Two words. Molto delizioso!!!…read more This little place is located on the south bank of the Navigli Canal. New Executive Chef Ivan Minali is serving up incredibly unique dishes that will surely have your palate wanting more. The ambience of the restaurant was amorous. We also found the staff to be polite, efficient and very observant without being intrusive. The starters were all excellent, but the stand out dishes for me was the gold foiled, soft-centered egg with caviar and truffle sitting on a pistachio bed. Second favorite was the artichoke with foie gras and roasted egg yolk. The taste was delightful and astonishing! For dessert, I would recommend the "Snow White" Apple with pasta frolla ice-cream. It's made with an apple-shaped crispy candy shell with apple mousse inside. Reservations for this Michelin star restaurant can be hard to come by, but you may get lucky like we did. During the hot summer nights, take a seat outdoor and enjoy the Milanese movida while having dinner. Of all the offerings in the canal district, this sits at the top of the heap for creativity and fine dining. Every dish was crafted with fresh ingredients, presented with high style and flair you would expect only in Milan.

This was our fancy dinner during our Milan trip and including a couple birthdays as well. Reserving…read morea table was an easy call to the restaurant the week prior and on the day of we had some horrific issues with taxis and ended up running quite late but they were so accommodating when we called to let them know and we're so glad they had table for us when we finally arrived. The owner Maida Mercuri is the first person you see upon walking in, she's gorgeous and has a ready smile. The feel here is so homey. The food is upscale but it's not the vibe you get at all. It's comfortable and has a nice ecclectic mix of people from locals to visitors alike and couples on dates alongside groups of friends. You have those dressed to the nines and those dining in their jeans. Either way this was definitely worth saving as our special dinner for our short stay in Milan. I love the fact that not everyone at the table needs to do a tasting menu, the fact they have a number of different tasting menus and some really interesting (as in i was so very curious to try them) a la carte offerings. There was 5 of us and 3 opted to try tasting menus and the others the a la carte. I really wish I had taken a photo of their menu as it changes so often...Especially as i couldnt recall the name of each plate as there were so many!! so sad... Amuse bouche we started off with were prosecco filled balls from heaven...really could have eaten several dozens of these (favorite by far of my entire trip!). Loved them. Served chilled in a bowl of ice...just sooo amazing. The other was a pork with yogurt sauce which was also tasty and the yogurt was refreshing. As we had a gluten allergic bday girl, her amuse bouche was a GF parmesan and avocado crisp. Their bread board was impressive. All made in-house and fresh. Seriously wish we could have just shipped it all home. Mini croissants were slightly sweet and crisp...sooo good. The large ones had cumin and were savory. Breadsticks and different kinds of breads...There was just so many choices! *Spaghettoni: there were two options and I'm not fully sure which was selected but our friend was very happy. This takes extra time and says so on the menu. It looked like a very large spaghetti pasta and was very fresh. * Tradition tasting menu: *The candied version of red onion from Tropea: This was gorgeously presented and the taste was so fresh and creamy. That tart and creamy goat cheese with the candied onion after you break into the shiny candy shell...this looked like blown glass artwork. Loved it! *Beef sashimi: Also beautifully presented and soo good! *Ravioli: pretty little pillows of goodness *Pluma of Iberian pork: juicy, tender and just the right amount of smoky sear. Artfully plated. *Chocolate cigar, a scent of Montecristo and rhum ice cream: such an interesting dessert!!! Not a fan of the montecristo cigar smoke but what an idea!!! small glass was filled w. cigar smoke for you to have a feel as if you were smoking a cigar! The cigar was a chocolate and served in a clear ashtray. water tasting menu: *Langoustine: artfully plated and very fresh. *Sausage stuffed sardines: This was definitely different and fresh. Small fresh sardines stuffed with sausage. *Tuna slider: the bun was made with pasta...This was very interesting, tasty and quite messy to eat as i was instructed to do so with my hands. *Squid with beet reduction and fried onions: very fresh squid, very tender and loved the beet reduction. *White fish or monkfish? Loved their presentation but this was my least favorite...the fish was very chewy and ate like a steak...sliced like one as well...somewhat gristly. *Octopus and potatoes: this was such a cool dessert for me as it looked just like octopus and potatoes...the octopus was fruit molded to look like octopus and filled with fresh whipped cream to look like the white flesh when you cut into it. The "potatoes" were poached pears. Creative AND delicious! The other really fun dessert was "this is not a game": a kaleidoscope of childhood flavors. This came out on a lit LED platform (very bright) and it was legos!!! Fruit leather molded into the lego base platforms with chocolate lego figures. Very cool!!! I wish we had known to order the apple tart dessert but alas...we did not. Hours later and all very full...we happily wandered out to wait for our taxis, which Ms Mercuri was kind enough to call for us whilst one of us kept eating the delicious jelly beans at her counter. Lovely dinner, lovely evening.

