Just one year after opening, L’Alchimia has been awarded a Michelin Star, recognizing a cuisine that focuses on appealing raw materials of absolute quality and freshness—creative, yet simultaneously accessible and convincing. The menu features traditional Milanese dishes such as the cotoletta or risotto alla milanese, which Chef Davide Puleio (of Roman origin) has chosen to reinterpret in a hypothetical sensory journey from “Milan to Rome.”
But what exactly is a Michelin Star?
The Michelin Star is the recognition given to restaurants that distinguish themselves based on the quality of products, techniques and flavors, the chef’s personality, and the overall dining room experience and service.
In 1926, the historic French tire company Michelin decided to create a guide for its customers and tourists featuring a list of the best French restaurants, eventually expanding worldwide.
Today we meet Samuele Serra, founder of the Milano Restaurant Group, to discuss the past, present, and future of a Group that has grown significantly over 10 years of activity and intends to continue doing so.
Hello Samuele, how are you?
S: We are still in disbelief and very happy about yesterday’s wonderful news.
Congratulations, it must be rewarding to achieve these results after years of commitment and sacrifice. But tell us a bit about how the Milano Restaurant Group was born.
S: Our group was founded 30 years ago with my mother’s restaurant located in Via Fauchè, Osteria delle Corti. It was a restaurant that perfectly showcased the tradition and character of Milanese cuisine; its slogan was, in fact, “yesterday’s cuisine today.” 2008 was the turning point when we acquired our first venue in the Brera area, Il Cestino. And by turning point, I mean expansion, which led us to open eight restaurants in the center of Milan within 10 years.
What is the secret to the success of these venues?
S: The success of our venues is certainly the staff—what we define as the family. We have always been a very close-knit group and have been fortunate enough to meet excellent people, some of whom have grown within the group, starting their careers as waiters or cooks and becoming managers and an integral part of the company.
In your opinion, what characteristics must a restaurant have today to satisfy its clientele?
S: The customer’s every request must always be met and they must be pampered; our goal is for customers to feel like part of this family in some way.
The group’s venues offer traditional cuisine; what prompted you to take a completely different path with L’Alchimia?
S: L’Alchimia was a gamble. It was the challenge of managing a restaurant with entirely different needs compared to the others and certainly a greater commitment. It was also a gamble taken with that visionary, Alberto Tasinato, who curated this project down to the smallest detail from the very beginning.
What are your future projects?
S: Well, let’s just say there are other challenges to take on—projects that we will reveal very soon.
Based on your experience, what are three characteristics an entrepreneur must have to be successful?
S: Determination, consistency, and the ability to recover quickly when things do not go well.
Thank you, Samuele. Congratulations once again and best of luck.
