Overture in Tortona: Rodrigo Milano Sets the Stage for a Modern Classic
In Milan, some streets hum with a different frequency. Via Savona, a central artery of the Tortona district, is one such place. To walk here is to trace the city’s evolution, where the monumental ghosts of 20th-century industry—vast, rationalist factories and workshops—have been reborn as luminous hubs of contemporary design.
This is a neighborhood defined by its creative friction, a place where historic buildings are juxtaposed with revamped industrial spaces now housing photography studios, fashion showrooms, and cultural powerhouses like Base in the former Ansaldo complex. During the annual pilgrimage of Milan Design Week, these streets transform into a global stage, a circuit where the future of design is debated, displayed, and decided.
It is here, at number 11 Via Savona, amidst this vibrant dialogue between past and present, that a storied name from another city has chosen to make its Milanese debut: Rodrigo. The arrival of this Bolognese institution in the heart of Milan’s most dynamic design district is far more than a simple expansion. It is a declaration of intent.
The choice of location represents a deliberate journey from a city of deep-rooted, almost immutable tradition—Bologna, “la Dotta, la Grassa, la Rossa“—to a district that thrives on the very act of reinterpretation. This physical transition from a city of ancient porticoes to a neighborhood of post-industrial chic mirrors the conceptual journey of the Rodrigo brand itself: an exploration of how to honor a venerable past while engaging in a vital, contemporary conversation with the forward-looking culture of Milan. The location is not just a backdrop; it is the opening scene of a meticulously crafted narrative.
The Echo of an Era: A Bolognese Legacy Reborn
To understand Rodrigo Milano, one must first travel back in time and space to Bologna, 1949. In the shadow of Piazza Maggiore, within the stately walls of the historic Palazzo della Zecca, the former State Mint, the original Ristorante Rodrigo opened its doors. It was founded by a man from a family of restaurateurs who possessed a simple yet profound philosophy: to welcome guests not as customers, but as cherished friends in his own living room. This ethos manifested in gestures of lavish hospitality, with oysters, champagne, fine Parmigiano, and mortadella offered freely, establishing a DNA of warmth, generosity, and uncompromising quality from the very beginning.
What began as a trattoria quickly distinguished itself, becoming the unofficial “salotto” of the city. It was a place where Bologna’s aristocracy, entrepreneurs, and intellectuals converged, and a mandatory stop for the constellation of stars passing through Italy’s cultural heartland. The restaurant’s guestbook reads like a pantheon of post-war Italian culture: actors Ugo Tognazzi, Peppino De Filippo, and Vittorio Gassman; Maestro Riccardo Muti; and titans of industry like Enzo Ferrari. It was here that a young Gianni Morandi celebrated his eighteenth birthday.
So central was Rodrigo to the city’s pulse that it would remain open into the deep hours of the night, allowing patrons to linger until 4 a.m. to read the freshly printed morning newspapers, a testament to its role as more than a restaurant—it was a hub of civic and social life.
After the founder’s passing and a period of change, this storied institution found a new guardian in 2019. Roberto Capua, an entrepreneur with a self-professed “cult of welcoming” instilled in him since childhood, acquired the brand. Capua saw himself not as a disrupter, but as a custodian, committed to preserving the founder’s original vision while gently guiding it into the 21st century.
His decision to bring Rodrigo to Milan was the first step in a plan to share this unique legacy with a wider audience. Yet, Capua’s background is not limited to hospitality. His professional history includes ventures in communication, events, and, most tellingly, film production. This is not a minor biographical detail; it is the key that unlocks the entire conceptual framework of Rodrigo Milano.
A Screenplay Written in Space: The Design of Memory
To translate this vision into a physical reality, Capua enlisted the Milan-based Nick Maltese Studio, a firm renowned for its narrative-driven approach to design. For founder Nick Maltese, a restaurant’s success hinges on its ability to tell a compelling story. “A good restaurant is not just a well-executed dish,” he explains, “it is a set of gestures, atmospheres, and details. It is the screenplay of a moment to remember”. This philosophy proved to be the perfect match for a project steeped in history and memory.
The goal is not to replicate the hardships of the past but to borrow its emotional texture—its intimacy, its focus on human connection, its authentic storytelling—and present it as a form of contemporary luxury. It is a carefully curated authenticity, an antidote to the cold impersonality that can sometimes define high-end design, evoking the feeling of historical depth within an impeccably comfortable environment. The entire space is conceived as a film set, guiding the diner through a sequence of visually and emotionally distinct scenes.
A Guided Tour Through the “Film Set”
The experience begins as one crosses the threshold, greeted not by a simple host stand but by a welcome desk designed to evoke the foyer of a grand hotel or an old-world cinema, immediately setting a tone of narrative anticipation. This leads into the first act: the Bar and Bistrot. The atmosphere is warm, romantic, and deeply enveloping, inspired by the vintage cafés where artists and directors of the Neorealist era would gather to debate art and life.
