Al Garghet is a magical kingdom, or rather a Middle-earth as Emanuela Cipolla likes to call her “creature” from the name of the land of gnomes and fairies made famous by J. R. R. Tolkien.

Soul and owner of the Garghet, Emanuela was born in Milan, with Tuscan and Sicilian blood (her grandmother had married Ferdinando Bontà, son of Baroness Maria Teresa D ‘Alcontres) and the dream of opening her own restaurant. So, at the beginning of the 90s, she falls in love with a farmhouse with a garden in the Milanese countryside, where an old tavern with a dance hall once stood, she begins to manage it as a pizzeria with kitchen.

I immediately fell in love with this place, I felt its soul, because it already had a soul, loaded as it was with history, it was just what I was looking for.

(Emanuela Cipolla, owner)

Thanks to her simple but sincere philosophy – to make people feel good and prepare food with love – the restaurant immediately met with great success and Emanuela began to shape her enchanted world. The magnificent decor of the Garghet is inspired, in fact, by the many passions of Emanuela, from the English countryside to bohemian France, destinations of her many travels, from the railing houses, where she was born and of which she keeps a beautiful memory, up to the many works donated by artists and friends. And then there’s her collection of frogs of all kinds.

The name of the restaurant is, in fact, a tribute to the Milanese countryside; “Garghet” in Milanese means the croaking of frogs that still keep us company in the wonderful flower garden where in summer you can eat al fresco on the veranda or under the country chic umbrellas.

Over the years, the food proposal has also evolved and, thanks to the meeting of souls with chef Mario Scognamillo, now flanked by chef Luca Mauri, the Garghet is a bulwark of excellent traditional Lombard cuisine reinterpreted with great elegance.

The recipes are those of Emanuela’s childhood, such as cassouela, ossobuco with saffron risotto, long-cooked noble meats, up to typical desserts such as Ris and Lat or the exceptional mascarpone cream (the one you eat with Panettone). But those who know Al Garghet come above all to eat the legendary breaded cutlet. To tell the truth, there are two recipes: that of the Lombard tradition, that is the Costoletta alla Milanese, based on veal with well-defatted bone and breaded with butter, and the Cotoletta del Garghet, which follows the recipe of Teresa, mother of Emanuela.
The latter, the so-called “elephant ear”, based on pork loin, eggs and lots of grated bread, was born in the post-war period when, to use less meat, it was beaten to make it bigger and the traditional veal was replaced with the cheapest pork.

The settings of the Garghet change with the seasons, and if there is an experience to do at least once in a lifetime it is Christmas at the Garghet: a party of lights, fir trees and decorations that Emanuela buys all over the world and especially in NY from the legendary Fao Schwarz, the shop featured in Home Alone, famous for its toy soldiers and giant bears.

The most coveted table? The one for two in the first room near the fireplace that Emanuela calls “Amanda Lear” one because the artist, during her first time there, changed places 5 times before choosing the one with the perfect “light” for her romantic evening.

Today, Emanuela’s dream continues, flanked by her children, Simona and Davide, and the many nieces and nephews, happy ending after happy ending, (it seems that the Garghet is a good luck charm for love proposals) there are still many fairy tales of which you will feel protagonists here.

The Secret

Antonio Albanese chose to shoot his first film as a director, A freshwater man, right at the Garghet. An experience, that of transforming her restaurant into a movie set, which increased Emanuela’s love for scenography and interior decoration.

Useful Info

Al Garghet
Via Selvanesco 36
20141 Milano
Tel. +39 02 534698

Starters: 12 — 22 euro
First courses: 12 — 26 euro
Second courses: 13 — 28 euro