Seta by Antonio Guida: the future of one of the best Italian hotel restaurants

Hospitality, creativity and elegance, without space and time 

Located in the heart of the city center, in the nineteenth-century building that houses one of Milan's most elegant and renowned hotels (the Mandarin Oriental), Seta is much more than just a restaurant: it is the setting for an extraordinary culinary (and emotional) experience that constantly evolves and renews, guided by the passion and inspiration of Chef Antonio Guida and his team, leading the customer step by step to discover his culinary philosophy and the mood of the place.

Despite its location behind the fashion district, in the heart of the city's excitement, Seta offers the opportunity to temporarily detach from the "surroundings" to be enveloped by a muffled, refined, and timeless atmosphere, where everything takes on a different rhythm and meaning.

From the counter to the courtyard: surprising stages of a unique journey

The journey to discover Seta begins in the lounge bar adjacent to the restaurant and next to the Mandarin Garden, the beating heart of the hotel. Here, you can linger at the counter and enjoy a well-crafted cocktail prepared by young but skilled and competent bartenders, or you can stop at the bistro for a less formal lunch, featuring some classic Italian dishes beloved worldwide.

Here, you can enjoy the captivating atmosphere of a renowned international hotel, which has, however, managed to maintain a touch of warmth and distinctive personality: from the texture of the green velvet seats to the geometric designs on the walls, including the study on lighting design. However, the fine dining experience begins at the restaurant table, adjacent but discreetly separated from the more "transit" area intended for more casual and "grab-and-go" dining.

A place to elevate all the senses

Entering Seta means stepping into a timeless space where everything is an invitation to slow down and enjoy what the senses offer, focusing on details and emotions that would remain unexplored in other contexts: the beauty of the objects that characterize the mise en place, the tactile sensations provided by the exquisite materials, the discretion of sounds—all contribute to this goal even before the taste buds are directly stimulated.

The elegant furnishings, with a sober yet by no means austere design, the presence of warm natural elements such as wooden floors and precious fabrics for drapes and seats, make the guest feel welcomed and "enveloped." The soft lights, alternating with the natural light coming from outside through the large wall-to-wall windows, deserve credit for creating a sense of continuity with the luxurious courtyard (one of the two in the building), which in the beautiful season represents the "open-air dining room" of the restaurant.

The same continuity of spaces (designed, like the entire hotel, by the Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel studio) is evidenced, indoor, by the installation of "air" dividers, which rhythmically organize the space and allow the gaze to bridge the gap between tables (for a total of 50 covers), without compromising the sense of privacy.

Near the restaurant's reception, you'll find the Saletta Duomo, created with a decorative design by Fornasetti, conceived as a cozy and exclusive space with custom furnishings, refined wallpapers, and rich decorative elements, accommodating a maximum of 8 diners.

On the other side of the beautiful courtyard is the kitchen—inevitably visible but without the ostentation exhibited by much contemporary dining. For those who want to truly immerse themselves in the Seta experience, there is a chef's table (available for a maximum of two people) from which to observe Chef Antonio Guida and his team's gestures at work from a privileged position.

Creativity and elegance in 4 menus

The culinary offering is based on the original, rigorous, precise, yet also relaxed and playful approach with which Chef Guida interprets the most authentic Italian cuisine, enriching it with inspirations from his childhood and experiences around the world. Without neglecting spontaneous creative suggestions, both fleeting and capable of giving life to memorable dishes.

The result is an offering that spans Italian and foreign traditions (especially Tuscan and French), Mediterranean and exotic ingredients, classic recipes, and innovative techniques, all mixed in perfect balance. The goal? To satisfy the guest on every level, involving them in the tasting experience and astonishing them with a series of harmonious counterpoints.

Seta's offering is structured along 3 paths (potentially intersecting and manageable as À la Carte menus) designed by the chef to express all facets of his culinary philosophy. The Silk Road (highlighting the signature dish Risotto with raspberry and herb cream) is an "anthological" 7-course menu that gathers the most representative dishes from his professional journey from 2008 to today (such as Oysters with potatoes, friggitelli, and Champagne sauce, Roasted blue lobster with Loazzolo passito zabaglione, leek, and Matcha tea, and Licorice parfait with Kentucky tobacco leaf crystals, spiced pear, and coffee cream).

Here and Now, on the other hand, represents the effort of the Chef and his team's most recent research: a journey that starts from tradition but aims to be strongly contemporary, treating even the most "reassuring" ingredients in an innovative way, through variations in textures and bold yet always balanced pairings (such as Turbot with tofu, potatoes, and mushrooms or Suckling pig with chickpea cream, cabbage, scallop, and gentian sauce).

The third menu, finally, is seasonal and "monographic," dedicated each time to an ingredient or type of raw material linked to a specific time of year. The autumnal menu celebrates Game, combining precious and humble ingredients in the same dish (as in Risone with turnip tops, black truffle, partridge livers, and anchovies), playing with surprising and unexpected presentations, and re-offering historical and sumptuous recipes (such as Royal duck, Venison, and Hare royale), tempering them with playful vivacity.

There is also a fourth entirely vegetarian offering, The Vertical Garden, which represents a challenge for the chef and reflects the research and constant attention to sustainability, hidden even behind the seemingly simplest recipe.

Commitment and play for a whole experience 

Whatever the choice, through the tasting menu, it is possible to appreciate the chef's gastronomic idea, expressed in a precise sequence of dishes that interact with each other according to a reasoned design, made of technique, flair, and creative inspiration. All this without ever abandoning the surprising and playful aspect conferred by the continuous alternation of meat and fish and the original presentation of dishes, from amuse-bouche to the selection of small pastries.

The meal transforms at times into an "interactive" experience, where the guest is directly involved and called upon to "build" their own path, capturing nuances of taste and color, as well as combining textures and flavors in a personal and always new way with each tasting. To accompany the dishes, there is a wine list boasting more than 1,100 labels, with particular attention to Italian wines and sought-after Champagnes from reknowed producers, selected to fully satisfy the senses of the guests and enhance the complexity that arises between the sweetness, salinity, spiciness, and "butteriness" of the dishes.