La Briciola — Restaurant in Milan

The first time I visited La Briciola was 5 years ago and I remember being very impressed with the food. Naturally, I was excited to be back in Milan and give this restaurant another go, but ended up leaving very confused. Let me explain. We arrived and were immediately welcomed and seated. The menu was in Italian only, which is fine - being a traditional Italian restaurant and all - and the waitress translated everything we didn’t understand. But she was very disappointed we didn’t understand Italian and then very disappointed we didn’t order any starters “Oh, you don’t understand Italian!?” and “Oh, no starters? Only main course!?”, which made us feel very “unworthy” of the honor of eating here. Then the food arrived and it was good, but not really amazing, just fair Italian pasta, and the confusion started kicking in. The prices are high, even for Milan, and the coperto and included service charge are the highest I paid in Europe, but that is fine because you get an amazing experience and some exquisite Italian food, right? Well…not really. So if the food is not worth the money, the experience is not that great, then what are you paying for? Then we noticed the “circus” around us and understood you pay for the exposure and status. I guess this is not what we were looking for and that’s why we left rather disappointed and confused. I don’t remember what impressed me so much the first time - maybe the place was different back then, or maybe I’ve changed and am no longer impressed by this kind of theatrics with no real substance. Overall I guess it is not a bad place, just make sure you know what...

We were attracted by lovely terrace and wanted to have a nice last dinner while staying in Milano. Since we didn't have a reservation we asked if we could sit on the terrace and eat. Eventhough the place was empty, we were told we could not sit and eat if we plan on taking a few plates to share and have a glass of wine because "this is a serious restaurant". Me and the two other friends were taken back a bit by this statment since we all got the impression that the waiter judged the way we presented ourselves (three young girls) and was concerned we wouldn't spend much, which wasn't the case. Now, I wouldn't have a problem with any of this if the food was amazing and the service was top notch but if you classify yourself as "serious restaurant" then these things should never happen (and they did) : no menu on english or any help from the staff to help us order not asking if the food was okay serving two people then waiting for 5-6 minutes before you bring the remaining dish while you go and serve a whole other table reaching over the table and all the other served plates to serve the last person bones in a fish fillet taking empty plates while some people at the table are still eating forcing 15% in tips in advance (written on a menu so you know this even before you ordered anything) because tips are given at the end and for a great service and this was not it On the other hand the food was tasty but nothing spectacular. That is the only reason I give 2 out of 5 stars but the whole experience left us...

Disappointing Experience at La Briciola: We recently had the misfortune of dining at La Briciola, and we must say, it was one of the worst dining experiences we've ever encountered in Milan. We were looking forward to tasting their acclaimed raw dishes, especially the amberjack. Unfortunately, what we received was far from appetizing. Upon being served the amberjack, we were immediately taken aback by a strong, unpleasant odor that filled the air around our table. It was not the fresh scent one would expect from quality raw fish; instead, it was distinctly off-putting, reminiscent of something that had been left out for far too long. Concerned, we brought this to the attention of the chef, expecting a sincere acknowledgment of the issue. To our disbelief, the chef not only dismissed our concerns but insisted that the fish was perfectly edible. This was shocking and baffling, to say the least. We’ve dined at many restaurants, and we have never encountered a chef so unwilling to admit that there might be a problem with the food being served. In the end, we left the restaurant without finishing our meal, feeling both hungry and disappointed. The lack of professionalism and care for customer feedback was alarming. We can safely say that we will not be returning to La Briciola and would NOT recommend it to anyone who values fresh and safe dining experiences. Save your time and money—there are plenty of other restaurants in Milan that prioritize quality and customer...