I came for this meal immediately after a red eye flight and I would do it again, even at the expense of sleep. I dined alone and don't speak Italian, but the staff went above and beyond at every step. From explaining the dishes, to the wine pairings, to the number of staff perfecting every detail (at one point, I counted 8 staff members in a room of about 10 tables). When the bread came (with the course of vegetables in a circle in a jelly like sauce) I asked if I was supposed to eat the dish with the bread and the waiter said "you're in Italy, you eat bread when your heart tells you". I loved how unpretentious and sincere the comment was, especially when it is easy to feel overwhelmed by fine dining. The food was so delicious that my eyes watered on a couple of bites. Highlights were the amuse bouche (the dish with the sprouts growing) and the baba ganoush wrapped in dehydrated tomato (the dish with the slices of tomato), and the housemade red bean tempeh (far left in the picture with bread). The only lowlight was the mushroom (far right in the picture with bread). It's been several decades since I've eaten meat, but it had a really weird mouth feel similar to what I remember a glob of grisly animal fat to feel like. read more

Joia - 2 additional savory courses and 3 dessert. - Vegan Near Me - Milan, Michigan

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My wife and I visited Milan from New York last week and chose Joia to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary and were deeply disappointed, especially given the €400+ spend. Despite its Michelin star and vegetarian focus, both the food and service fell well below expectations. From the start, we felt pressured to purchase expensive wine before even settling in. The restaurant offers separate vegetarian and vegan tasting menus, but when I wanted vegetarian and my wife vegan, we were firmly told this wasn't allowed. A senior staff member even came over to explain--quite patronizingly--that we 'didn't know our food' and had to choose one menu for both of us. Most dishes were mediocre at best, making the Michelin recognition hard to understand. Even basic details like torn table napkins reflected a lack of care. Overall, this was not the special experience we hoped for, and I would not recommend Joia. read more

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Amazing dining experience! My Fiancé and I often try pre-fixe menus and I often struggle with the options and substitutions and a vegetarian. When we noticed a world class vegetarian restaurant during our travel research for our trip to Italy, we immediately knew we had to give it a try. We attended a lunch a Joia. Absolutely incredible! Each bite was a joy. The book of wine choices was organized by region and the Sommelier provided excellent guidance on what to choose. We loved this experience so much that we made my sister a reservation next month for her birthday read more

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Our group had a phenomenal experience at Joia. We were staying way over in Piedmont but we went out of our way specifically for Joia. It was well worth the trip. There were two non-vegetarians in our group and we were all equally stunned. read more

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Vegetarian cuisine elevated. The menu draws inspiration from Japanese cuisine, but many of the ingredients are decidedly Italian. Lovingly constructed, the courses tell a story and each dish transports you to different scenes. An extensive wine list, with local wines to international can be entertaining by itself. Highly recommended even to non-vegetarians like myself. I came away completely satiated. read more

June 25, 2019 Tuesday - 9 PM for dinner 4 Adults and a teenager Atmosphere - 5 stars Food - 5 stars Service - 5 stars Background - Michelin restaurant was in the plans for our visit to Milan. To find a vegetarian place was extra special. Atmosphere - Two small dining rooms, and we sat in the front one. 4 or 5 tables in this room. Their music selection was very unique. Food Drinks - I just had water. Others has some mocktails and my wife had a three course wife pairing. Dinner - Joia was currently on their summer menu. My wife wanted to try everything or close to it. So we all ordered the Zenith, 11 course, not counting the free one for just being their guest. The names are a bit crazy and long. The one item that stood out for everyone was the "Man does not live on bread alone". Their menu description "Panzanella with crunchy vegetables, wasabi-flavoured cannellini bean core, raspberry contrast, shiso, strawberry and lovage sorbet funny composition". I also limited the pictures I posted, I went a little nutty, but this item is so beautiful, I have never had anything plated like this. Service - We were greeted by our waitress. But it was a true team effort. But felt very special when Pietro Leemann, Michelin star chef and owner, took our order. Clearly we made it easy for him. He did checked in with us later during the meal. In our small area I only saw him checking in with one other table. Future - Yes read more

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This was an interesting Michelin dining experience since it was vegetarian! You can tell that they have chosen their dishes based on elements and forms of nature. Midway through our meal, Peter Leemann greeted us and asked us where we were from and how everything was, which was very considerate of him even though the kitchen and dining room was busy. Service was very friendly during our meal. Our server and busboys spoke great English and we were also offered with an English menu. Most of the ingredients were from Joia's very own garden located in Cascina Caremma. My husband and I went with the Emphasis on Nature (8 courses) and we were pleasantly surprised at how delicious everything was without using any meat. Some dishes were even vegan! Since the menu changes seasonally, I won't rave about the dishes that I enjoyed since the ingredients and/or entrees for the next season will probably be different, but I would highly recommend checking out Joia if you're looking for a unique dining experience. read more

