Since opening her runaway hit series of Delhi-based Italian restaurants – Diva, Diva Cafe and Latitude 28 – Chef Ritu Dalmia has risen to household name status in India. She has a hugely successful brand, encompassing cooking and travel shows, books, countless awards and ardent LGBT activism.
After years of evangelising Italian food abroad — the chef spent her youth travelling Italy with her marble-dealer father – she’s finally flipped the script. Opened this fall in Milan’s Brera district, Cittamani marks Dalmia's first foray into Indian fine dining in Italy. Billed as Italian-Indian fusion, the menu features Italian-sourced ingredients prepared utilising Indian techniques: Tandoori octopus, slow-cooked pork raan tortelli, plus small plates of stracciatella stuffed poori, mozzarella naan and not a curry to be seen.
Designed following the traditional Hindu system of architecture, Vastu Shastra, which dictates a building’s geometry and layout — a first for Milan-born, London-based architect Paolo Cossu — the space encompasses a bar, dining room and outdoor seating. Further informed by the building’s listed status, the strict parameters resulted in a flexible but pared-back space with a keen focus on materials: original terrazzo floors, restored glass arches, details in brushed brass, sucupira wood, mirrored walls and a proprietary iron mesh resin coating developed specifically for the project. Traditional South African cooking pots overlook the dining room on high shelves, part of a collection accrued by Cittamani’s billionaire investor, Analjit Singh. At the doorway, a sleek marble and brass bar encourages a bustling aperitivo hour, while mirror-lined walls open up the dining room. 'The Milanese,' explains Cossu of his decision to add the reflective details, 'love to be seen when they go to dinner'.
The only Indian reference comes in the form of Jeanneret’s Chandigarh chairs: it was a joint decision between Cossu and Dalmia to create a thoroughly Italian room that appealed to the city’s notoriously picky, design-minded clientele.
Their verdict so far? ‘The Milanese love it,' assures Cossu.
ADDRESS
Piazza Mirabello 5
-
This surreal new seafood restaurant in LA is the stuff of mermaid's dreamsAt Cento Raw Bar, delectable fare is complemented by playful, oceanic interiors by Brandon Miradi
-
What’s new in the wearable world of smart glasses, and extended and augmented realityAre you ready for AR? Meta, Google, Snap and more are gearing up to compete with Apple and deliver frames-based communications devices – complete with AI integration
-
Italian-Japanese fusion’s a joy at east London’s Osteria AngelinaA Victorian warehouse in Spitalfields has been given a slick modern makeover to house a unique Italian-Japanese restaurant
-
Detour Discotheque is bringing ‘the world’s dreamiest party’ to PugliaThe pop-up event, La Dolce Vita Disco, promises dancing, good food and sunshine in a 16th-century Italian farmhouse
-
Five tranquil suites by Patricia Urquiola suspend visitors ‘between sea and sky’ in CapriPatricia Urquiola dreams up a study in contrast and tradition for the next chapter of Jumeirah Capri Palace
-
Sun-soaked European destinations to visit in springDreaming of Florentine palazzos and Greek islands now that the weather is starting to turn? Check into one of these beautiful European hotels and holiday homes
-
Everything you need to know about Italy's Lake Maggiore, according to FormafantasmaFrom baroque gardens to panoramic views, Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin show us around this Italian escape
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Romeo Roma: a new hotel that’s one of Zaha Hadid’s last projectsLocated within Rome’s Tridente, Romeo Roma is a palimpsest of periods in which the late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid left her avant-garde mark
-
Five influential women hoteliers reflect on the changing face of hospitalityAs women continue to gain ground in the hotel sector, despite still being underrepresented in senior positions, five female moguls share their experiences of the past and projections for the future
-
Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy designThere’s more magic to the movies at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s ‘flying’ roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
-
The best Milan bars for a fashionable aperitivoMilan’s after-dark renaissance is evident in a new wave of design-led cocktail bars, setting the right mood for enticing aperitivos and nightcaps; Milan editor Laura May Todd recommends the best
