The restaurant gods have been good to Milan. However, as a result of their generosity, dining out has started to feel like an exercise in trying to find a balance between keeping up with the newcomers and returning to my posti del cuore Then before I know it, a new wave of newbies sweeps in to supplant the former newbies, all of which earn a spot on my ever-growing Milan restaurant bucket list. (BTW, I’m totally not complaining. I realize this is a good problem to have!)
I have been wanting to dine at Cittamani restaurant since it started popping up on my Instagram feed last fall, but I just haven’t found the chance to eat there yet. A few gentlemen suitors weren’t into the idea of a dinner with exotic flavors (hence why they never evolved into anything more than suitors!), and my non-local friends always wanted to dine Italian when visiting Milan, which I understand.
So, I finally got the chance to sample some of Ritu Dalmia’s deliciousness firsthand at Cittamani’s summer party. The chef of the Italian restaurant Diva in Delhi, Dalmia sources excellent Italian ingredients and serves them up Indian styl–complete with lots of spices!–at Cittamani. Here, resident chef Shivanjali Shankar oversees the menu.
The ambiance struck me from the moment I walked inside. The dining room’s mirrored walls open up the space, enhancing the warm, inviting vibes. Three shelves lined with gorgeous South African vases in various shades of brown presided over the dining room, decorated in just the right amount of gold, letting the decor shine without being too flashy. And the ceramic so-Milanese cementine floor perfectly complemented the dining room, a perfect metaphorical backdrop for Dalmia’s menu.
The dishes I had the pleasure of sampling at the summer party have me not only eager to come back for a proper meal but have pushed India to the top of my bucket list. (It was already in the top ten, so it didn’t have much to climb!) Mattia Bescapé’s refreshing seasonal cocktails paired perfectly with the food. Amore Amaro (Bitter Love) contained bourbon whiskey, yellow chartreuse, Cynar, triple sec, lime and lemon bitter. However, my personal favorite was the Garm Vaalk (Warm Walk) with Mezcal coupled with a spicy sauce prepared in the kitchen that left a pleasantly zippy aftertaste that lingered long after the last sip. Good and cocktail porn below!
Cittamani Milano
Piazza Carlo Mirabello, 5
+39 02 3824 0935
Monday to Saturday:
- Bar: 12pm to midnight
- Lunch: 12pm to 3pm
- Dinner: 7pm to 11pm
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