Il Cestino — Restaurant in Milan

I passed by this restaurant a few times and noticed it’s always full, which usually means the food is good—and the aroma coming from the place definitely supported that! So I decided to try it for dinner.

Fortunately, when we arrived, there was an available table. But that’s when things got interesting. The waiters (not Italian) didn’t really acknowledge us—they just kept saying, “My colleague will come to you.” So we stood there looking at the menu, waiting. Eventually, someone told us to wait five minutes while they prepared a table, and told the couple behind us it would be ten.

Once seated, we ordered drinks and were ready to place our food order, but again, the waiters brushed us off with the same line: “My colleague will come to you.” When someone finally came, we asked a question about a dish we’d seen in a photo review—just trying to figure out what it was on the menu. The waiter seemed annoyed and snapped, “You should order from the menu.” Which, of course, we were trying to do—we just wanted a little clarification.

We let the rudeness slide and placed our order. The food, to be fair, was really good. But the service—especially from the non Italian waiters—was unpleasant. They were grumpy and unhelpful throughout.

Interestingly, the couple seated next to us (the same one from earlier) also complained. They ordered a pizza and asked for it to be sliced. It arrived with random cuts. When the woman pointed it out, the waiter ignored her. They eventually took the pizza back, but it never returned, so she ended up canceling it.

Overall, the food was excellent, but the service definitely needs improvement. I understand it was late and the staff might be tired, but it didn’t seem to be about the time—it felt more like a bad attitude. The Italian waiters, in contrast, were polite...

So, here’s my review of a restaurant I visited in Italy called Il Cestino, located in Milan. Overall, I have mixed feelings about it. We chose this restaurant because it was easy to find a table, but originally, I was headed to another restaurant. I was specifically looking forward to trying carbonara, and according to Google Maps, they had it on their menu too. So, we decided to give it a try. The service, however, was very poor. The waiter wasn’t particularly friendly, and he didn’t seem Italian, to be honest. The food was okay, but they brought out the salad right away. It was an artichoke salad, mainly consisting of artichoke with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. It was mediocre. The wine was good though; we had red wine. For the main course, we ordered the carbonara, which, based on my own cooking experience, shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes to prepare. Boil the pasta for 5 minutes, then fry it for another 5. Actually, even 20 minutes is too much. But we ended up waiting for our carbonara for 45 minutes. It took forever. And now, we’re waiting for the bill, and they haven’t even brought it yet. Clearly, that won’t be quick either. Overall, the wait was excessive. If you have 3-4 hours to spare for lunch, then sure, go ahead. But overall, I don’t think it’s worth it. The carbonara, in the end, was okay, but...

Let me share my experience of visiting a restaurant in Italy called Il Cestino, located in Milan. Overall, I must say that we chose this restaurant because it was easy to find a spot, although originally, I intended to dine elsewhere. I was particularly keen on trying carbonara, which according to Google Maps, was also available here. Therefore, we decided to give it a try. However, the service was very poor. The waiter wasn’t particularly friendly, and interestingly, he didn’t seem Italian. The food was alright, but they brought the salad immediately. The artichoke salad consisted mainly of artichokes with a hint of Parmesan, which was mediocre. The wine, however, was delicious; we had red wine. For the main course, we ordered carbonara, which, based on my own cooking experience, shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes to prepare. Even 20 minutes would be too long, actually. However, we ended up waiting for the carbonara for 45 minutes. It was a long wait. And now, we’re waiting for the bill, which hasn’t been brought to us yet. This also seems like it will take some time. Overall, the expectations were high. If you have about 3-4 hours for lunch, then by all means. But overall, I don’t think it’s worth it. The carbonara, in the end, was alright, but...