This, of course, is not just entirely food.

Once you enter, you straight away and fast get into “The Realm of the Senses”. There is nothing to complain about. Starting from the entrance pavilion, which has from outside ever-red small leaf maples and enormous clouds of morning glories in bloom. From inside that is taken up by ficuses and orchids erasing the border between street and home. Up to the last porcelain duck, and even (sik!) flirtatiously glimmering in the dark Birkin bags display which are a sort of mockery at their owners.

Further, through the bar, onto the terrace, under the giant 16-storeyed linden-trees, there, to the parapet, behind which there is a view on the vineyard cascades, down in layers, towards the lake in the valley.

Relaxed, chicly dressed people, on сhaise-longues and plaids, tables, scattering linden blossom, slightly windy — exactly as much as you need according to the standard requirements, warm wind in your face, lamps on the trees.

Here it comes. That much of Franciacorta. A river of sparkling wine.

All this, in general, is a true film story: the place, the details, the people, the view, the champagne …

Oh sure, — the food! It is a bistro of a Flemish gourmet restaurant and the food here is simple.

But, thanks God, it isn’t over fashionable; pasta remains pasta, bottarga’s on its place, portions are not microscopic, burrata is incredible.

There is a separate line for the Asian things like quit light lemon chicken kari and kind of japanese tuna. All that comes with a fucking awesome lagune view and 101% Italian Italy around. Such a mixture does leave an imprint on one’s heart.

And, yes, the place disposes of a chic hotel, a ceremonial gourmet restaurant, a gigantic garden, vineyards and fully equipped spa / fitness / pool facilities.

So, you can hang out here really well.

Sometimes you come across places which can’t be easily classified: like, very unique ones.

Just like this one.

Strictly speaking, it’s not even a restaurant – dare I say it – it’s a “restaurant cluster”.

If you stand with your back to Peninsula, walk 200 meters past the multi-storey “Freshness Burger”, and go under the bridge of the railway overpass to Ginza, then, just before you come out from under the bridge, on the right across the road, you’ll see it – a “hole in the wall”™.

A narrow long corridor takes you UNDER THE RAILWAY. It’s packed with canteens flowing one into the other.

The waiters even bring food from one place to another. No problem.

Trains sweep over you. Everything’s rumbling and shaking. You can’t hear anything during those moments. There’re lots of people around, sort of carnival, feels really great.

This is some hyperlocal trash. Get ready.

It’s tight like in the subway. Everything’s strictly in Japanese, sometimes even the figures (though there’re pictures). Someone’s sitting right there on the plastic boxes instead of chairs, back to back to the aquarium, inside of which something’s hissing. A drunk Japanese woman’s trying to jump on your knees, and there’s an infernal posthumous carousel for drying squids, and some people are sitting… inside a boat (!), and you see a crowd on the floor on tatami here, and students, businessmen, a group of exclusively drunken girls there, some sort of schoolkids, a bit of expats, waiters that look like either pirates from movies or yakuzas, and so on.

It’s an infernal brew.

The same is with the food, starting from chutoro and sea urchin’s caviar sushi (sic!) up to the Japanese version of Olivier salad with avocado. Everything is in there! (c).

Don’t expect any revelations. It’ll just be tasty, almost like everywhere in Japan, but that’s not what you’re paying for: it’s mad funny and noisy in here and you can really feel like a local.

Kampai!

And Giacomo is no longer with us. Last time I saw him around 2005, serving the pizza complement. Mildly speaking, he was already getting on in years and had almost no courage left.

And all sorts of madonnas/dolcegabbanas have also moved out. As they say, to the neighboring bistro which bears the same name.

Yet… despite an expensive check, we had to drink prosecco on the bench for half an hour – waiting on Saturday night (not the worst pastime in Milan spring though) – the place was packed. This proves a very good business.

It’s really cool to come back to a restaurant in 10+ years and find that it’s not just open, but crowded – nice!

Milan isn’t some fucking Moscow, where all this “fashionable fashion” stop coming to a place after it’s been open for three years. They don’t even give it a mere chance to reveal itself. Not to mention creating traditions.

“Oh, are we supposed to come to this old place?” (c).

Makes me wanna ask them in the words of my deceased friend that he addressed to some Moscow “super promoter”:

«Mommy, since when are you in town? Are you even supposed to drink Salon?” (c).

Oh well. We come in!

It’s bright and tight. There’s a stall with seafood, and another one with berries/fruits, and the inevitable multistory cart with desserts (if they didn’t run out of profiteroles with orange cream yet, take two portions). We sit down.

Further things become easier: the WHOLE crudo page in the menu is fucking delicious.

Actually, my personal experience with Italian raw fish (with anything more complicated than salmon carpaccio) started right here about 15-17 years ago. I clearly remember that it was scampi in orange juice with some citron dust and crab salad with wild strawberry. That blew up my taste buds together with the traditional ideas about cooking fish: frying it in a pan and serving with mashed potatoes.

