Giacomo Arengario — Restaurant in Milan

Personally I felt there was some racial discrimination going on. I made a reservation for dinner and made an upfront payment of 50 euros for my reservation. On the way to the restaurant I called them to tell them I was running a bit late so would arrive about 10 mins later. Waitress who answered the call was extremely rude and said that my reservation didn't exist and I probably booked another restaurant. She asked me not to come. I said it was impossible because the taxi confirmed it's this address too. So anyway I arrived and I go to the restaurant and showed them my booking on Google (as shown in screenshot) as well as my name numerous times. I said this is the correct address and restaurant. The waitress that answered my call attended to me and was extremely rude. She insisted that there was no such booking under my name and the Google confirmation reservation is not proof I made a reservation. Asked me to go somewhere else with a snide attitude. I was insistent I 100% made a booking and to seat me because I already paid the 50 euros deposit. Another waiter came to see the commotion and then he asked if I had an email reservation besides showing on Google that my reservation is confirmed + the 50 euros deposit. Luckily I had data and could look through my emails and found an email booking confirmation and showed them. Waitress wasn't happy about it and left me with the other waiter to sit me down. They hid me at the back of the restaurant and I felt so humiliated and degraded by this whole racial profiling and rudeness I couldn't wait to eat my food and leave because I was scared they would spit in it too. I was also ready to give at least a 30 euros tip for this dinner alone but the experience was so horrible I finished my dinner quickly and left. Thank you for making my time in Milan the worst.

Also I just saw another post of another asian saying she felt racially discriminated here. Had I known this place is famous for racial profiling I would have spent my...

We had dinner at this place after some sightseeing and shopping. We based our selection on the high star rating in google maps. But we were sorely disappointed.

The service was exceptionally slow when the restaurant was half empty. They brought us the basket of bread and never brought oil for dipping until we asked another waiter for olive oil.

The food was mediocre and served cold, the biggest disappointment of all. The lobster ravioli was €38 and there were only 5 ravioli and a sauce that tasted like thinned out off-brand canned tomato sauce. I had to intentionally taste the sauce to try to figure out what it was supposed to taste like. The saffron risotto with shredded veal was flavorful but was way too salty. The risotto was salty, and the veal was even saltier. But it was more enjoyable to eat than the lobster ravioli. The lemon came through and even the small cut of bone with the marrow wasn’t too rich or overpowering.

Lastly, TOURISTS BEWARE of the “coperto” charge, in our case, it was €16 (€8pp). It covers stuff like the bread and general use of their table, linens and silverware. It was the highest coperto of any restaurant we ate in in Italy by double, an absolute racket.

The price you pay is not for service or food, it’s for the view. Unfortunately for us, they didn’t seat us with a view of the Duomo, and I peaked into the 2 other parts of the restaurant with beautiful views and it was lovely but it still wouldn’t have been worth the €89 bill for 2 plates of cold food and subpar service.

TLDR; NOT WORTH THE PRICE. Find something better. Even the restaurants and cafes in Galleria Vittorio Emanuel are likely better. In fact, a little local place we popped into that was filled with local office workers was half the price with wine and ten times better tasting food...

‼️Tourist Trap Alert‼️

My recent visit to Giacomo Arengario was utterly disappointing, our special date was ruined. We booked a table hoping to enjoy drinks with a view of the Duomo, but the reality fell short of expectations.

Firstly, the service was appalling. Upon informing the waiter that we were there for cocktails, we were abruptly told to move to a different room as our current area was only for dining. The promised view was barely visible from our table, making the relocation seem reasonable. However, things took a turn when the host approached us, insisting we had a dinner reservation and threatening a €50 per person penalty if we didn't order food. This was contrary to the reservation terms, which only mentioned a fee for no-shows or cancellations.

Reluctantly, we decided to order food to avoid the penalty, even though we weren't hungry. Our attempt to share a starter was met with refusal, and our suggestion to order more later was also rejected. The staff's attitude was overbearing and rude, making us feel trapped and manipulated.

Furthermore, our waitress was intrusive and made inappropriate jokes, invading our personal space and snatching the things from our table without permission.

The evening was completely ruined. To top it off, consider this: a €20 cocktail that doesn’t even come close to 'world-class' standards. It speaks volumes about the establishment.

I strongly advise against visiting this place. It's not worth the money...