Al Pont de Ferr

My wife and I dined here on or first night in Italy, and it was amazing. At first, we thought it could just be the fact that we are on vacation in Italy that the meal was so good, but as we continued our journey through the country we kept talking about this wonderful meal.
I had the middle tier tasting menu and it was delicious. Plenty of food.
Service and ambiance is great, with a great location on the canal in The Navigli.

This was our fancy dinner during our Milan trip and including a couple birthdays as well. Reserving a table was an easy call to the restaurant the week prior and on the day of we had some horrific issues with taxis and ended up running quite late but they were so accommodating when we called to let them know and we’re so glad they had table for us when we finally arrived. The owner Maida Mercuri is the first person you see upon walking in, she’s gorgeous and has a ready smile. The feel here is so homey. The food is upscale but it’s not the vibe you get at all. It’s comfortable and has a nice ecclectic mix of people from locals to visitors alike and couples on dates alongside groups of friends. You have those dressed to the nines and those dining in their jeans. Either way this was definitely worth saving as our special dinner for our short stay in Milan.
I love the fact that not everyone at the table needs to do a tasting menu, the fact they have a number of different tasting menus and some really interesting (as in i was so very curious to try them) a la carte offerings. There was 5 of us and 3 opted to try tasting menus and the others the a la carte. I really wish I had taken a photo of their menu as it changes so often… Especially as i couldnt recall the name of each plate as there were so many! so sad…
Amuse bouche we started off with were prosecco filled balls from heaven… really could have eaten several dozens of these (favorite by far of my entire trip!). Loved them. Served chilled in a bowl of ice… just sooo amazing. The other was a pork with yogurt sauce which was also tasty and the yogurt was refreshing. As we had a gluten allergic bday girl, her amuse bouche was a GF parmesan and avocado crisp.
Their bread board was impressive. All made in-​house and fresh. Seriously wish we could have just shipped it all home. Mini croissants were slightly sweet and crisp… sooo good. The large ones had cumin and were savory. Breadsticks and different kinds of breads… There was just so many choices!
*Spaghettoni: there were two options and I’m not fully sure which was selected but our friend was very happy. This takes extra time and says so on the menu. It looked like a very large spaghetti pasta and was very fresh.
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Tradition tasting menu:
*The candied version of red onion from Tropea: This was gorgeously presented and the taste was so fresh and creamy. That tart and creamy goat cheese with the candied onion after you break into the shiny candy shell… this looked like blown glass artwork. Loved it!
*Beef sashimi: Also beautifully presented and soo good!
*Ravioli: pretty little pillows of goodness
*Pluma of Iberian pork: juicy, tender and just the right amount of smoky sear. Artfully plated.
*Chocolate cigar, a scent of Montecristo and rhum ice cream: such an interesting dessert!!! Not a fan of the montecristo cigar smoke but what an idea!!! small glass was filled w. cigar smoke for you to have a feel as if you were smoking a cigar! The cigar was a chocolate and served in a clear ashtray.
water tasting menu:
*Langoustine: artfully plated and very fresh.
*Sausage stuffed sardines: This was definitely different and fresh. Small fresh sardines stuffed with sausage.
*Tuna slider: the bun was made with pasta… This was very interesting, tasty and quite messy to eat as i was instructed to do so with my hands.
*Squid with beet reduction and fried onions: very fresh squid, very tender and loved the beet reduction.
*White fish or monkfish? Loved their presentation but this was my least favorite… the fish was very chewy and ate like a steak… sliced like one as well… somewhat gristly.
*Octopus and potatoes: this was such a cool dessert for me as it looked just like octopus and potatoes… the octopus was fruit molded to look like octopus and filled with fresh whipped cream to look like the white flesh when you cut into it. The «potatoes» were poached pears. Creative AND delicious!
The other really fun dessert was «this is not a game»: a kaleidoscope of childhood flavors. This came out on a lit LED platform (very bright) and it was legos!!! Fruit leather molded into the lego base platforms with chocolate lego figures. Very cool!!!
I wish we had known to order the apple tart dessert but alas… we did not.
Hours later and all very full… we happily wandered out to wait for our taxis, which Ms Mercuri was kind enough to call for us whilst one of us kept eating the delicious jelly beans at her counter. Lovely dinner, lovely evening.

