Joia

Price guide: Expensive

Via P Castaldi 18, Porta Venezia, Milan, 20124

Price guide: Expensive

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La Spiral del Gusto, Joia, Milan

By Melissa Shales, your Milan expert

I write for AA Travel Guides, .... Read more
#5 of 25
expert-rated restaurants in Milan
Expert overall rating:4.8 out of 5
Food and drink:
4.9
4.9
Ambience:
4.6
4.6
Service:
4.7
4.7
Location:
4.6
4.6
Value for money:
4.6
4.6
Recommended for:
Couples, Culture vultures, Foodies, Honeymooners, Seasoned travellers, Celebrity spotting, People watching, Romance, Special occasions, Trendiness

Expert review of Joia

Last updated 2 December 2010

Vegetarian heaven in Milan – meat-free cuisine with a Michelin star.

Joia means joy and the English-language version of the menu at this imaginative restaurant brings joy to the heart. It is rich in wonderfully evocative names and tastes. Who could resist "under a carpet of coloured leaves" (a forest floor of finferli mushrooms, pumpkin, sweet black salsify and herbs)?. Perhaps you might like to dine on a primi of “virtue” followed by a secondi of “equilibrium”? Or just go for the kill and eat “Lady Curzon, wife of the viceroy of India” (buckwheat ravioli stuffed with different ingredients, drenched in a slightly spiced fondue of sweet turnip that will warm you up) – not bloodthirsty at all! Hugely popular, you need to book at least a week ahead.

Food and drink: 

Joia is that extreme rarity, a Michelin-starred haute cuisine vegetarian restaurant. The food is light and magnificent, fabulously presented, fusing influences from across the world, and using flowers as well as vegetables for maximum impact. The menu changes with the season and Swiss chef Pietro Leemann is never afraid to experiment with avant garde flavour combinations.  

Ambience: 

The restaurant is split into three separate dining rooms to maintain a degree of intimacy, all three decorated in blonde woods and pale stones to give a cool, serene environment.  

Service: 

Cool and efficient.

Location: 

Near Stazione Centrale and Corso Buenos Aires.

Price advice: 

 It's not cheap. Expect to pay 60–80 euros for a three course meal without wine. On the other hand, the experience is wonderful.

More information on Joia:

Price guide:
Expensive
Type:
Restaurant
Food:
Fusion, International, Italian, Vegetarian
Address:
Via P Castaldi 18, Porta Venezia, Milan, 20124
Telephone:
02 2952 2124
Website:
http://www.joia.it/flash.htm
Serves:
Lunch, Dinner
Opening times:
Mon-Sat 12.30-2.30pm, 7.30-11.30pm; closed Sun. Closed three weeks in Aug, two weeks Dec-Jan.
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Reservations:
Essential at peak times

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