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Just ate here. The food was great yet I hate to admit it. Let me preface this by saying that I am an African American woman visiting from the U.S. There were four other tables occupied in their small dining room. The chef walked around to every table in the room, greeted them and asked about their meal; except for my table. He could have literally walked around in a circle to each table but he greeted the 1st two tables, turned around and walked back while greeting the two women in the table next to me. He walked by my table twice, looking down, like he was intentionally trying to avoid me. It is so sad that whatever country you visit, as a person of color, you are always treated differently or not even acknowledged it all. The other staff members treated me well but I will never return. I also confirmed with one of the servers that the chef did indeed speak English. I wanted to rule out that maybe there was a language barrier. But clearly it was not. People of color beware, I would never eat any food that this man makes. This one star review is solely based on my experience with the chef, or lack thereof... should I say. read more

I have taken several family members here, who are vegetarian. It's difficult to find a world class tasting menu that caters to vegetarian in Italy, so this place was a wonderful find. I highly recommend it. read more

We visited Joia the first time five or six years ago and were stunned at the types of things a great chef can do with vegetables. So we had to visit Fabrizio Marino's Michelin Star restaurant again upon our most recent visit to Milan. The Zenith tasting menu is an immersive experience and lasts, if you do it right two and a half hours. It's even more enjoyable if you add the wine pairing. It's a sixteen course menu which they say embodies the essence of nature. The dishes are creative and are often presented as theater. As the menu was in Italian, I cannot and could not remember the names of every dish. It took pictures of just about every one. The dishes are presented in splashes of beautiful colors and in the shapes of things you associate with the animal kingdom, like "The Shape of Life". A dish that is formed in the shape of an egg surrounded by spring leaves. There are many, many layers of flavors, but this time I wasn't as bowled over by the selections. They were creative and beautiful, but not as memorable in flavor or consistency. Still one of the best restaurants in terms of service, creativity and vegetarian menus. read more

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Hats off to the chefs who can create such unique elegant dishes with such wonderful combination of ingredients without using any meat. It was a very pleasant experience and discovery. read more

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This was an amazing Michelin star restaurant. There are a few tasting menus to choose from. My husband had a 5 course one and I had an 8 course one. You didn't even realize you were not eating meats. The vegetables were the stars and the way they were treated was just divine. I loved every dish and every minute of the evening. It was our last dinner in Italy and I certainly hope to go back one day. It was truly memorable. read more

Extremely creative vegetarian food. The restaurant is abstract and spiritual and backs it up with good tasting creative flavor combinations. Often there would be ingredients carried over from one dish to the other even all the way to dessert. I would never have though passion fruit would taste good with passion fruit. Overall a great experience and great food. read more

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Every dish was magical. This dinner lasted so long. Not complaining but definately my longest ever meal. I thought i was going to have to be wheeled out of there, lol. We did order the longest most expensive tasting course. :) read more

Joia - Wow amazing meal here. What an escape this was. - Vegan Near Me - Milan, Michigan

The best high end vegetarian/vegan dining in Milan. They also have an excellent wine selection.

We had heard good things about the only gourmet vegetarian Michelin star rated restaurant in Europe, hence we made our way to Joia during our short stay in Milan. Its located in the downtown/official area of Milan away from Duomo or El Castille. Our overall experience was very unique and interesting. The staff and the chef were friendly and helped us understand the menu. The chef shared an interesting story with us, he was an Italian chef making French cuisine for several years, then became a follower of ISCON (Hare Ram Hare Krishna) and became a vegetarian by choice. He decided to invent a fully vegetarian gourmet menu in his restaurant. The chef doesn't have a fixed menu , infact he told us he changed it based on seasonal availability. So we had the summer menu to choose from. They also had a wine guy who came in and advised us on a nice lite white wine, which wasn't too expensive either. The restaurant (as expected) was full of old rich men with seeming younger, hotter wives in jackets and boat shoes - we seemed to be the only people who actually came for the vegetarian food and not the Michelin star (if you catch my drift) ... Now, setting the interesting story aside.. let me comment on the food. We tried about 5 dishes, couple of which were really interesting, the rest were average. Our appetizer was a unique watermelon dish, but the texture was so much like having meat (something like prosciutto or a thin ham slice), but it's a burst of fresh watermelon when you taste it - it messes with your brain, pretty ingenious and tasty. We also had a soup (either pumpkin or squash). It was tasty but nothing I had not tasted before at other high end venues. The pasta dish was pretty average - we had much better pasta in Venice and Rome for far fewer Euros. It's probably my palette which loves street food more than gourmet. For my entrée I tried an entrée called Summer field; it was just a glorified salad with some cool iron chef type things like pumpkin foam etc. the dish had 3-4 different textures, crispy, foamy, saucy and more.. It was light and sparse, not heavy at all - but hey, that is not the intention with gourmet fine dining. What I didn't like is that very basic veggie dishes (like soup and pasta) had long descriptions and the waiters pointed out almost each ingredient to make you feel you got something fancy. The chef certainly plays well with colors and textures but seemed to have very less experience with spice, most dishes were on a bland side and none had a pop of acid or spice. The highlight was the "Gong" dessert. It was some kind of vanilla foam with strawberries in a mason jar, but was pretty cool. The waiter came with an actual gong and played it once as he served it, which was cool. All the food was dainty, delicate, layers of flavor and textures.. you could tell it was no home cooking, it was certainly something made by an iron chef (or something). Of course, I do feel that the place was overpriced, especially since it is a vegetarian place and the portions were very small (even from European standards). My main complaint with the restaurant was the ambiance.. it was very simplistic. If I am spending €150+ for a dinner, I do expect some candles or fresh flowers or white gloves; none of which existed. I don't know much about Michelin stars and they will certainly be hard to get, but the bottom line is always about the food and not about pretentious ratings usually obtained by networking and contacts; I rate this place 3/5 stars and probably a one-time visit at best. read more

