Bentoteca In Milano

The food was excellent, the food was good but nothing exceptional, and it was overpriced. The waiters were kind and helpful, but there was a serious lack of customer service at the end of the dinner. After spending €340 on a tasting menu for two, including wine (gift card already paid for), we were asked if we wanted to finish the dinner with a bitter or digestif. We agreed, and were brought a yuzu sake, so good I had to look for it online: €30 a bottle. For two glasses, they charged us €20. Aside from the price, which is a clear mockery, we thought it was free/included after a dinner like that. We finished with a €20 receipt in hand and the cashier inviting us to get our jackets from the closet ourselves… there's a Michelin-starred/guide-like attitude, but it's not reflected in the facts.

I finally have the chance to review Bentoteca, a unique Japanese restaurant that uses Italian ingredients. There were two of us, and we opted for the tasting menu (OMAKASE). We were served the following dishes: • Otoro, Chutoro, Akami Sashimi (three cuts of tuna, served with wasabi, zuke sauce, and daikon); • Chutoro Nigiri (two chutoro nigiri with wasabi and zuke sauce); • Tsukemono (marinated vegetables, served with tosazu sauce, red shiso salt, yuzu, and sansho pepper leaves); • Tongue Katsusando (two panko-crusted veal tongue sandwiches, with green mayonnaise and marinated purple cabbage); • Wagyu Sukiyaki, Sweetbreads, and Foie Gras Soup Style (wagyu sukiyaki soup with sweetbreads and foie gras, covered in puff pastry); • Ichiaboshi mackerel (dried and grilled mackerel, served with pink grapefruit, dill, chervil, and sesame oil). Other dishes not on the menu also arrived, which are difficult to describe, but I've attached photos anyway. Overall, a great place to enjoy dishes that are truly hard to find elsewhere. Tasting menu, shokupan, and water: €108 per person. As a photographer, I pay close attention to lighting and framing, so I've also attached some shots. I'd love to collaborate with them on a photo shoot.

The shift management leaves a bit to be desired. There was a lot of confusion at the entrance, with people forced to wait in tight spaces and some jostling. Moreover, in a restaurant with prices this high, you wouldn't expect a double shift. The omakase menu offers some very interesting dishes, although I found others a bit disappointing. The wine policy is good, without excessive markups, and is definitely more convenient than pairing by the glass. A few small points about the service: an extra bottle of water (€2) was mistakenly added to the bill, and the coffee, which is usually free in restaurants of this caliber, in this case cost €3 each and wasn't even particularly good. Overall, an interesting experience: I don't regret trying it, but I wouldn't go back.

After hearing about Bentoteca for a long time, I finally had the chance to try it. I was completely satisfied: attentive service, excellent food (special mention for the tuna, which was excellently presented), a good selection of wines (in all price ranges!), and a truly beautiful and interesting venue, to my taste (even the bathroom was impeccable). Thanks especially to Alessandro for helping me organize the dinner! I hope to see you again soon 😊

Being tipsy at lunch is always nice

I visited this restaurant in 2016, when it had a completely different feel, being a Michelin-starred restaurant. I had a great time back then; I returned last Saturday, aware of the change in format, and I must say the experience exceeded my expectations. It's never easy to reinvent yourself, especially to improve, but Bentoteca has succeeded perfectly. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, instantly putting you at ease. The service is friendly and informal, just the right amount, without sacrificing professionalism: the staff who served me were always knowledgeable, attentive, and kind. And then the food, the true star of the evening: it's been a long time since I've tasted such authentic, emotionally moving pleasure. An experience truly worth trying, confirming the meticulous attention to detail.

I visited recently and the experience the team at Bentoteca provided was nothing short of astounding. I felt very welcome and well looked after. If you enjoy the theatre of watching the chefs at work, then reserve a seat at the counter which faces into the kitchen! I opted for the omakase menu and the sommelier selection wine paring. Everything I was served was brilliant. Artfully plated, with the quality of the ingredients shining through from start to finish. Be prepared, as the omakase is a LOT of food but if you have a decent appetite, it’s entirely worth going for this. Grazie mille for the superb experience!

People here know what they doing and they do it very well, it’s been years and still is my favorite. Bentoteca likes to yolk together consistencies and textures such as that of marinated cow heart and tuna chiai (in picture), or that of bone marrow and fermented shrimps, a masterpiece of their menu. I also really appreciate the use of every part of the tuna which is present in many cuts, I had the tuna head with giardiniera is really a sweet treat. The price is Milanese price but I had a big lunch given the skills of the team - which is very nice to watch at work from the counter - the wine selection and the menu as an evident research with a solid file rouge. It is a satisfaction to go eat there. This is the place I suggest to friends but also where I go when I want to gift myself a dinner. Thank you!

Posto grandioso e cibo raffinato e di altissimo livello,esperienza unica che difficilmente dimenticherò.Piatti originali che evidenziano l'altissima qualità della materia prima. Personale attento e professionale.Non è un posto a buon mercato ma comunque giustificato dalla qualità dei prodotti offerti. Bravi consigliatissimo.

Cena superlativa. Abbiamo provato il menù degustazione e lo abbiamo trovato interessante: assaggio di vari tagli del tonno poi piatti misti da condividere (verdura / panino con lingua / lumache di mare / tartelletta con dadolata di calamaro), a seguire ramen e secondo composto da anatra e anguilla. Il tutto condito con salse ed erbe. Abbiamo assaggiato anche nigiri di Wagyu. Ottimi! Ambiente intimo e raffinato. Consiglio vivamente per chi vuole sperimentare.