If you’re looking for a fabulous brunch with a side of serious fashion, look no further than Sunday brunch at our favorite hotel in Milan – the Bulgari Hotel Milano. Set in the modern, polished Il Ristorante, next to the Bulgari Hotel’s gorgeous gardens, you’ll want to spend all afternoon here.
Italian hotels take food seriously and their fine dining restaurants are typically much better than their American counterparts. Despite this, Italians tend not to patronize their hotel restaurants. The Bulgari Hotel Milano Il Ristorante by Niko Romito is the exception, with many Milanese booking tables for the chicest brunch in Italy.
We visited shortly after Lombardy was updated to a yellow zone, so the brunch is again open to outside guests until 6pm. The Bulgari Hotel Milano has taken precautionary measures and changed the brunch from a buffet format. Guests are free to observe the incredible stations — like the raw bar, charcuterie and cheese spread, and over-the-top dessert room — but selections are plated by the kitchen and served at the table.
Bulgari’s brunch is in partnership with Ruinart, so it naturally begins with a glass of Ruinart Champagne, followed by a lobster shell filled with chilled lobster salad and a selection of appetizers including meatballs, octopus salad, and a potato-artichoke gateau. The raw bar features fish carpaccio and gorgeous langoustines served crudo.
The brunch menu features a selection of pastas prepared to order, including baked Conchiglioni (shells) stuffed with ragu, Milan’s famous saffron risotto, and the best seafood ragu paccheri. Finally you can choose from a selection of secondi like roasted lamb chops and fried chicken served with a selection of sides. You can keep ordering champagne, or select a bottle from the restaurant’s extensive wine list. We were very impressed with the addition of a new organic and biodynamic section and thrilled to see one of our favorite Ligurian winemakers, Selvadolce, featured on the list.
You can’t leave brunch at the Bulgari Hotel without a visit to the decadent dessert room, which features a huge selection of cakes, pastries, and confections. Sample as many as you want while you linger over coffee. We think Sunday brunch at the Bulgari Hotel is one of the best ways you could spend a Sunday afternoon in Milan. One word of advice — once restaurants can open for dinner, you will not want to make a dinner reservation after such an incredible dining experience! You can book your table now here.
Note: Bulgari Hotel Milan provided support for the reporting of this story.