Horto — Restaurant in Milan

HORTO, Milano, October 2023

The restaurant is on the top floor of a very modern and design building in the very center of Milano. The rooftop is partially a roof garden which has a view on the Duomo. The room looks like the inside of a ‘70’s movie spaceship ; all white and light wood, round shaped, lights, glass…. It’s very welcoming.

Aperitifs, wine list on an ipad, menus printed on beautiful paper, lovely welcome. All the staff looks at you when they pass and smiles or greets. Everything is done to make you feel welcome.

It opened a year ago so it’s not awarded any stars or level yet. But it’s extremely promising. The mises en bouche were lovely, especially a foam of yoghurt and a pumpkin flower in tempura ! Delicious !!

We chose the tasting menu and added two dishes. Everything in this restaurant is about sustainability, local products, preserving the planet etc. It’s very ecologically focused.

We start with Milk curd, varzese beef carpaccio and sturgeon caviar. It was visually amazing. A red disk on top of the milk skin, beautiful, splendid. The first bites combining the beef and the milk curd were light, very elegant, but it was a little « under salted ». Then when adding the caviar, it was more balanced. But the meat was too cold. Of course then can’t « cook » a carpaccio and to have it in shape of a dirk and place it, it must probably be frozen as such. But if they would reheat it a little with some sort of hot air source, it would get softer and tastier, and they could also put some pepper and salt on the milk curd. That would perfect this dish and make it go up to 17 or 18/20 ! Still a great starting moment.

Plin pasta stuffed with strachitunt cheese, saffron and yeast. It was just lovely. Popping in the mouth with the little cheesy cream, saffron was very lightly dosed. It was fantastic.

Fusilli (Monograno Felicetti) with 'carbonara tirolese' sauce. So it comes with the yolk of an egg in the middle, you break it and mix it, and some slices of speck (I would prefer Guanciale). It was good but not explosive. Little lack of spices, especially black pepper (which gave its name to the « carbonara » / spiced with black coal) and would have needed a little more pecorino and parmesan to perfect it. Still it was lovely.

Spaghetti (Monograno Felicetti) with saffron, trout egg and smoked oil with aromatic herbs. PERFECTION !!!! I can’t say more. Cooking, sauce, seasoning, all perfect. It was a total delight. And the best plat of the meal so far.

Risotto, chestnuts and truffle : a masterpiece. We just needed a tiny little bit of salt, to make this dish explode. The chestnut and the truffle combine so well. This was the best plat of the meal so far. (Next, Yes it changes).

All through the meal, the excellent sommelier Ilario Perrot cares for us with a great pairing and some surprises. He has a very good knowledge of his wines and made us try a few rare bottles.

Trout, its crunchy skin, white turnip and kale chips. That was our main course. Delicious fish, melting in your mouth. On the side, the skin made into a curly chip with some spices and creams toppings. Finally a salad of turnip and fried kale cabbage. It was excellent.

Susprise gift from the kitchen : farm chicken with wild mushrooms and truffle. The meat was moist and tender. The ensemble was very good but we were not very hungry anymore.

Pre dessert : sake sherbet, slates of white sugar and flowers, olive oil. Very fresh and lovely.

The autumn: 'yarrow and flowers' marigold ice cream. It was a composition of lots of dried leafs, flowers and herbs, topped with a chip of beet root and a scoop of marigold ice cream. The composition was flamboyant. The complexity made me think of a dessert version of Michel Bras’ gargouillou. It was just lovely and just sweet enough.

This whole meal showed the potential of the restaurant, clearly a rocket on its way to the stars. It was marvellous and I recommend it to anyone passing by Milano or close enough. Book and come...

In terms of positives, this was easily one of the best and most unique meals I’ve had in one of the most beautiful settings - each dish in the 5-course tasting was unique, flavourful and delicious. The portions are well-sized and we were satiated by the end. The ambiance is really stunning, the views from the terrace are stunning and the decor inside is minimalist and beautiful.

Unfortunately the service was a big miss - Upon arrival, we asked to be seated outside, to which they said no as all the tables were supposedly booked - only none of them got filled for the rest of the night and no offer was made to change our table, which started our night on a poor note (they said they had last minute cancellations, though it’s a bit odd for that to be the case for every table) It took 2 hours for us to receive our first course (we arrived at 8 PM and received our first course at ~9.40 PM), and we weren’t given any warning or heads up as to the timing. While we understand fine dining is meant to be leisurely, this was a bit much and we should’ve been informed at the start so we knew what to expect (we ended up leaving at midnight) There was a piece of plastic in my dessert that I luckily noticed before taking a bite and they were able to replace - the staff apologised and compensated my drinks for the night, but it was still a miss for a place of this calibre (and undoubtedly a health and safety concern). The manager of the night, Oscar, was lovely and took as best care of us as he could, even contacting me after the dinner to apologise for our experience (which is why I’ve given them 2 stars for service).

All in all, we loved the food and the ambiance, though there definitely need to be improvements to its service levels to ensure the meal...

Amazing restaurant with great food, super service and an epic view over Milano.

Horto is a fine-dining restaurant located in the heart of Milan's fashion district, on the top floor of a building overlooking the city's rooftops. The name "Horto" is a nod to the Latin word for garden, and the restaurant's concept is built around the idea of a "conscious kitchen" that prioritizes local, seasonal, and sustainable ingredients. The menu, crafted by Michelin-starred chef Alberto Toè, is a celebration of Italian flavors with a modern twist. The dishes are designed to showcase the quality of the raw materials, many of which come from the restaurant's own vegetable garden located just outside Milan. The focus is on a "zero waste" philosophy, with every part of the ingredient being used to its full potential. The restaurant's interior, designed by Michele De Lucchi, is a minimalist yet elegant space that creates a sense of tranquility and connection with nature. The decor is dominated by natural materials like wood and stone, and large windows offer panoramic views of the city. The atmosphere is sophisticated but relaxed, making it a perfect spot for a special occasion or a memorable dining experience. Horto also offers a unique cocktail bar experience, with a focus on artisanal and botanical-infused drinks that complement the culinary journey. The bar program is guided by the same principles of sustainability and local sourcing as the kitchen, ensuring a cohesive and thoughtful experience from start to finish. Horto is more than just a restaurant; it's a statement about a new way of thinking about food, a place where gastronomy, sustainability, and design converge to create a truly unique and...