18. July 2014: Ristorante Alice

Maybe a bit an odd start for a review, but this book is really one of the best purchases I have made in my life: Where Chefs Eat: A Guide To Chefs’ Favourite Restaurants is a guide to restaurants where Michelin starred chefs eat when they are out privately. So far, I had only tried one restaurant in Madrid, Botilleria y Fogón Sacha and there I had the best beef of my life.

I already wanted to go to the Ristorante Alice once about one year ago but did not manage to do so – luckily, this time it worked. I went for the “Menu Sandrina” (EUR 85.00) which started with a “Flower bouquet salad with pistachio” which was quite simple but looked surprisingly nice.

The second course of the evening was already way more to my liking – the moment it was placed on the table I was already happy. The “fried pacchero with parmesan mousse” was a very chrispy affair which kind of overhwelmed the taste of the parmesan mousse but the “terrine of red turnip” was a tiny tasty explosion.

The “mussel in sea water jelly with parsley sauce” was interesting although of a rather glue-y consistency. The “carasau bread with cod fish mousse”  was definitely a surprise to my palate – lovely in taste.

The variety of bread you are served when dining at the Alice is outstanding – I did not manage to try all of them but the once I managed to try were definitely of great taste.

The first official course of the tasting menu was a “CARPACCIO FANTASY GF – carpaccio of fresh fish of the day combined with fruits and aromatic herbs”. The served fish was incredibly fresh indeed and already aromatic itself. In combination with the different colourful dots – each having its distinct taste – the dish just became a firework in my mouth.

The next course was “COME UNA CAPRESE… GF – buffalo mozzarella, five types of tomatoes, mozzarella icecream, marshmallow with tomato juice and basil snowflakes” which was basically a regular tomato mozzarella basil salad – while it was not. The buffalo mozzarella was also prepared as icecream which was of very intense and interesting taste. The tomatoes were not only of different colour but only of varying intense taste.

The primo piatto this evening was “LA PASTA LONGA – handmade maccheroncini al ferro with red prawns, oyster, spinach clorophyll and lime infused oil” which was truly rich. The pasta was perfectly cooked and it fit very well with the red prawns. As I am not such a big fan of oysters, the oysters could have been left out – else, absolutely amazing.

The secondo piatto was “PULP FICTION GF – roasted octopus with light pesto, potatoes, peas in the pod, courgettes, french beans and citron cream”. While simple at first, the combination of the pesto, the octopus and the citron cream was incredibly tasty. Additionally, the octopus was smooth and not chewy at all (as it unfortunately often is).

Before the last course, a little “PREDESSERT MACEDONIA A MODO MIO… GF” was served which was a selection of candied fruit served in little white and dark chocolate flakes. The fruit were taste intense and the perfect preparation for the actual dessert.

I must admit that the dessert was an interesting combination of “fruit salad, vegetables, lemon sorbet, mint icecream and green apple and olive oil sauce”. Why interesting you might wonder – well, the vegetables in a dessert and the finishing with an olive oil sauce was pretty unique to what I have had in desserts so far. However, the mint icecream in combination with the lemon sorbet made it a light and refreshing dessert perfect of finish off the many courses.

Ultimately, some Friandises were served which went perfectly with the strong Italian double espresso (EUR 4.00). Talking about prices, I must admit that the price for this experience is absolutely fair. While for Italy EUR 85.00 for a menu is definitely not cheap I must say it is worth paying it as the food is great. The same applies to the beverages (water, 0,75L, EUR 4.00; Barbera Superiore, EUR 27.00). The only thing I really do not understand in a restaurant of such quality is the EUR 4.00 cover charge. I mean, if you consume for several 100 EURs a night do you really need to charge EUR 4.00 for the place cover?

However, as the restaurant is located on the top floor of the Eataly store in Milan you have a marvelous view but not only that. The interior is spacious, light-flooded and very appealingly designed. Definitely an extremely comfortable place to spend a couple of hours during dinner.

The service is mostly attentive – only when it comes to refilling the wine or water glass it sometimes took them quite a while to realize that it was empty. Else, the service is very friendly, dedicated, and tries to fulfill your wishes at all times. As there were some language barriers as some of our party did not speak Italian fluently, we sometimes had the issue that the waitress was not able to explain what had just been served. Although we pointed this out in the beginning sometimes the same waitress showed up again not being able to explain – no big deal really but a pity as you want to understand what you eat when you eat such great food.

In a nutshell, if you are in Milan, you have to visit the Ristorante Alice – great atmosphere, great food, very fair price-performance ratio and good service!

Rating:

Atmosphere:
Service:
Dishes:
Price-Performance Ratio:
Overall Rating:

Contact Details:

Ristorante Alice

Piazza XXV Aprile 10

20121 Milano (IT)

Tel.: +39 02 49 49 73 40

E-Mail: info@aliceristorante.it

Homepage: http://aliceristorante.it

About the Author: Sven

I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org. Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City.