Al Baretto San Marco — Restaurant in Milan

Elegant seefood restaurant in the heart of the sizzling neighborhood - narrow streets, not a lot of parking if any, the place itself is not too big - inside and outside seating. The ambience resembles a mix of the old style fish house and a gatsby mansion - tight, but modern. The staff is plenty, and polished to the shine, extremelt accomodating and elegant, the team is working in synergy - it is a dance magical to observe especially after a glass of wine or two. Now the food - the plates are relatively small, they will not fill you up. The dishes are mostly the sea, if you are looking for a turf, it won't be the right place. We ordered couple small appetizers that seemed to be interesting, two main courses (one of which I don't remember, the other was an pulpo - literally one perfectly cooked small octopus leg with a sauce and two baby potatoes...very conservative size plate), a panna cotta desert. One aperol, two glasses of house wine, and a bottle of water. Again, because of the sizes it wasn't much, however with the immaculate service it brought us to well over 200 Euro for two people. (The table next to us with two grown-ups and two kids of about ten years old got a bill of 440 - no, i wasn't sneaky - the space is tight inside). The food was good, but was it 200 euro good - no, despite of enticing menu descriptions the taste was ...well ok...other than an octopus, the octopus was good. I would be fine with the total under 150 euro. The staff knows how to work the customer in an elegant manner. So, no hard feelings - beautiful elevated evening, but a certain disapppointment with the "expectation/reality/thebill" formula which doesn't quite calculate. We...

Review of Al Baretto

Upon arriving at Al Baretto at 8:15, we were immediately struck by the bustling atmosphere. Despite the crowd, the staff managed to seat us promptly, reflecting a commendable level of efficiency.

Much to our delightful surprise, it was white truffle season. This meant an additional menu showcasing the luxurious ingredient was presented to us, elevating our expectations for the evening.

For our entrées, we selected the “polpo e patate” (octopus and potatoes) and “Tartare di Scampi”. Both dishes were executed to perfection - a harmonious blend of textures and flavors that left us eagerly anticipating the next course.

For our second course, the “white truffle potato mash” was an indulgent treat, encapsulating the earthy aroma and taste of truffle perfectly. The “risotto zafferano e gamberi” (saffron risotto with purple shrimp tartare) was equally enchanting. Each bite was a burst of intricate flavors, beautifully melding the richness of the saffron with the freshness of the shrimp.

As we ventured into our main course, the black cod was proficiently cooked but paled in comparison to the preceding dishes. While it was satisfactory, it missed the same level of exhilaration that the previous courses offered.

We concluded our culinary journey with a lemon sorbet, theatrically whipped right at our table. It was a refreshing palate cleanser, serving as a delightful conclusion to our gastronomic adventure.

In summary, Al Baretto provides a dining experience that tantalizes the taste buds with some moments of sheer brilliance. While there were slight inconsistencies, the overall journey was immensely...

My husband and I visited on the last night of our holiday in Europe. Over 6 weeks, we enjoyed many different restaurants in different countries however nothing came close to our dining experience at Al Baretto. We chose the ‘Chefs Table’ seating and we had the best seat in the house! A full view of the open kitchen, operating like a well oiled machine and lots of friendly interactions from the chefs.

We ordered an entree each, a main each and shared a dessert. The food was fresh, made with love and care, flavoursome and authentic. All interactions with the wait staff and kitchen were so enjoyable - we really felt at home, well fed and looked after.

The restaurant is cosy, the atmosphere is great (think: lounge jazz music, bustling kitchen, wonderful mood lighting and thoughtful interior design) and we honestly couldn’t fault the whole experience. We highly recommend the Chefs Table seating however the Dining Room options would have been lovely as well.

It is worth noting that we were sat next to a lovely pair who were visibly and audibly impressed and excited by every single dish leaving the kitchen (just like us!). The dynamic of the chef / hosts / wait staff and guests was wholesome and our presence in the restaurant felt genuinely appreciated.

If you’re in Milan, do not give this one a miss! We left with full and happy bellies, huge smiles on our face and genuine excitement to review this wonderful restaurant. If I could give 10 stars, I would. Thank...