Convivium

Raffaleo, a "haute cuisine wine bar", is located in the center of Turin, in the so-called Quadrilatero Romano. The father of the project is Gerri Sottile, a restaurant manager with 30 years of experience and co-founder of a group of successful restaurants in Asia based in Singapore. The restaurant consists of three small rooms, one of which has a window overlooking the kitchen. Raffaleo is a treasured address for excellent contemporary cuisine and an equally excellent wine cellar in the heart of the city of Turin. Raffaleo's mission is to prepare each dish with dedication, making everything in-house and combining Italian tradition with new cooking techniques, using the best seasonal products of the area. The result is surprising for the quality and balance of the dishes, which have been given funny names, because good cooking is also a game... Andrea Mauro will be able to explain each preparation in great detail and will make you drink very well if you wa...

IO is Luigi Taglienti's gourmet restaurant in the heart of Piacenza. The name IO is not an expression of self-aggrandizement on the part of the chef, but rather an emphasis on the project of putting the guest's comfort first, in a place that, as we shall see, has an almost mystical aura. The restaurant is an integral part of Volumnia, the scenic exhibition space created by IO partner Enrica de Micheli in the deconsecrated and restored church of Sant'Agostino. The restaurant, a natural extension of this place of art, is located in the old carpentry workshop of the church, with the Moon pendant lamp by Davide Groppi dominating the dining room. Luigi Taglienti is the author of a cuisine of great refinement, which could be summed up as great Italian cuisine with a French twist. We, who have followed the chef through so many stages of his career, have found on each visit one of the best cuisines in our memory, with multiple facets: contemporary and avant-garde...

The Ristorante Il Grifone is located in a panoramic position inside the prestigious Palazzo di Varignana, a splendid residence on the hills of Bologna, about which lemilleUnanotte has published an extensive report. The anteroom features marble floors, stucco and frescoed walls and ceilings, a staircase and a grand piano. The stylistic refinement of the rooms is in perfect harmony with the historical context of the villa where the restaurant is located, the imposing Palazzo Bentivoglio, located on the top of the hill. The small rooms, elegant and discreet, are decorated in pale tones with soft lighting that creates an intimate and relaxing atmosphere. At Ristorante Il Grifone we had a rich gastronomic experience in an environment of refined elegance. Francesco Manograsso is the interpreter of a modern cuisine that, while linked to the culture of the Bologna hinterland in the choice of ingredients, is resolutely oriented towards imaginative reinterpretations that are v...

The Trattoria Visconti is an intimate and welcoming restaurant located in the historical center of Ambivere, a small town a few kilometers from Bergamo. The Regione Lombardia (Lombardy Region) has recognized the Trattoria Visconti as a "Historical Establishment"; the Visconti family has been directly managing it for three generations, taking care to model tradition with the evolution of taste. The manor house is located next to the ancient medieval tower, in front of which there is a well-kept vegetable garden flanked by a large gravel area where parking is convenient. The Trattoria Visconti is a founder and member of the Premiate Trattorie Italiane. Once inside the gate, the front door opens right next to the hedges that border the garden. From the arched doorway, through the reception hall, you enter the restaurant. They are spacious and well-kept, full of warmth and atmosphere, with ochre and cream tiled floors, light-colored walls and many niches and cup...

Ma.Ri.na, a fine seafood restaurant, is located in Olgiate Olona, not far from Milan and Malpensa airport. The name comes from the initials of Marisa and Rita and the last syllable of Anna, the sisters who founded the restaurant in 1973 together with their brother Pino and their parents Angelo and Carolina. As soon as you enter the reception area, you are immersed in a warm and elegant atmosphere, with light wood paneling, a fine parquet floor and tastefully decorated walls. The main hall has a corner development with a cream-colored wooden cabinet dividing it into two zones. At the Ma.Ri.na restaurant we had a rich, stimulating and sophisticated gastronomic experience in a refined and elegant setting. Rita Possoni's seafood dishes represent the state of the art of fine cuisine, developed and refined over a lifetime dedicated to cooking, culminating in sensational crudos that are hard to beat. The discerning and independent gourmet will not be misled and deceive...

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Ceresio7 Pools & Restaurant is located in Milan on the roof of the historic Enel building, an imposing 1930s structure now owned by the Dsquared2 fashion group. After checking in at the reception and passing through a lounge area, take the elevator to the upper terrace. Here you will find a modern and very trendy environment, divided into many "separé" zones, with bright red tables and designer furniture. Ceresio7 is a very fashionable place, frequented by a trendy Milanese crowd, with features of internationality absolutely unique and unknown elsewhere: sipping your aperitif at sunset by the pool will make you feel more like you are in Los Angeles or New York than in Italy! Being such a trendy place in no way detracts from the quality, so much so that Chef Elio Sironi's dishes will surprise you with the care, personality, research and attention that they allow to shine through. His is a modern cuisine, sh...

Sadler's Restaurant, established in Milan in 1986, is now part of the prestigious Casa Baglioni Hotel, with its own entrance and separate from the hotel. The dining room is a warm, elegant and atmospheric space, enhanced by marble floors and lighting entrusted to suspended design elements. The walls are decorated with rotating works by modern artists. The tables are served by comfortable armchairs in alternating colors, ochre and sage green. Claudio Sadler's great cuisine, perfectly balanced between tradition and modernity, with the use of raw materials of the highest quality and impeccable service in an intimate and elegant setting, make this restaurant one of the best in Italy. Fame, honors and awards have not in the least affected the exquisite helpfulness of Claudio Sadler, who is always present in the dining room, to the great satisfaction of his customers. We drank divinely, with a food-wine pairing of great depth, harmony and elegance, thanks to the r...

LangOtto is the name of Chef Otto Lucà's gourmet restaurant in Novello, in the heart of the Langhe. The restaurant has been customized with a few well-calibrated touches. We like the sign with the stylized plate for the "O" and the double meaning of the word "Novello," which can be interpreted as a place or an adjective. The rectangular dining room, nicely decorated with modern artwork throughout, overlooks the Novello vineyards through windows and small balconies. The tables are few and well spaced, and with low candlelight, the atmosphere is warm and romantic. The outdoor space is used in warm weather with a dehors on the small square and with equipment on the 3 small balconies. Langhe and Piedmontese dishes cooked with French techniques: this is the summary of what you will find at LangOtto, an excellent Langa restaurant run by a young, ambitious, talented and motivated chef. Starting with an impeccable foie gras (for which we refer you to...