Ristorante Teatro alla Scala – Il Foyer

After a long closure that created many inconveniences for the most loyal Scaliger public – reluctant to give up the habit of the traditional Milanese pre-show risotto – a few months ago they reopened Il Foyer, an evolution of the Marchesino.

Gualtiero Marchesi’s historic restaurant, inaugurated in 2008, has undergone a complete renovation based on a project by a Milanese studio headed by Michael Vincent Uy, an architect with a long international experience in the luxury sector. The environment, characterized by a sober elegance, takes up and reinterprets the decorations of the Teatro alla Scala in a contemporary key. The red velvet of the sofas, the marble surfaces of the tables and the sparkling reflections of the gold on the walls and wall lamps create a refined yet welcoming atmosphere, where luxury lies in the attention to detail and the beauty of the materials used.

The executive chef, Anatolij Franzese, already part of the Marchesi universe from 2016, has been entrusted with the task of re-proposing and reinterpreting the Maestro’s dishes. However, the undisputed symbol of this new chapter remains the most iconic dish of the many created by the great chef: rice, gold and saffron. With its unmistakable taste, due to the particular preparation, it is presented in a geometrically perfect way, like a Malevich painting. Precisely because of its visual strength, it was chosen as the new restaurant logo.

Simplicity, elegance, extreme refinement of the raw materials and attention to the aesthetic rendering of the dishes are today, as then, the characteristic elements of Marchesi’s menu which is always current and inspirational. The pastry shop is under the guidance of the Italian-Argentine pastry chef Matias Ortiz, who previously had the opportunity to collaborate with Ernst Knam, a pupil of Marchesi himself. The decomposed cannolo is very interesting and must be tried, created from a background of dark chocolate flakes covered with an emulsion of ricotta held by a waffle ring and accompanied by a marbled sphere of Bronte pistachio ice cream with mango cubes. 

The new patisserie is also offered in the lounge bar, where every morning you will find a selection of butter-based desserts and croissants inspired by the classic Parisian style. The offer expands with a choice of desserts and high pastry desserts which are extremely accurate in their scenic rendering, created to enhance the best products from all over Italy. Matteo De Palma from Milan was entrusted with the cocktail bar. His mixes are made unique and particular by the use of processing techniques such as ice carving or smoking.

Innovation and respect for tradition are the cornerstones of the new experience of Il Foyer, which proposes itself as a cult location of the Milanese lifestyle but which does not put aside its historic function as a restaurant of the Scala by offering traditional gastronomic dishes before and after theater. Marchesi, passionate about the Scala season, had in fact paid great attention in creating an adequate menu for the La Scala audience, trying to transfer the suggestions and emotions of music into his gastronomic art.