Officina 12

Located right on the river in the vibrant Navigli district you’ll find this unassuming restaurant. This restaurant boasts two beautiful outdoor spaces – one just along the river where you can enjoy the evening atmosphere; and the other is a courtyard terrace inside the restaurant. If you aren’t feeling like dining outside, they also have beautiful indoor seating. Officina 12 focuses on serving regional dishes with modern twists and using only the freshest, local, and seasonal ingredients. You can experience this restaurant both during lunch and dinner, with lunch having a more relaxed vibe.

To start, we ordered the charcuterie board with freshly cut cured meats and local cheese – this also comes with jam, honey and bread. The board was beautifully present with so many vibrant colors and if tasted even better. The cheeses were creamy and nutty and the cured meats were so thinly sliced they practically melted in your mouth like butter. Now to the pasta course – there were so many delicious dishes on the menu that we ordered several and shared because y’all know sharing is caring! For the pasta we ordered the Ravioli, Squid Ink Linguine, and Pomodoro with Pistachio. All of their pastas are made fresh, by hand and you can tell the difference. The pasta was chewy and bouncy and cooked al dente. I also love how the sauce really sticks to the pasta and each bite was full of flavor, rich, and warm. I honestly couldn’t pick a favorite, and could have eaten any of them again! For the second course, we ordered Ossobuco and Milanese Pork. Both of these dishes are just such classics for the region that we had to try them. The ossobuco is a braised veal shank that is slow cooked and served with Milanese risotto. Nothing screams comfort more than this dish. The veal was so tender and fell apart with just a fork. The Milanese pork was also incredible – lightly breaded but so crispy on the outside with a juicy interior. At first, I was thinking it would need some sauce or something, but honestly it was cooked so well and so tender that the sauce would have distracted from the pork itself!

Overall this restaurant is absolutely stunning with a gorgeous interior, buzzing outdoor seating, and a stunning menu featuring regional dishes with modern twists. I would encourage a reservation, especially if you are visiting during peak times because this restaurant fills up, even with the high number of seats. It is also worth mentioning that their menu will change based on local availability and seasonings to ensure the freshest food, so make sure to take a look at their menu. You can find their menu and information about the restaurant here.