although young, Alessandro Buffolino has extensive experience in starred restaurants in Europe. Born in Benevento, a commune with around 60,000 inhabitants in the region of Campagna, in Italy, the current chef at the Principe di Savoia hotel in Milan, started his career in Rome, the “eternal city”.
Soon after, he left for France to work with the renowned Pierre Orsi and Michel Guérard at Les Prés d’Eugénie, a restaurant with three Michelin stars. It was in the neighboring country that the professional focused on the experimental techniques he uses to this day.
Back in Italy in 2012, Buffolino collaborated with the reopening of the new restaurant at the Hotel Eden, in Roma, where he won a Michelin star. But it was in 2016 that he took charge of the Acanthus restaurant, in Milan.
Part of the five star hotel Prince of Savoy, in the heart of the “Italian fashion capital”, the contemporary cuisine restaurant offers a menu of classic country dishes with touches of the chef’s personal interpretation. Buffolini favors local and seasonal ingredients, balancing tradition and modernity.
Outside the kitchen of the sophisticated restaurant, which overlooks a typically Italian garden with an 18th-century fountain, the chef experiences other flavors around Milan and shares it with the CNN Travel & Gastronomy your favorite addresses in the city:
I Compari – Sicily for life
Is sicilian bakery I really like going in the summer, so I can enjoy a little bit of Sicily in Milan.
Among the specialties are granita and brioche, arancini (fried rice ball stuffed with beef and pea ragout) and bread made with ancient Sicilian flours – a must try!
Address: Corso indipendenza, Via Ciro Menotti, 5, 20129 Milan, Italy
1930 Cocktail Bar
This is the destination that everyone once in a lifetime needs to know. THE 1930 is “unknown”: a bar speakeasy, with secret address, leather sofas and exposed bricks. Here, you can taste the best cocktails, made with a lot of expertise and study of ingredients and techniques.
In addition, the place is even more special for being one of the best bars in the world: in 2021, it appeared in 20th place in the ranking of the 50 best in the world from The World’s 50 Best Bars, which describes it as “a true representation of the secret American bars of the 1920s.”
secret address
The Varro Grid
This is my indication for eating good meat in Milan. When I want to eat meat, I definitely go to the The Varro Grid. There is a lot of variety and the selection is superbly prepared.
The kitchen is grilled and the raw materials come from various beef breeds, some of the best in the world, such as Black Angus from the United States and Wagyu from Australia and Japan. In addition to Milan, Varrone has units in the communes of Lucca and Pietrasanta.
Address: Via Alessio di Tocqueville, 7, 20154 Milan, Italy
Gelsomina pastry shop
It’s the patisserie where I like to go on Sunday afternoons, after lunch with my family. THE Gelsomina pastry shop it is perfect to finish the meal with a touch of sweetness.
I usually order Maritozzo (sweet, round sweet bread typical of Rome) with cream and hot tea, but I can spend hours and hours tasting all of their creations. The menu also features brioches, cannoli, fruit cakes, brunch options and savory dishes such as polpetone and pasta.
Address: Via Carlo Tenca, 5, 20124 Milan, Italy
Mag La Pusterla
THE Mag La Pusterla it’s my favorite place to spend time with friends watching a football match – and 2021 has been a very lucky place for the Italian national team during the European games. One of the spaces in the place is dedicated to sports, with television and themed decoration.
There is a large marble counter where you can eavesdrop on the bartender’s work. Here, I can enjoy good food accompanied by wonderful cocktails in an incredible and cozy atmosphere. There are signature drinks as well as classic dishes such as lasagna and ossobuco and polenta, even sandwiches.
Address: Via Edmondo de Amicis, 22, 20123 Milano, Italy
Reference: CNN Brasil
