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Recently, I’ve been trying too many restaurants where the price was too high compared to the experience you get, ending with no will to promote the place.

I always look for place where the food is good, the service pleasant, the interior design neat, and all this for a price around 30-40€ max, which, according to me, is an acceptable price for dishes of quality in Milan.

 

Once, explaining this equation to a friend, she mentioned Osteria Brunello. Maybe one week later, I saw a facebook comment on the place written by an ex teacher, last I read an article about it. So I finally decided to go.

I discovered once there, that the place has 2 “gambero rosso” and was primed for its “cotoletta alla Milanese”.

 

The restaurant has been renovated this year. The design is warm, a mix of Mediterranean and Nordic style: wood flooring and tables, steel structure full of bottles of wine, counter with cement tiles, vintage suspended light, tolix and bistrot chairs.

This is a place with a cozy atmosphere; you even have a chesterfield sofa, part of the decoration, but looking really comfy and waiting for you :-)

I like the decoration elements on the walls too.

 

The service is pretty organized, the waiters are always here if you need (no risk to look for someone during 10 minutes to get a bottle of water) but they are discreet so you don’t feel pressure. I hate when the waiter pours a few drops of water  in your glass every ten minutes. They are pro and cordial.

 

The menu is divided as a standard Italian menu: antipasti, primi, secondi, dolci.

I ordered a primo for 12€ and a secondo for 19€.

They propose more than 200 wine labels and have half bottles of quality at a correct price. They have a sommelier to advice you.

 

About the food ? This is Italian "cuisine" with a twist of modernity, the presentation is simple but a pleasure for the eyes (colors, presentation).

I ordered a risotto with red wine (brunello), gorgonzola and crystalized orange. Well, the combination of blue cheese with the orange was really delightful. I must admit the portion was bigger than expected.

I then ordered some lamb with thyme and purple potatoes. The cooking of the meat was great, much better than my last 1 star Michelin experience in Bolzano, where the chef was promoting the non use of the trendy  “sous vide” because the meat is not good according to her, but serving at the end, meat leaving you a furry mouth.

Last I got the opportunity to try raviolo of fassona (famous premium beef from Piedmont) stuffed with chestnuts purée,  served with onions marmalade and a brioche bread : really really nice. The combination of the raw meat with the chestnut was great. Adding the marmalade was a bit covering the taste of the chestnuts purée but: what an amazing dish !

I could not try the desserts as I was too full, but I saw they work with Ernst Knam who is quite famous in Milan.

 

Honestly ? Everything was great.

 

One tiny thing to say?

 

. Well, as French, I definitely did not enjoy the bread, this could be enhanced for sure.

. Then the place was a bit noisy but as most of the place in Milan, I never understood if it was a question of acoustic or culture ...

 

I’ll go back for sure.