In the heart of Milan, on the top floor of the Luigi Rovati Foundation in Porta Venezia, is the Andrea Aprea restaurant
by Emanuela Ferro – photo by Paolo Picciotto
The building was built in 1871 and has been renovated a few times since then. Now, it’s an exhibition space that evokes a particular feeling, combining rooms with original floors, ceilings and furniture with brand-new spaces, from the underground floor to the art pavilion in the garden. The permanent collection, which ranges from Etruscan artefacts to contemporary art, is complemented by exhibitions, such as the one currently dedicated to the Olympic Games (open until March 22nd, ed.). In this exhibition, ancient artefacts interact with memorabilia from the modern Olympics. A place where culture and beauty reign supreme, and which Aprea chose in 2022 to embark on a new personal journey, after spending a decade at the helm of the VUN restaurant and achieving the milestone of two Michelin stars.
Andrea Aprea’s creations speak of memories and innovation, of ancient flavours reinterpreted with technique and sensitivity.
Suspended between art and taste, the new restaurant that bears his name is born: a project that combines architectural elegance and culinary research, where cuisine becomes storytelling and memory. Born in Naples and adopted by Milan, Andrea has found his culinary home here. He combines the best of both worlds – tradition and modernity – to create a unique flavour sensation that’s a real celebration of the South meeting the sleekness of today’s cuisine. And just a few months after opening, the restaurant was honoured with a Michelin star, and then a second one in 2023, which really puts it on the map as one of the best Italian restaurants around. Each dish tells a story: that of a chef who has made memory his secret ingredient, who is not afraid to innovate while remaining true to his roots.
The dining room overlooking the city skyline and the open kitchen reflect the transparency and precision of the chef’s style, which reveals his true soul in his dishes. The Partenope menu, a distillation of Neapolitan cuisine that lives up to the promise inherent in its name, features Eliche pasta, Gentile selection, double-concentration Neapolitan soffritto, candied lemon, followed by Baccalà in pepper and caper extract, and Seppia alla Luciana.
Among the signature dishes, you cannot miss the Bottoni, Grana Padano, veal sausage, Oscietra caviar and Lamb, sorrel, sea urchins and smoked provola cheese. The dessert of medlar and rosemary, white chocolate and liquorice was delicious.
At Andrea Aprea’s restaurant, cuisine is not just nourishment, but also an experience: a meeting between emotion and technique. This is the magic experienced by those lucky enough to sit at one of his very few tables. The restaurant is open in the evening from Tuesday to Saturday (and on Saturdays for lunch as well). Still, those who prefer breakfast, snacks, informal lunches and dinners, perhaps combined with a visit to an exhibition or the collections, can choose the bistro on the ground floor with outdoor seating in the garden: a secret green refuge in the heart of the city, open all day long.
(Andrea Aprea – There’s a story in every dish – Barchemagazine.com – Excerpted from Barche, February 2026)
