In a hidden corner in the heart of Brera, overlooking the beautiful Basilica of San Marco, Clotilde Brera is a tribute to Milan and the artists’ district. The atmosphere of this neighborhood is everywhere, starting from the floor of Clotilde Brera found by Sabrina Mazzaferro, founder and creative heart, for the first time in an early 1900s period house in via Solferino. A floor with a herringbone texture, created by the encounter between white Carrara and black Marquina marbles: A very Milanese and precious style, rare to find.
The restaurant is a mix of vintage style and contemporary spirit inside. At the entrance, a long bar counter welcomes you, while a staircase at the end of the room leads to the terrace: a place with a privileged view of the historic Piazza San Marco, with its thirteenth-century church, where the small lake once stood in the nineteenth century which connected Brera to the rest of the city. A terrace where in good weather, you can dine or have a drink for an aperitif.
Setting and kitchen speak the same language, thanks to the proposals of Chef Domenico Della Salandra. On the menu, a section is completely dedicated to the Milanese tradition, reinterpreted lightly by Della Salandra, with dishes ranging from Milanese risotto to ossobuco, from tongue in green sauce to nerves. Then, space for a global and contemporary cuisine, which focuses on the essentiality of flavors and cooking techniques. No canonical distinction between courses, but three sections from which to draw freely: “To begin“, dedicated to entrances, light and greedy, often vegetable, “Piatti di mezzo“, the heart of the gastronomic experience, and “To finish“, consecrated to desserts.
The watchword here is to mix as much as possible, so alongside the signature cuisine we find an excellent drink list signed by Filippo Sisti to accompany and enrich every dish with new balances. For those who want to rely on food pairing, there are three cocktail-dish combinations specially designed by Sisti and Della Salandra.
Last but not least: the place is dedicated to a princess, Maria Clotilde di Savoia, so don’t be surprised by the many flowers inside. They always excite, express femininity and welcome guests. Space for peonies, hydrangeas and aspidistra, local varieties that were widespread between the 19th and 20th centuries.
Clotilde Brera
piazza San Marco, 6, Milan
open from Tuesday to Saturday from 12.00 to 14.30 and from 18.30 to 23
Monday / Sunday from 12.00 to 15.00