Overrated… We went with the tasting menu, and the vegetarian one is NOT to be recommended. I’m pretty sure it have me food poisoning, and everything had the same texture (thick and creamy). The traditional tasting menu seemed a bit more varied, but the meal took almost 3 hours and the servers seemed to get confused about what to bring next.
Way too expensive, and way too disappointing.

This place was impressive.
A Michelin-​restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere, excellent service, brilliant food, and affordable prices.
By affordable prices, I mean affordable by international Michelin-​standards. Dinner and wine will cost you from 50 – 75 € per person depending on which menu and wine you choose, which in my opinion is worth every cent.
The dishes are interesting, as it feels you are part of a scientific experience when you eat there. Some of the courses were classic, however there are several courses you will have no idea what you are eating. In true Heston Blumenthal-​style, they create culinary artworks which you will not understand until you dig in.
An experience well worth your while when in Milan.

This place was just OK. It is in the very young and hipsterish canal area, and I think I am outside that age group by a generation. I really did not enjoy climbing over and around groups of 20-​somethings drinking like fish and smoking like chimneys.
Al Pont de Ferr is a pretty little restaurant nestled within this rather unappealing area. Service is indifferent but not to the point of impoliteness. The menu is written in the chef’s somewhat pretentious attempt at doing something different and humorous, but not successfully.
I started with a beautiful composed plate of raw fish, foie gras, hazelnuts and pink grapefruit (described on the menu as «Il mosaico di ricciola cruda, foie-​gras e quadretti di pompelmo ed arance»). It was lovely to look at, and fresh enough, but nothing inspired. My dining companion had the sardines in a sweet-​and-​sour onion sauce, which she pronounced to be tasty.
I had the «36-​hour» lamb, which was quite delicious and was served with a potato purée that seemed to have a 2:1 butter-​to-​potato ratio. I don’t remember the other main course.
We did not stay for dessert. It was just OK — would not go back again.

Third time there last night, and it gets better and better.
Every plate is a revelation: from the vegetarian Champagne map to the Tropea onion mimicked with sugar coating, accompanied by great champagne by the glass and superb Sauterne.
The final cheese selection is spectacular.

Ich würde die Küche als innovativ und experimentierfreudig bezeichnen. Die Gerichte sind eine Augenweide, geschmacklich bleiben sie zum Teil hinter den Erwartungen zurück. Hinzu kommt dass es im Lokal schnell zu warm und recht laut wird. Als großes Manko empfand ich das Fehlen einer englischen Speisekarte. So passierte es dass anstatt der erwarteten Pasta mit Meeresfrüchten eine Schale mit vereistem Boden ankam die mit ein paar kalten Nudelstuecke und rohen Meeresfrüchten gefüllt war.

Ein sehr beliebtes Restaurant auf den Navigli. Unbedingt Reservieren, da man sonst keine Chance hat. Es gibt sehr traditionelle Gerichte aber auch innovative Gerichte. Ein Besuch lohnt sich auf jeden Fall. Von außen sieht das Restaurant eher sehr einfach aus, aber einfach trotzdem mal rein gehen. Die Preise sind für mailänder und Navigli Gegend angemessen. EC und Kreditkarten werden akzeptiert.

L’endroit est beau, on si sent plutot bien des les premieres minutesla cuisine est aussi suprenante que le savant mélange des saveurs, dela créativité des plats avec l’imbroglio appétissant des produits traditionnels.
Il faut y aller!

If you’re looking for creative north-​italian cuisine, good wine, awesome cheese and delightful dessert, this is your place.
But if you just want a cheap place for eat something, you should go somewhere else
The price are not low, but the quality of the food totally justified them.
Also the servings are generous, well presented, and the waitress are really kind (and the owner completely mad, but hilarious).
If you go for lunch you can find some dish of the day that will save some of your money (but don’t be too hopeful).
If you want to go for dinner is better to book a place, cause the space is very nice but also very small!