Sogni

It is quite literally the dream restaurant of Claudio Antonioli, the renowned fashion entrepreneur behind two eponymous luxury multi-brand stores in Milan and the underground club Volt. Eating out frequently for work, he could never find a venue that fully satisfied both his palate and his aesthetic while making him feel at home. After spotting an unused early 20th-century palazzo in the Porta Genova area and discovering it was up for auction just days later, he decided to buy it. Sogni was born after two years of work by the trusted team of architects behind Antonioli’s other Milan spaces, guided by a conservative restoration that merely refreshed the façade while overhauling the interiors, all while respecting the original volumes and spaces.

A few months after opening, Sogni quickly became a favourite spot for Milan’s creative and fashion crowd. It is a restaurant and cocktail bar that strikes you above all with its visual impact. Spanning 500 square metres across several distinct settings, it features a lobby with generous velvet sofas, a bar with a zinc and wood counter for an aperitivo or late drink, the ‘refettorio’ dining room with a floor-to-ceiling plate rack and a long, horseshoe-shaped communal table, the ‘veranda’ conservatory of iron and glass brimming with plants, and the ‘gallery’, a corridor transformed from a passageway into an intimate setting for dinner tête-à-tête.

Carefully curated down to the detail without feeling overly polished, the spaces evoke intimacy, warmth and a muffled sense of hospitality, with velvet, dark walls, high ceilings, floral sofas, wood panelling, vintage clocks, and vases of flowers and plants. The Belle Époque mood is occasionally broken by sharp contemporary touches, such as metallic panelling or huge speakers that look fresh off a rock concert stage. Cultural, aesthetic and historical references abound: the entrance and lounge bring to mind 19th-century railway waiting rooms, the large lanterns echo those of Milan’s registry office on Via Larga, the plates on display mirror the photography of Karl Blossfeldt, and the bathrooms, with their signature black-and-white tiles, are inspired by the Albergo Diurno in Porta Venezia.

The menu at Sogni focuses largely on seafood and vegetables, celebrating the flavours of Italian tradition: no fusion, no gourmet gimmicks, just cooking designed to delight lovers of seafood and comforting dishes. Highlights include crudi di pesce, spaghetti alle vongole, polpo alla brace and fritto misto, alongside entirely vegetarian dishes, such as the terrina di lenticchie di Norcia and classic parmigiana di melanzane. In keeping with the honest yet polished cooking and the venue’s overall spirit, the cellar makes plenty of room for international wines, with a fondness for French bottles, alongside organic and artisanal producers.

The carefully curated soundtrack also deserves a mention. As a devoted fan of contemporary music, Antonioli could hardly have shaped his dream without the right music.