The color palette is dominated by rich burgundy velvets, set against floors of Bologna-red resin and walls clad in sumptuous Italian walnut boiserie. The seating, with its classic Vienna straw detailing, reinforces the vintage feel. Adding layers of texture and historical reference are wallpapers from the 1950s and 60s collections of the renowned French design house Élitis, whose creations are celebrated for their bold patterns and innovative use of materials.
Lighting plays a leading role in this scene. Amber glass chandeliers and sinuous wall lamps cast a soft, cinematic glow, creating a timeless ambiance. In a brilliant stroke of design, these vintage-style fixtures are punctuated by the clean, modern lines of appliques from British designer Tom Dixon, a subtle reminder that this is a contemporary interpretation, not a historical replica. The entire space is framed by heavy, theatrical curtains, like the sipari of a stage, heightening the sense of being inside a film about to begin.
From the nostalgic warmth of the bistrot, a corridor marked by a dramatic, handcrafted chandelier leads to the second act: the Fish Bar. This is the plot twist, a moment of pure culinary theatre. The scenographic raw bar is visible yet contained, a jewel box of nebulized mirrors and colored vases where the chef works in full view, an almost performative act. It serves as a spectacular bridge, a visual and conceptual palate cleanser that introduces the restaurant’s modern, maritime identity before one proceeds to the final scene.
The third act unfolds in the Gastronomic Restaurant, where the mood shifts again. The atmosphere becomes more composed, intimate, and sophisticated. The color palette cools to elegant shades of petroleum and olive green. Dark boiserie and handsome cabinets filled with wine bottles evoke the classic elegance of a bygone era’s finest trattorias, creating a space designed to encourage slowness, conversation, and contemplation.
The final narrative touch appears on the walls: imagery of the Emilian landscape, the rolling hills and valleys surrounding Bologna. As one moves deeper into the restaurant, these images become brighter and greener, bringing the origin story of Rodrigo full circle in a quiet, poetic crescendo.
The Protagonists on the Plate: A Culinary Dialogue
The narrative conceived by Capua and designed by Maltese finds its ultimate expression on the plate, executed by Chef Giacomo Matera. The menu is not merely a list of dishes but a carefully scripted culinary dialogue between two distinct and powerful Italian culinary identities, mirroring the restaurant’s own journey from Emilia-Romagna to Lombardy.
The first voice in this conversation is that of Bologna “La Grassa,” a robust and heartfelt celebration of authentic Emilian tradition. This is the soul of Rodrigo, a tribute to its origins. The focus is on the craft of the sfogline, the master pasta makers who transform simple flour and eggs into silken sheets of dough with a rolling pin, or matterello.
The menu proudly features the great classics, executed with reverence and precision. The Tortellini della tradizione, tiny, perfect parcels of meat, are served as tradition dictates, floating in a rich, golden brodo di cappone (capon broth). The Tagliatelle al ragù bolognese is a benchmark of the form, the fresh pasta clinging to a slow-simmered, deeply savory meat sauce. And then there is the iconic Cotoletta alla bolognese, also known as “Petroniana,” a veal cutlet enriched with Prosciutto di Parma and a melting layer of Parmigiano Reggiano. A playful nod to a more recent past appears in the form of Penne alla vodka, a nostalgic wink to the 1980s.
The second voice is lighter, more contemporary, an Adriatic breeze sweeping through the heart of Milan. This is the restaurant’s high-level seafood program, a testament to its evolution. Sourcing is paramount, with an emphasis on “freschissimo” fish from the Adriatic Sea. The preparations are elegant and refined, showcasing the pristine quality of the ingredients.
The menu shines with delicate crudi and tartares of tuna, amberjack, and salmon. A unique feature, a rare privilege in an urban restaurant, is the wood-fired grill, which imparts a subtle smokiness to both meats, like grilled lamb chops, and seafood, such as whole fish and sweet scampi. Dishes like Spaghetti con calamaretti spillo (tiny, needle-like squid) further demonstrate a refined and modern approach to Italian seafood.
This culinary structure is a direct reflection of the restaurant’s entire concept. The dining experience becomes a journey, allowing diners to move from the hearty, historical flavors of Bologna to the lighter, more contemporary tastes of the sea, just as they physically move from the nostalgic bistrot to the refined dining room. The menu itself tells the story of cultural translation, presenting a purely “Bolognese” experience, a modern “Milanese” one, or, most rewarding of all, a path that artfully combines both.
Curtain Call: An Experience to Remember
Rodrigo Milano is a complete and coherent universe, a place where history, design, and cuisine are woven into a single, compelling narrative. It is more than the sum of its beautifully appointed parts. It fulfills its stated ambition to be a place to “slow down, welcome, and tell stories,” providing a much-needed retreat from the famously frenetic pace of Milanese life.