Ratanà ended up in my top five dining locations for Milan. I almost didn't get a chance to go, but…read morea a flight cancellation gave us an extra day in the city and this is where we spent it. Best additional detour of the trip. I found Ratana through Michelin's Bib Gourmand list which is highly rated food and reasonable prices. Chef Cesare Battisti cooks traditional Milanese and Lombard food with a modern perspective and I loved it. We did the tasting menu at lunch and the portions were genuinely generous. First they provide shared plates: whipped ricotta, smoked alpine char, zucchini olive salad, and a panzanella salad. The last one surprised me the most. I always expect panzanella to be bread-heavy. This one had almost none. It was cherry confit tomatoes, peaches, and was bright and clean. That dish alone was worth going back for. Individual courses followed. The vitello tonnato was unique (I don't normally have tuna sauce with means) and it was done well. The risotto alla Milanese was homy and savory as the traditional Milan dish. Dessert was a summer panettone with candied apricots, summer fruit, and rosemary. This was my first time trying Panettone. Ive seen it everywhere but never actually consumed any. The Panettone was light but rich in baking spices and fruit forward flavor. It paired well with the apricot sorbet served along side. The wine list leans natural, not always my thing, so I skipped the pairing and ordered a local sparkling to start and a heartier red with the meal. If you are looking to go, make sure to book early. We were lucky to get a 2:30pm slot at lunch to try out this menu. The kitchen is open for lunch through 4 pm and then dunner starts back up at 6:00pm.

Exceptionally delicious traditional Milanese food, outstanding service and ambience…read moreEveryone is so nice. This is my new favorite place when I'm in Milan. Visit twice in one week.

This place is amazing in so many ways!!! The service is impeccable and so accommodating! We had to…read moremove our reservation back an hour due to travel issues (which is something that many other restaurants would give us a hard time about), and the team at Il Luogo was so understanding!! My group and I ended up doing a tasting menu, which is the way to go! Just be sure to set aside 4 hrs, especially if you're a chatty group like we were. The servers also made the perfect wine recommendations to go along with our meal. I wish I had more time to go back and try some of the other delicious and creative plates!

My first 2 Michelin star restaurant experience!…read more You definitely have to make reservations in advance; this experience will take at least 3-4 hours. A bit out of the way from the the central Milan area, but worth the trip! This is the most expensive meal I've had to the date. I ordered the Summer menu (shorter and cheaper than their Territories menu). The whole table must have the same menu since they bring everyone's next course at the same time and explain the dish in Italian or English (depending on your preference). There are a lot of course but each one is quite small. If there's something you do not like on the menu (which they let you preview before choosing), you can ask them to substitute it. I did not want the purple shrimp, so they offered to substitute it with a fish dish and ultimately served me the red mullet from their territories menu. I ended up trying a lot of new dishes here; it was my first time eating all of the fish they served and they did it well. Most of the other dishes were good but didn't stand out to me (e.g. the dishes with the veal). Surprisingly, my absolute favorite dish had to be the pureed 'cicerchie' from Puglia, with wild chicory, figs must and 'lampascioni' in raspberries vinegar. It is vegetarian, but it was so flavorful and homey; I loved it! If I could order just this, I would be ordering from here every week! Afterward, ordered an espresso (not included in the meal price). Tasted like the espresso served at most other non-Michelin star restaurants but was much more expensive. One of the chefs came out to chat with each table, and his passion for creating foods to represent the "Italian kitchen" (diverse because of all the different regions in Italy) was VERY evident and was a joy to see. Although it's a very expensive meal, I would definitely recommend stopping by here once to experience the food and atmosphere.

Stopped by for a somewhat quick lunch before our duomo tour. We ordered the burrata salad for two…read moreand a pizza. The burrata was ginormous and so filling even for two people. It was so delicious and freshly made. Pizza was good but it was just alot for two people to share. Portions are huge so this would be more for a group to share.

It's crazy that this place has mediocre reviews on Yelp - I thought the pizza was absolutely…read morefantastic! So delicious and fresh! We were in the area and looking for a pizza spot and this was rated well on Google, so we tried it out...we were not disappointed! I tried the following: -La Margherita di Gino Sorbillo -Margherita Gialla "Massimo Bottura" The "La Margherita" is the house specialty and amazing - simple, fresh ingredients to make a delicious Naples-style pizza. The "Massimo Bottura" was also good - it has a special cheese that adds a unique flavor to the dish, but it's really not as mind-blowing as the house special. The service was fine and the ambiance is casual. If you're looking for a traditional Neapolitan pizza, this is an excellent spot!

