So, as I’ve mentioned before, I love seeing people bring their dreams to fruition and share something different with us. Filz, a newish locale in Milan, specializes in spiedini, or skewers, and cocktails.
First of all, the word Filz is derived from the Italian verb Infilzare, which means to stick or to spear, a gesture performed not only when skewering food but also, in a sense, when mixing cocktails.
Husband and wife Francesco and Antonia, Puglia natives, lived in China while Francesco’s sister Nicoletta worked at a restaurant in Kenya for years. Inspired by their time overseas, the Pugliese trio decided to open an eatery in Milan that offered quality approachable food with an international flair. Keeping in line with Asian street food fashion, Filz’s thirty-something meat, fish and vegetarian dishes are all skewered and cost no more than €3.50 per piece (with one exception: eel with shizo and teriyaki for €6.50). Go for an ape and have one or two small bites to hold you over until dinner, or make an entire meal out it. Combine three, six or nine for €8, €15 and €21 euro respectively, and call it dinner. In addition, you can select some sides like a pita or bao to couple with the food.
Filz’s cocktails aren’t just any cocktails. Renowned barman Franco Tucci Ponti created a selection of 12 cocktails especially for Filz. I had the Campari Shakerato with Tanqueray and orange flower water. I’ve got a thing for Campari, gin and anything orange flower so this seemed like a no-brainer to me. However, I do look forward to trying one of the other libations next time. God Sage the Queen has house-made pear liquor, lemon juice, sage and spumante while Buon Vecchio Manhattan with Bullett Rye Whiskey, Ferro China Boliva Bitter, rhubarb, Zucca and Fernet Branca. 
Inspired by a 1950s soda shop, the charming decor has a vintage feel. Two bartops–one along the wall, the other facing the bar–have been handcrafted with burgundy tiles and are offset by brass adornments. A long brass mirror adorns one of the marble walls while the shelves of the other feature interesting objects alongside the usual bottle filled bar backdrop. In fact, the top shelf displays a vintage container recovered from a men’s club that distributed swimwear. Tiny swimwear…like Speedos but smaller!
So, we didn’t just have dinner…we had a feast! Grilled calamari with artichokes and mint aioli; crispy calamari tentacles; Beef heart with sweet green peppers and miso ginger sauce; Bombetta di Cisternino (pork roulade with cheese) and a spicy ‘nduja sauce; Slow cooked pork belly with shallots and teriyaki sauce; Perlina eggplant, lime potatoes and miso sauce; pumpkin with sweet and sour mint pesto and almond flakes. Also, it’s worth noting that Filz closes at 1am on weeknights and 2am on weekends, so it’s a great option for late-night dining…especially after a movie!
Here’s a look at some food porn from my evening there. Filz is good vibes all around, so, needless to say, I’ll be back soon!
Largo della Crocetta, 1
Website
+ 39 349 379 4046
Monday – Thursday: 6.30pm to 1am
Friday – Saturday: 6.30pm to 2am
Closed Sunday
