti prima che qualcuno compaia il tuo ordine 2. Nessun pane per 45 minuti e niente piatti o olio d'oliva. Abbiamo dovuto chiedere un altro tavolo per prendere in prestito il loro olio d'oliva! 3. Il cibo arriva un'ora dopo e la pasta è fredda. Abbiamo chiesto loro di farlo a microonde! 4. Il piatto di pesce spada è poco cotto - così male che abbiamo smesso di mangiarlo per paura che ci ammalassimo. In generale, consiglierei a tutti di stare lontano da questo posto. È una trappola per turisti con un servizio orribile. read more

Super duper tourist trap. Our hotel recommended this spot and I am angry at them for doing so. I saw the poor yelp reviews and tried to convince my work mate to try another spot but he wanted to keep the hotels reservation. It turned out to be a waste of a meal. The food is middle of the road at best. Tons of salt to mask fish was not as fresh as it should have been. You won't die but frankly there are thousands of great spots in Milan that are memorable. This is not one of them. Use yelp to find a gem instead. read more

We agree with an earlier review that the service was "fake nice". The food was not good. I tried to have a "special" traditional dish of spaghetti with sea urchin, clams & a mystery fish. There was no fish in the dish & ten clam shells with no clams. Also, no urchins. Just got the bill. A RIP OFF. DO NOT EAT HERE. read more

This has been our favorite restaurant in Milan to far. We are living here for a few months, and have had multiple phenomenal meals here. Anything you get will be delicious, very well made. The staff is extremely kind and generous, always make sure that you are happy and satisfied. I will continue to recommend this place to others visiting! read more

Lovely place, wonderful ambience and good food. Expensive? It's fashon. Try New York!

A wonderful dining experience. Claudio served us with joy and charm. Good fish and homemade ravioli. Delicious cassata for dessert.

Although the food was good and it is in a very quiet and beautiful street it is overly touristic, overpriced and the service is a fake nice!

One of the best restaurants I've been to in a while. For starters, the seafood crudo was quite possibly the best raw food I've had since Chef's Table. Everything, including the oysters, clams, shrimp, fish - was super fresh and tender. The 2 types of pasta on a single plate was interesting - you get a little taste of multiple pastas. While they weren't quite the same tier of greatness as the starters, it was by no means poor. The second course, a fish dish, was very good as well, though it was pretty funny to see one of my party's dish come with a piece of plastic in his plate. Finally, the tiramisu is easily the best I've had. I literally finished two whole plates of it. The wine selection is excellent as well. Not usually a big wine drinker, I drank so much red and white (and the limoncello at the end) that I don't remember which ones I had. But they were among the top 3 reds and top 5 whites that I've tried. Quick note: this was kind of a work/celebratory dinner, so there are a few caveats to my review. One, I didn't pay, so I don't know how much the meal cost. On the other hand, I normally don't like corporate meals, so this had to be especially outstanding to get my positive attention. read more

This is a rare restaurant in Italy that FAILS at absolutely everything. 1. COMFORT. We were seated outside under the awning. When it started raining, the water from the edges was dropping on us and into the food. Getting to the downstairs bathroom is nearly impossible via narrow stairs where you get bumped by staff passing by you. 2. WINE LIST. They didn't have sparkling rose (3 different bottles on the wine list). They didn't have prosecco (also 3 different bottles on the wine list). About thirty minutes into the meal, having finished the complimentary glass of some sweet sparkling apperitif (in the spirit of "here's a free glass, now leave me the hell alone"), I was still nowhere near having a drink I actually wanted. They have a few reasonably priced wines (or not, because I didn't try to order them), but most of the wines on the list are 100 euros and up, which is odd for a place with absolutely no class. I have no idea if the people running this restaurant understand that they are in Italy, where there is no shortage of palatable and reasonably priced wines. 3. QUALITY OF FOOD. I ordered a bruschetta with tomatoes, which was actually quite tasty. However, the bread was so hard that I was worried for my dental work. The gnocchi that I ordered were tasteless and completely overcooked. I ate three pieces from the entire plate. At the end of the meal, the waiter collected my full plate without bothering to ask why I barely ate any of it. 4. SERVICE. This was about the worst that I have ever seen. Once they know that they got you, after you order food, they are done with you. They are openly annoyed that you want anything from them, and they pretty much ignore you. 5. COST. The prices of food here are pretty outrageous. They also include a rape charge, which they refer to as "service charge." Overall, this was a complete waste of time, money, and calories. Any other restaurant in Brera is better. read more

The food was okay but the price was ridiculous. 2 pasta dishes, bottle of red wine and water was over 70 euros. Mainly because of the "coperto" AND service charge. You can get the same quality for a lot cheaper! read more