Pasta is also excellent here – «al dente» – and there is a «bone» not only in spaghetti, but also, as it should be, in everything besides «pasta fresco». Noodles aren’t sinking in sauce. The sauce itself is made from some sort of smart tomatoes. It’s delicious and obviously doesn’t come from a can. There is lots of seafood. The portions are good: neither nano-Michelin style, nor useless gigantism. Basil/herbs do smell. Overall, everything is pretty well.

Fish is surprisingly inexpensive (if you compare it to the regular wild seafood prices): all fish comes at 6-9eur for 100 grams. There’s a whole page of it: salt/grill/pan – all the bells and whistles.

Plus a cart with desserts.

Plus-plus profiteroles on this cart.

What else to wish for?

The place has its own atmosphere.

It’s crowded, the interior is windowless, and it’s really absolutely full. There is a long queue for lunch. There are only 10 centimeters from one table to the next. People are ages 18 to 80. In short, all ages and types. Everything is fine with them; among those with H&M and Reebok you easily find those with Birkin and Chopard, as well as those with white gold diamond watches.

At the same time the place is extremely simple, relaxed, and has fast service.

Above all, it serves food that is delicious and inexpensive, everything that’s on the pictures + 2 campari and mineral water — 121eur, for our times this is a gift!

The place is located in the center of Milan, between Prada and Gucci, a walking distance from Via della Spiga, this is fantastic.

It would be pleasant to return here in like… 15 years (sic!) and to find out that absolutely nothing has changed. The same simple but delicious food for small amount of money, hubbub, crowd, great pizza, and the people all carrying packages. Some of them come from Spiga, others from Monte Napoleone, and they even get here from Corso Como. In short, a very fashionable spirit prevails.

They drink, eat and gossip.

Time stands still in this luxury district of this luxury city and it’s even more true of this place.

Everything is equally delicious. It’s good without being too damn pretentious; from caprese to sea bass with tomatoes and capers, all the pasta dishes, and risotto, including the pizza.

In my opinion, it’s a place for lunch between shopping, a pause to appreciate the new stuff, otherwise you might not even notice it. Well, you can have a plate of simple good Italian food, taking into consideration that there are only infernal touristy restaurants around this area. “Paper Moon” is a gem.

Do enjoy!

There’s a huge fish stall where they sell, by weight, beautiful specimens, not like the sluggish dorado corpses on Rialto Embankment. It’s indecently pushed to cheerful American tourists, who afterwards fill the “super” service tripadvisor with comments like: “My husband had a pizza in here, it was amazing!”

Nevertheless, you shouldn’t have this fish – unless you’re a millionaire.

Of course, they will try to sell it to you and wine for over 300 Euros. Just refuse, choose something cheaper to drink, less than for 100 Euros and food from the menu. The staff will understand that they can’t fool you and calm down – that’s the end of “the Venetian service” ™.

Further on, everything is wonderful.

Carpaccio di manzo, like a huge red mound grows up in the middle of the plate, hiding beneath it is parmesan and arugula.

Crudo can’t be more crudo: fish, scampi, scallops, carabineros – high quality.

Octopus carpaccio, risotto with champagne and scampi – perfect.

The pasta, is not just delicious, but also a huge portion for 35 Euros (a third of a portion is in the picture below the text).

Wild strawberry on panna cotta is sweet and smells as if it just exploded there.

For the finale — the finest sgropinno, instead of annoying limoncello – perfectly mixed: not sour, neither sweet, but as it should be — cold and fresh in the mouth.

The price … well, the PRICE — it isn’t more expensive than money, indeed. In someplace like Dubai, in a fashionable and absolutely inedible shitty restaurant, you’d lose twice as much.

And well, and you are actually in San Marco, at night. «You were happy and drunk»(c), two steps — and you are dissolved in alleys, to wander, wander, wander — the Serenissima is open all night long.

And it is hard to measure this pleasure in money and/or time.

Do enjoy!

A modest establishment for the «fashionable» Vienna: without rococo, gold, and even that beggar style rock crystal. The Chaldean at the entrance (provincially dressed, monstrous but pretensions, as it usually happens in other places) not only doesn’t bother you with his “do not enter for lunch wearing capris” (confusing them with shorts), but is literally absent – in brief, this is not Vienna.

In general, no country chic.

Modest interior, good, absorbing. ONE waiter for 8 tables, an old man. BUT WHAT A MAN – just perfect. We were watching him with joy all our short night there (the serving was fast). He was not unceremonious but neither a nerd nor a snob, advisable but not imposing. He did everything with the speed of an eighteen-year-old – and that’s called chic.

There is no menu.

You are told immediately about the set of six dishes (would you like to prolong?). Made strictly of local food/specialties. Every week they have two new items.

Everything is very simple but also fresh and tasty.

Even «sushi» with the hated mackerel, with avocado, fennel and dill – do go well.

Duck with asparagus.

Fish (from a lake) with mashed parsnip.

Cake with rhabarber.

Unlike all those heavy, stagnant and clumsy, like sex without grease, Viennese canteens «for aristocracy» (which cause, alas, nothing but pity) – this place is a breath of fresh air.

The food is delicious: no bullshit, clear and easy enough. In my opinion, this is an achievement for the “tank” Vienna.

Do enjoy.