If you are looking for cheap eats, this is not it. If you want to eat fine food, and don't have…read morethe time/effort to reserve a Michellin place and adjust your travel schedule around it, then this is your opportunity. The service was excellent. It's in the Galleria where you can people watch. The bread, the superb olive oil were good starter to the meal. Their famous appetizer was superb with multiple levels of flavors. The spegetto was excellent, well balanced. The steak was small portion but superb quality over quantity. The vegetarian main was small, but mutiple levels of taste. The desserts were excellent besides being pretty. Overall, it was a little more pricy than your standard Italian places, but probably not more than a fancy non-michellin place in the U.S. I'd go there again when I get a chance. People who know and value good food will appreciate this place.

Amazing bread! Our meal was incredible (scallops, filet, risotto ). The service was also perfect…read more The cappuccino was only 2.5 euro. They told me they were known for having the best risotto in all of Milan. Great location before or after visiting The Duomo.

Abbiamo cenato qui per festeggiare il mio compleanno. Ho letto molti articoli che ha parlato di…read morequesto ristorante, e gli articoli non mi ha deluso. Tutti i piatti sono incredibili - abbiamo adorato l'antipasto di asparagi, e mi piace un sacco il polpo alla brace. I vini che il cameriere ci ha raccomandato completano molto bene i nostri secondi. Questo ristorante è perfetto per un'occasione speciale! Effettua una prenotazione in anticipo.

Smart looking restaurant. Food was delicious - especially the fish of the day, which was expertly…read moregrilled. Pity there was still two bones in it though.... but otherwise, we had a decent meal here. Pricing was acceptable, neither cheap nor expensive. They do have an extensive wine list here. Unfortunately, we were not drinking this evening... and on their non-alcoholic drinks list, all they had was water and coke....!

First impression of Don Lisander: Look at that fancy restaurant…read more Second impression of Don Lisander: It's even more fancier and romantic looking at night. Third impression of Don Lisander: Tourist trap. From afar, Don Lisander is like an oasis in the desert. It separates itself from the busy shopping district by being tucked away and blanketed by beautiful plants. It has an outdoor seating area and walking by you will wonder what it is like to dine there. Looks divine! It is also one of the few "nice" restaurants in the area. Hours later and desperate for a meal, we found ourselves back at Don Lisander. The restaurant looked empty (just a few patrons) and we were able to snag ourselves a table in the garden patio. It was definitely a romantic setting and seemed promising. We ordered the risotto con gamberi e ristretto di pescato and il petto d' anatra all' arancio e pepe sichuan. The food came out well plated and with small portions. The duck was absolutely delicious with hints of orange, was extremely tender and juicy but the risotto fell flat and can be described as "nothing special". It was found that my thoughts on the risotto were also supported by our neighboring table after having a friendly chat. The risotto was a thin layer of rice over a few pieces of shrimp. The broth was neither rich nor flavorful. It would be rather depressing to almost compare this dish to a plate of oatmeal but that's where I would head if I were to continue talking about it. Throughout dinner, I noticed that people would come in without reservations. The staff seemed annoyed even though the restaurant was empty. Even by the time we had left, the restaurant was still relatively empty. We were rushed throughout dinner and when it was time to get the bill, it took forever. People were panicking as they were trying to make a show at Teatro alla Scala. I also noticed that with the tourists who could not understand the menu, the staff was not very patient or friendly. If you do not speak Italian, make sure you can quickly google on your phone what some of the dishes are. On top of the very expensive meal, Don Lisander charges a hefty cover charge. It's a shame. The restaurant is beautiful and in a good location. However, the food experience and ambiance is not worth the lukewarm and mediocre service and high price of the meal. I don't think any tourist left completely satisfied. Just with lighter wallets.

Seems we got lucky based on the other reviews, as I found my meal quite pleasant. Yes, I was lured…read morein by the cute patio. We walked in on a Friday and made reservations for the next evening. The host/hostess were pleasant and it was easy to make a reservation. When we came for the meal, we were given a table inside (wish it would have been outside), but it was just fine. We had the Osso Buco and the Veal Milenaise. Both were good. I liked the veal better, and it was good enough that I would consider coming back again.

I love finding great places to fine as you get lost with google directions. One leads to an end…read morewhile you find another. We enjoyed our meal and didn't worry about the language barrier. I would definitely come back.

Best food we had in Italy! The ossobuco with risoto was amazing! The service was the best too! The…read moreenvironment was very friendly!