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I can't even write this review because it'll make me sad. So all I'm going to say is that this is hands down the best meal I've had in my life, and it is certainly worth every euro (and it's expensive). DEF recommend for everyone, and especially for vegetarians. Do the wine pairing too! I'd probably fly to Milan just for this place. read more

Worth a flight from NYC. No joke. Pietro Leemann is a visionary who creates, in his own words "good cuisine with culture." I don't normally enjoy Haute Cuisine, but the first Michelin starred vegetarian restaurant in Europe couldn't be missed. I ordered a vegan version of the Zenith tasting menu which was wonderful. Each of the 15 courses was great. Travel and art play a large role in the experience. Each dish is seemingly more thoughtful and more creative than the last. Joia is not to be missed. If you're vegan, it's worth a pilgrimage from anywhere in the world. It's up there with the best meals of my life. read more

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Amazing food... Really beautiful plating and really creative. I am also a big fan of their wine selection! Totally recommend it

The grace, beauty, indulgence that is JOIA! We had a wonderful dinner experience with exceptional wine . The chef and his team are masters of the senses and the fact that the food is vegan is an extra on top of it all. My husband and I had a tasting menu that was beyond every sense . We left beyond satiated and satisfied and are ready to return ;) I never take photographs of food and I won't post here as the chef and his team are artists whose vision should be experienced in person. Thank you Joia ! read more

The chef is creative and uses fresh seasonal ingredients. That being said, the service is incredible slow, which leaves a lot of room to be desired. read more

Being from NYC and having lots of good vegetarian options, I had high hopes for this place. I agree with the others that the décor leaves more to be desired but I didn't let that interfere with my review of the night. We got the Zenith 15 course tasting with wine pairing. I will say that the wines were excellent, though for the price they can give more generous pours. The food left much more to be desired and some of them were downright disgusting or offensive ('the be happy be a vegetarian dish' was a smear of red with some hummus and ill placed veggies). The meal got worse as it went along or perhaps I just got sick of the repetitive tastes. Note: having the dish be foam based does not make it good. The service was ok and the place was really humid. I should have ordered pizza and stayed in. read more

A very refined vegan restaurant with very elaborated and well conceived dishes. I had the 12 course tasting menu and I should say it was one of the best meals of my life. The wine pairings are excellent and service is absolutely professional. read more

Our waiter, Darlei, was amazing! He knew everything abt the menu and suggested us with the best at the restaurant. Amazing service! Thanks!

What an incredible experience. Pietro Leemaan was exceptional from the moment he came and greeted our table to us departing. Highly recommend to any Milano travelers who appreciate a Michelin acclaimed restaurant with vegetarian focus. The prefix menu was perfect and generous with portions. Service impeccable and comfortable. Saluti read more

A vegetarian only fine dining restaurant is a luxury. And to add to that in Europe, its a super luxury. Great food and some amazing presentations. Enjoyed every bit of our experience. read more

Come on - How many times in life does an herbivore get the opportunity to dine at a vegetarian-only Michelin starred restaurant? HAD to try Joia and both the husband and I are incredibly happy we did. We ordered a FANTASTIC bottle of Spanish red and each had the Emphasis on Nature, 8 course tasting menu. Were there a couple of plates out of the eight dishes that fell a bit flat? Yes. But with even those plates, Joia was all about flavor layering. Who knew that 3 ordinary things like orange sorbet, eggplant, and carrot soup, which are each yummy on their own, could be heightened to mind-blowing deliciousness when you combine the three?? Astounding. We found the majority of the plates to be amazingly tasty, all of the dishes were immaculately plated, and the service was spot on. In reading other reviews, I'll say I agree that the lighting is a bit bright, but I don't agree with the negative comments on the service - The level of service was exactly what you want/expect for this type of establishment/these type of prices. The one complaint I have is that the phone in the front rang a few times during dinner and it's ring tone/volume was quite noticeable in the back dining room. But it doesn't matter - If you're a vegetarian or not, but especially if you're a vegetarian - Do it. Treat yourself to a divine dining experience; you won't regret it. Massive kudos to Joia for showing the world that vegetarian cuisine can be just as elevated as dishes with meats. read more